Binding 13 by Chloe Walsh

At first, I was a little worried this book was going to be a never-ending pity party, based on how the opening chapters played out. But as it kept going, there was so much more depth than I expected and definitely more than I dared hope for.

From comedic moments to serious ones to absolutely heartbreaking scenes, this book runs you through it. I laughed out loud more than once, and also had a few full-body shudder moments thanks to some of the medical stuff. (Apparently I don’t do well with medical shite. Noted.) And I was not prepared for how much personality the chapter titles added. Do yourself a favor and actually read them. They’re hilarious.

There’s so much that feels genuinely accurate to the teenage experience here from awkward first kisses to painfully clumsy "birds & bees" talks. I really love a good coming-of-age arc, especially when it leans into slice-of-life storytelling. That slower, more thoughtful pacing lets you really settle into the mundane, the messy, and the emotional day to day.

Now that ending though? No! That was just a cruel place to cut Chloe!! The emotional whiplash of those last three chapters had me scrambling to write this review just so I could crack open book two immediately. We went up then down, up then down, over and over until my battered heart just couldn't take it any more. 

That said, I’m still torn on how I feel about this being YA. I thought back to my own experiences and yeah... it’s pretty accurate. But as an adult woman, it still feels weird to read about things like a teenage girl’s perfect breasts or a 17-year-old’s very detailed sex life and constant references to his bangers and mash. It toes a line that makes me uncomfortable, even if it is an honest reflection of how teenagers actually talk and act. I mean, I had a friend in high school who was literally nicknamed “papa big d*ck” and everyone knew who banged who at what party by Monday morning. So sure, the representation checks out... it’s just jarring to read from this side of the age gap.

Still, I’m fully in now. Let’s see where this rollercoaster goes.