*This article contains spoilers for the ‘Boys of Tommen’ series*
Welcome back to yet another article of my ranting about books. It’s been a while. One of my most beloved romance series Boys of Tommen by Chloe Walsh is getting its sixth publication, May 27. This 750 page book, the longest book in the series, is about Lizzie Young and Hughie Biggs and their on again, off again romance.
We have met these characters before. We have had time to either learn to love them or hate them. What the BOT fandom can not agree on is if Lizzie is a good character, deserving of redemption – or if a redemption arc is even possible at this point. Lizzie is a stereotypical bully. Her trauma manifests as anger, and she takes this anger out on the people around her. But we have to ask, can trauma and mental health be enough to excuse the inexcusable?
In Defense Of Lizzie Young
Let’s take a second to remember that Lizzie is only 16 years old during the events of Taming 7. Think about what it was like to be a teenager, and then imagine suddenly losing your older sibling when you were only 11. This tragic event shapes how you develop and grow as a teenager, and you grow angry and bitter. You go through life believing that your sister took her own life because of the actions of your “friend’s” stepbrother, Mark Allen. You may think this friend was even compliant or knew what your sister was going through, because that is what grief will do. Grief will drive you crazy. Lizzie was only looking for someone to blame for the passing of her sister, but the sad truth is that her sister was the only person to blame. Well, her and Mark Allen.
If you are a fan of Boys of Tommen, which, if you took the time to read this article, I assume you are, mental health plays a big role in character development. When author Chloe Walsh revealed that she would be writing a Lizzie and Hughie book, she confirmed that Lizzie has Bipolar Disorder. This is a mental health disease that causes periods of manic highs and depressive lows. We know Lizzie has emotional eruptions. This is obvious during her many, many fights with Gibsie. Regarding the fandom’s response to Lizzie, misogyny is too normalized in fandom spaces. Anger and violence are responses expected from men. When women go through similar traumatic events, they are expected to be depressed, but still remain kind. Lizzie’s abnormal response to her trauma, while destructive, would garner a different response from BOT fans if she were a man.
We don’t know a lot about the dynamics of Lizzie and Hughies relationship. We know that they were best friends as children, and we know that they dated briefly. We know that the two still have feelings for each other, and it’s hinted that the two have relations while Hughie has a girlfriend (poor Katie, a.k.a, cheating). Now, I am not a fan of the cheating trope. I don’t think many people are. All I will say is that it takes two to tango, and if you are hating Lizzie for cheating, you should also equally hate Hughie.
Argument Against Lizzie Young
Trauma and mental health are explanations, NOT excuses. Lizzie Young, at the end of the day, is a bully. Victims of bullying usually don’t stop to reflect on their bully’s home life or childhood trauma, because that doesn’t matter when said person is making every day a living hell!
If somehow you made it this far into the article, and you don’t know anything about the Boys of Tommen universe, let me briefly catch you up. In Keeping Thirteen, book two of the series, the friendship group goes camping to celebrate Johnny’s birthday. During this camping trip, tension is high between Gibsie and Lizzie, which inevitably turns into an argument. Lizzie takes the argument one step too far by pushing him into the water.
Firstly, he doesn’t know how to swim. Secondly, he is deathly afraid of water since he witnessed his father and little sister drown when he was young.
Now, if you aren’t a part of this fandom, you’re probably thinking, “what the hell is this girl reading?” Sometimes I ask myself the same question, but stay with me.
The treatment of Gibsie is inexcusable. One argument I see defending this is, “Lizzie didn’t know the extent of Gibsie’s trauma. She didn’t know the truth!” Bro, who cares? You should not treat another human being like that. To go as far as purposely triggering their PTSD is absolutely insane.
Another thing that happens in Taming 7, book five of the series, is her sister’s suicide note is leaked. The suicide note was written to Gibsie, which he had kept secret and stored away. In that note, Caoimhe, Lizzie’s sister, is saying she is sorry for not believing Gibsie when he said he was sexually assaulted, and that she could no longer live with the guilt. Lizzie learns this information, and then says that she does not believe the letter is true, and that Gibsie was never sexually assaulted, and she doesn’t believe him.
Lizzie Young is a violent unapologetic bully, who refuses to take accountability for her actions. I promise you that in Releasing 10, we will see her continue to bully Gibsie and Katie, and cheat with Hughie. I am determined to stand my ground during this fandom war, and stay #teamgibsie.