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mattyb's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Grief, Mental illness, Fire/Fire injury, Eating disorder, Dysphoria, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Bullying, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Cursing, and Stalking
Minor: Blood and Alcohol
aino_maria23's review against another edition
- 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
2.75
Graphic: Homophobia, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing, Eating disorder, Self harm, Violence, Stalking, and Bullying
Minor: Alcohol, Outing, and Medical content
cdoubet's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Eating disorder, Fire/Fire injury, Bullying, Cursing, Homophobia, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
Minor: Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual content, Vomit, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
bethsimone_'s review against another edition
- 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
"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.
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Eating disorder, and Mental illness
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Bullying, Suicide attempt, Violence, Blood, Self harm, Cursing, and Injury/Injury detail
briaranne's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Mental illness and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Eating disorder, Outing, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Bullying, and Grief
enchantedsleeper's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
There was lots to like and find engaging about this, even though some bits lost me partway through. There were some really good lines and I felt like Oseman stuck the landing with the ending. No regrets about having picked this up to check out after Heartstopper.
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Eating disorder, and Violence
mbrogs2024's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Alcoholism, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Suicide, Self harm, Alcohol, Chronic illness, Fire/Fire injury, Bullying, Eating disorder, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Homophobia
nemcphile's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Cursing, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Eating disorder, Self harm, and Homophobia
marleen02's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Eating disorder, and Fire/Fire injury
cecilielaugesen's review against another edition
- 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 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.
Graphic: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, and Mental illness
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Fire/Fire injury, Homophobia, Suicide attempt, and Eating disorder
Minor: Alcohol and Blood