Reviews tagging 'Blood'

Solitaire by Alice Oseman

97 reviews

saskia_ej's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Fire/Fire injury

fyre_flies's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Homophobia, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Alcohol

Minor: Bullying

isabelle_boknert's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Eating disorder, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, and Alcohol

fernash's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

 4.75 because

they kissed

5 stars otherwise

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcohol

Minor: Misogyny

mattyb's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Blood and Alcohol

bethsimone_'s review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

"I don't know what's going to happen to us. I don't know how long I'm going to be like this.
All I know is that I'm here. And I'm alive. And I'm not alone."

I haven't felt truly represented by a character until Tori. Her apathetic personality and the sensitive handling of her mental health is extremely well done.

You can physically feel Tori shine brighter when Michael is near, they have a beautiful relationship in which they are two halves making each other whole.
The dialogue between them on the roof made me tear up, mostly because Tori's feelings were extremely familiar to me (and anyone else that has experienced suicidal ideation) but largely because I was holding my breath, feeling Michael panicking trying to get Tori to understand she needs to be here, she is important, to get her away from the edge no matter what. It's heartbreaking, because Tori truly doesn't understand what other people see when they look at her.

"You need to be here," he says.

I especially love the fact that Oseman doesn't 'fix' Tori or write a 'happy ending' that ties things into a neat bow. Mental illness is not something that can be fixed, and recovery in not a linear path, it'll likely shape your whole life.

What Solitaire does, is deliver not exactly an anti-suicide message, but hope. Hope that you can find the joy in life again, doing pointless things just to pass the time, laughing at nothing; being alive.
Throughout the book, Tori slowly 'defrosts' from her apathetic, numb state, not exactly melting by the end but opening up enough to allow herself to feel, and continue to grow. She isn't exactly changed, but she acknowledges that, and finally sees she isn't alone, she has people that love her for who she is, and they'll still be there when she doesn't.
Oseman writes friendship and chosen family in a really beautiful way, and is the real love story underpinning Solitaire.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Bullying, Cursing, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail

saomah5566's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Hate crime, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Bullying and Homophobia

Minor: Bullying, Homophobia, and Blood

marleen02's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

cecilielaugesen's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I really like Tori. Not necessarily who she is as a person, but the way she is described is just very real. I’m not saying I agree with all her choices, but I understand them. Honestly she is an asshole at times, but you can’t help but feel for her.
I loved the first half of this book, but I felt it was longer than it needed to be, and honestly it felt liked it just dragged on in the second part.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Bullying, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Blood and Alcohol

tetrootz's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Drug use, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Dysphoria