Releasing 10 (Deluxe Edition)

What an emotional ride this read was & I devoured every second of it! Chloe Walsh is the absolute queen at writing raw, emotional, day in, and day out trauma with such accurate depictions of what it is like living with said trauma. Again, I was living and breathing the traumas endured alongside our characters. Releasing 10 not only has a heavy some heavy, heavy topics, such as sexual abuse/assault (including childhood), loss of a loved one, and suicide, but it also navigates mental health. This is Lizzie's redemption story, and it follows her childhood diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder. I absolutely L-O-V-E-D this read (as I have with this entire series), but I must say, this was also the toughest read (emotionally) to read, too. This is my all-time favourite series, and I will forever recommend it, especially to those who are ignorant on the topics of domestic violence, addiction, and sexual abuse/assault. I can't wait to see where the rest of the series takes us. 𝕀𝕄ℙ𝕆ℝ𝕋𝔸ℕ𝕋 ℕ𝕆𝕋𝔼: Please check trigger warnings before reading this one. It is not fair to Chloe for those reading, rating it low due to not liking the content when it is clearly laid out at the beginning of the book.

Excelente Libro muy fregona la serie

My thoughts have been gathered & I feel somewhat prepared to say something. This book was heartbreakingly beautiful. From the beginning we are immediately thrown into extremely traumatic events & watching them play out, like watching a car crash with no ability to stop & all you can do is hold on. In a weird way, at the beginning, I could really relate to Caoimhe and her having to be a glass child because of a sibling’s more advanced needs. As the book progressed, we’re taken along into the deep rooted friendships between “the star” group with Liz, Gibsie, Feely, Hughie, and Claire. It was sweet to see their friendships in such a positive light but also crushing to know what happens as the book goes on. Another thing I think this book did SO well, was not for a single second did CW shy away from the nastiness of this world. Were the scenes graphic? Absolutely. Were they glamorized? Not in any way, shape, or form. The world has ugly people in it. The world isn’t always kind. If that’s your experience in this place, congratulations, you’re one of the lucky ones. If any part of this story connected to your personal journey, then I just want to apologize for the way the internet tried to devalue YOUR truth. There will always be a space here for you in my corner if you need someone. Lastly, let’s talk about Hugh. I’ve seen so many comments saying his only personality trait was loving Lizzie. For those people, did you even read the book? This man was intelligent, well-mannered, self sufficient, kind, AND he loved Lizzie & dealt with way more than a CHILD his age should’ve had to deal with & did it with the most respect and compassion and empathy I’ve ever seen displayed in a character. Lizzie was complicated, wild, and unstable, and through the entire story Hugh stood by, coaxing her back from the edge, legitimately saving her life on multiple occasions. Yeah we might’ve only seen his love for Lizzie but that’s what makes him a beautiful character. Through all her shit, he was there beside her. He didn’t deserve a lot of what happened to him either. Overall, this book is heavy as f***, there’s no sugarcoating CSA, bi-polar, mania, self harm, suicide, and much more. But there shouldn’t be any sugar coating those things either. They’re real. They happen. And if you believe they’re not happening, you’re the biggest fool of all. I pray you never have to experience anything like this book depicts, but for those of us that have survived, Chloe gave us a voice where the world tried to steal ours away. I can only hope she never stops writing these beautiful stories. I gave this book 5 stars, but I would not recommend for everyone as this book is extremely graphic and can be triggering. Proceed with caution.

There truly aren’t enough words to describe what Releasing 10 did to me. Chloe Walsh has written something so raw, real, and heartbreaking and to be honest I’m still trying to pull myself together after finishing it. This is the story of Lizzie Young and Hugh Biggs. I’ll admit, I didn’t expect to love Lizzie. But this story cracks her wide open in the most devastating, human way. What we thought we knew about Lizzie is completely flipped. Her journey through bipolar disorder, the weight of trauma (so much trauma) and many attempts at healing absolutely wrecked me. The fact of the matter is, Lizzie is misunderstood. In the earlier books, she comes off cruel, manipulative, and mean. But this book reveals the reality- she’s a hurt person, acting out in the only way she knows how and a way that is screaming for attention while hurting others along the way. But, isn’t that true in real life too? Hurt people hurt people. But that doesn’t mean they don’t deserve understanding, compassion, and a chance to be heard. To me, a powerful book is one that lingers long after the last page, one that makes you think about the characters like they’re real people, one that makes you wish you could reach into the story just to give them a hug and tell them they’re not alone. That’s exactly what Releasing 10 does. It shows us the “why” behind a character many of us judged. It shows us what happens when pain festers, when trauma is ignored, and how healing, while hard, is possible with the right help. Enter Hugh Biggs, her best friend from childhood. He is the soft, steady light in her chaos. He’s everything and goodness I love him, he is truly everything that is good in this world. We all deserve a Hughie in our lives. He and Lizzie are soulmates, with a love that spans lifetimes. I want to be clear- this is not a light or easy romance. It is absolutely not a YA book and I cannot iterate that enough. It’s deep, dark, messy, and haunting; but I firmly believe it’s also deeply needed. This book forces you to sit with uncomfortable truths and difficult emotions. Please read the trigger warnings. Take breaks. Take care of your mental health. This story is heavy, and it’s not for everyone. But it’s so important. This book won’t be for everyone. But if you’ve followed the Boys of Tommen series and wanted to understand the girl everyone dismissed and wrote off because of our prior interactions with her this is that story. And I think it’s one that needed to be told. Grab the tissues. Hold space for your feelings. And maybe, just maybe, come out the other side a little more openhearted.

good read keep them coming