Binding 13

Shannon Lynch is one of Binding 13’s two protagonists and narrators. She is 15 years old at the start of the novel and turns 16 during it. She starts at Tommen College after Christmas, having left several public schools in the past due to having been bullied. She describes herself as “scrawny” and “short” (1-2) and is also described as small by Johnny and her other classmates. In addition to bullying at school, she faces physical and emotional abuse from her father, who regularly beats and strangles her while drunk. She has a strong bond with her older brother, Joey, who does his best to protect her from their father, even physically assaulting their father multiple times in Shannon’s defense.

Through Shannon’s character, Walsh explores the theme of The Psychological Effects of Trauma. Shannon battles with severe anxiety and depression, even contemplating suicide and participating in what she describes as “self-harm” by reliving her past traumas. As a result, she struggles to form a healthy relationship with Johnny throughout the novel. She first convinces herself that he is a “dog” like other boys, “especially the athletic ones” (207), and that she should stay away from him to not experience heartbreak.