Saving 6

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of physical and emotional abuse, bullying, substance use, and addiction.

Joey is the primary protagonist. At the beginning of the novel, he is 12 years old and turns 18 by the novel’s end. Several of his classmates describe him as extremely attractive, and he is very athletic as the star of the school’s hurling team. However, his peers also fear him, as he is hotheaded and quick to get into fights. He regularly deals with his abusive father at home, getting into fights with him to defend his mother and younger siblings from his physical violence. In turn, he deals with his trauma in his home environment by getting into fights in school and on the hurling pitch, openly having sex with multiple girls, and, eventually, turning to drug use to cope.

As a dynamic character, Joey changes throughout the text. For several years, he refuses to have a romantic relationship with Aoife, insisting that she is too good for him and that his trouble at home will only make her life more difficult. As a result, he is extremely closed off, refusing to tell her what is happening at home or to allow her to get to know him.