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purplesaturday's review
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
There is something about Alice Oseman’s characters that feel so real and personal to me. This doesn’t happen often for me, but I could not stop listening to this audiobook! (At least, for Radio Silence and I Was Born for This) I was completely enthralled.
I have mixed feelings about Solitaire. It was a little difficult to listen to at times - the main character Tori is so pessimistic and judgemental. It was nice to learn more about her, though, and her relationship with Michael Holden. Her relationship with her parents was so painfully realistic and sad, particularly her mother. And Tori does grow as a person throughout the book, and learns to stop seeing other people so one dimensionally. I thought the plot twist of who was behind Solitaire was really obvious, and I don’t really get how Tori didn’t see it coming. I’m also not sure how Solitaire could have pulled off some of their pranks? At first I thought the narrator sounded like a student rushing through reading something aloud for class, but I grew to like it. I’d give Solitaire a 3/5
I have mixed feelings about Solitaire. It was a little difficult to listen to at times - the main character Tori is so pessimistic and judgemental. It was nice to learn more about her, though, and her relationship with Michael Holden. Her relationship with her parents was so painfully realistic and sad, particularly her mother. And Tori does grow as a person throughout the book, and learns to stop seeing other people so one dimensionally. I thought the plot twist of who was behind Solitaire was really obvious, and I don’t really get how Tori didn’t see it coming. I’m also not sure how Solitaire could have pulled off some of their pranks? At first I thought the narrator sounded like a student rushing through reading something aloud for class, but I grew to like it. I’d give Solitaire a 3/5
I skipped Radio Silence since I’ve already listened to it as a standalone, so I don’t remember much. But I can say I loved this book, and I absolutely adored the relationship between the main characters. Alice Oseman is clearly passionate about critiquing the school system and the pressure of going to university or college. I was so jealous of the main character’s friendship, the way they clicked so well. The characters felt so relatable and human to me.
I felt a real connection to Radio Silence and I Was Born for This. They’re kind of similar - fangirl meets her very anxious idol. But unlike Radio Silence, it’s less about their friendship and more how they were parallels to each other despite being so different. I liked how stan culture was critiqued, while not being completely dismissed and also looking at it through a compassionate lense. I ended this story genuinely wishing the best for these characters - I hope they got the happy endings they deserved. I also wanted to add that I loved how flawed the characters were, while still being really likable. 4.5/5
I felt a real connection to Radio Silence and I Was Born for This. They’re kind of similar - fangirl meets her very anxious idol. But unlike Radio Silence, it’s less about their friendship and more how they were parallels to each other despite being so different. I liked how stan culture was critiqued, while not being completely dismissed and also looking at it through a compassionate lense. I ended this story genuinely wishing the best for these characters - I hope they got the happy endings they deserved. I also wanted to add that I loved how flawed the characters were, while still being really likable. 4.5/5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Alcoholism, Alcohol, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Addiction and Adult/minor relationship
lara_r's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Violence, Blood, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Abandonment, Animal death, and Eating disorder
Minor: Drug use and Stalking
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