Releasing 10

Releasing 10 is a 2025 novel by international bestselling author Chloe Walsh. It is part of the Boys of Tommen series, a collection of six books about the lives of teenagers living in Cork, Ireland; Releasing 10 follows Lizzie Young, a minor character from previous novels. Lizzie is diagnosed with bipolar disorder at a young age, causing her to struggle to fit in with her peers and even her family as she changes schools, tries different medications, and battles feelings of isolation. When she meets Hugh Biggs, a quiet, intelligent boy who seems to have his life together, she finally finds someone who offers her unconditional love and support. Through Lizzie and Hugh’s friendship and romance, Walsh explores The Love and Support Friendships Offer, The Complexities of Trauma and Healing, and The Benefits and Burdens of Commitment.

This guide is based on the 2025 paperback edition of the novel published by Bloom Books.

Content Warning: The source material and this guide feature depictions of bullying, sexual violence, rape, mental illness, child abuse, child sexual abuse, pregnancy termination, child death, suicidal ideation, suicide, self-harm, sexual content, cursing, illness, and death.

Plot Summary

Lizzie Young, who lives in Cork, Ireland, is diagnosed with bipolar disorder at a young age, when she has selective mutism and episodes of severe anger and violence. Her mother, Catherine, supports her throughout her childhood, while her father, Mike, struggles with her various mental health episodes as they impact their family. Lizzie’s older sister, Caoimhe, oscillates between blaming Lizzie for her own social issues and feeling protective of her.

Caoimhe’s boyfriend, Mark, begins to sexually abuse Lizzie when she is five. He comes into her room at night, takes nude pictures of her, and has penetrative sex with her, insisting that he is fixing her mental health. Lizzie begins to believe that the assaults are dreams; she thinks of Mark as a monster that comes into her room at night.

On the school bus one day, Lizzie meets Hugh, and the two quickly become friends. Even though Hugh does not fully understand what Lizzie is going through, he unconditionally supports and loves her. He is someone with whom Lizzie feels completely safe. Lizzie and Hugh become good friends with Gibsie and Feely, two other boys in Hugh’s class.

In the summer of 1995, just before Lizzie turns seven, Gibsie’s father and younger sister die in a boating accident. Lizzie and Hugh help Gibsie through his grief. Gibsie’s mother marries Keith, who is Mark’s father, making Gibsie and Mark stepbrothers.

Over the next few years, Lizzie’s mental illness continues. She goes through periods of mania and depression, refusing to speak with many of the therapists and doctors that she sees and intermittently not taking her medication. Mark’s abuse continues to exacerbate her mental illness. She and Hugh grow closer, eventually beginning a romantic relationship.

In April 2000, when Lizzie is 11, her parents go to the United States to seek experimental medical treatment for her mother. Lizzie is left in Ireland with Caoimhe and Mark for a few weeks while she finishes school. Mark impregnates Lizzie, and then forces her to have an abortion. Hugh tries to help, but neither of them fully understands what is happening. Instead, Hugh says goodbye as Lizzie leaves for America on the verge of a mental health crisis.

A few weeks later, Hugh’s mother wakes him up in the middle of the night. There was an accident that led to Caoimhe’s death. Hugh is shocked, as he assumed that Caoimhe, Mark, and Lizzie were all in America.

Over the next few days, Hugh learns what happened from Mark, the only person who will speak about it; Lizzie refuses to talk to anyone. Mark claims that when they were supposed to leave, Lizzie had a mental health episode, which led Mark and Caoimhe to sedate her and stay in Ireland. Mark then discovered that Caoimhe was stealing Lizzie’s medication; after a fight between them, Caoimhe died by suicide. Hugh believes Mark’s story has too many holes in it. However, the police investigation is unable to prove otherwise.

Meanwhile, Lizzie struggles with her memory of the last few weeks. She has flashes of Mark and Caoimhe fighting, with Caoimhe accusing Mark of raping both Lizzie and Gibsie. Lizzie remembers Mark locking her and Lizzie in a room. She also remembers Caoimhe telling her to go to Gibsie, insisting that he would help her.

On the day of Caoimhe’s funeral, Lizzie gets most of her memory back. She accuses Mark of raping Caoimhe. She begs Gibsie to tell everyone what he knows, but Gibsie refuses, causing an irreparable rift between their families.

Over the next several years, Lizzie and Hugh grow closer. They begin a physical relationship, but Hugh insists that they wait until they are 16 to have penetrative sex. Although Mark’s abuse stops when he leaves for college, Lizzie’s vivid nightmares lead her to cycle rapidly between mania and depression. She also experiences hypersexuality and becomes fixated on her physical relationship with Hugh. She stops taking her medication, insistent that doctors are incapable of helping her. Through it all, Hugh grapples with his love for Lizzie and the life that he is missing out on by constantly supporting her.

On Hugh’s 16th birthday, Lizzie tries to get Hugh to have penetrative sex with her for the first time. He refuses, insisting that he cannot do so when Lizzie is refusing to treat her mental illness. Intoxicated, Lizzie has sex with Hugh’s rugby teammate, Pierce. Hugh catches them and breaks up with Lizzie, adamant that the trust between them is broken.

Over the next few weeks, Lizzie continues her relationship with Pierce. Hugh still loves Lizzie despite his inability to trust her. Lizzie repeatedly begs him for forgiveness, but each time he insists that she needs to see her doctor and resume taking her medication.

On New Year’s Eve in 2003, Lizzie’s father walks in on her having sex with Pierce. Lizzie laughs at her father, insisting that he does not care about her. When Lizzie’s mother witnesses the altercation, she has a heart attack.

When Hugh hears what happened, he immediately goes to the hospital to comfort Lizzie. As Lizzie is overwhelmed by guilt, she apologizes to her father and tells him that she is ready to resume treatment. Mike finds a treatment facility for her.

Over the next six weeks, Lizzie undergoes treatment, learning about her cycling mood as well as the impact of what she did to Hugh. At the same time, Hugh begins seeing a girl named Katie.

When Lizzie returns home, she apologizes to Hugh. She now fully understands the scope of what she did to him, as well as the implications of refusing treatment. She loves Hugh—and likely always will—but urges him to continue his relationship with Katie. Although Hugh still loves Lizzie, too, he lets her walk away, knowing that he can never fully trust her again.