It's been a while since I've read this story, but I don't know why I disagree with what you've said.
I would say that even if it might not look realistic to you, you can't really put a box to what it should look like, because you're not him. And even though these ARE fictional characters, the thought looms that what IF someone acted like that in real life, would you call that unrealistic? Sure, there are common signs of what one would be like after such trauma, but that doesn't guarantee that they would act like that.
But then again, that's what I would say if I actually knew what I was thinking. You might be on to something here.
It's realistic up to when he goes back to london. Acting out, attempting to end it, dropping out of school and making money the only way he knows with the only person who really understands his pain (cass, great character btw), depression, hopelessness.. that was real. But all the stuff with ian afterwards is almost like a different manga.
Like I said I haven't finished it yet and I'm not really putting the time I could into explaining myself, but theres a great comment on like page 9 from 2021 from someone called "the zedmeister" that's a lot more detailed and explains this.
Okay now that I've finished it.. I feel like it's not that bad. The last chapter works really well as an epilogue.
That said I feel like half of the chapters in the second half could've just been cut out. Most of the stuff between his return to england and his breakdown with dr pen. All of this focus on Ian's feelings feels out of place because he's like... a womanizer, there was frankly no indication that he loved Jeremy in the first half of the story. If there had been, that would've kinda improved things, but it still feels out of place to focus so much on his feelings when Jeremy is in the state he's in.
Nadia was also done dirty. I seen some people bash her but it's like come on bruh. Ian is leaving her to fuck his traumatized, underage, stepbrother. Uhm... girl's allowed to have a moment.
Imo the story would've worked better with Ian in a more purely mentor/protector role. If their attraction had been hinted at from the start and Jeremy had been shown to be bi from the start too, that could've made things better but its honestly just kinda yucky as it is.
I feel like Jeremy did not receive the support and healing he deserved. Both from Ian and his psychologist. Like he just blurted out the truth in front of her but that plot point goes nowhere. There's kinda no closure and it feels like Jeremy can only ever be free with Ian, in a sort of sick twisted way.
Imo Ian should've used his money to bail Jeremy out of trouble after having him confess to the police (using the photos as evidence, as they mentioned). Someone in Jeremy's place would've wanted to do that themselves at some point. Like, he was cornered, but that shit is heavy on his conscience and there's just no moving on and creating genuine bonds while keeping that secret. So for me, the ending isn't really satisfying.
I'm also annoyed by how everyone is constantly quoting poems and traveling all over with no worries (does no one ever work?) but I guess that's supposed to be part of its charm.
Im on chapter 68 so not finished yet, maybe the ending is good Idk but so far everything after he returns from boston back to london is too sanitized and unrealistic compared to how well handled trauma and the whole greg not being found out thing was handled and portrayed.
Like. In london, Jeremy is clearly haunted by keeping the fact that he tampered with the car a secret, yet he goes to summer couses, fun walks, trips, reads, etc. I'm sorry but realistically he would be distraught as fuck and likely unable to return to a life as normal as that, especially AS QUICKLY as he does, without some sort of closure. Same for everyone else honestly everyone acts like rich posh kids with a really fucking bright future ahead of them and no real struggles, so it's hard to take whatever struggles they display (like Ian) seriously... like bro you're set all set, chill. The story suffers from trying to force a yaoi angle here with Ian I feel. It's just.. jarring.
First half was really good and raw but imo the second part loses sight of that realism too much. The path the story takes is unsatisfying, the characters' choices and reactions too tame for what happened. Maybe I'll eat my words after the ending but I doubt it.