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A review by anastasia_raf
Solitaire by Alice Oseman
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I've just finished this book. Like, literally not five minutes have passed and I'm already trying to process everything so I can write a somewhat decent review. It's not the perfect book in any way. I found it lacking in many things and some problematic,for me, stuff... But,
The truth is words fail me. I think this book has said everything. My darkest thoughts, my lowest days, my reality. As a pessimist I identified very much with Tori. While thinking she's not the best person but not the worst? I identified to her in a entirely "human" way. Like is anyone truly bad or entirely good? Who's to judge that? Without having undertaking the circumstances, sympathizing with many factors and justifying many actions?
What breaks me is the " having noticed, expected it but didn't do anything." How many have I thought of that? How many times have other people thought of that? Yet again I wonder if s*ic*de is such an illogical action? Not to say that this book romanticizes it or anything... But as a depressed person with s*ic*da* thoughts I wonder why people take such pleasure in hearing a person thirst and will to live, and such horror in hearing the opposite? Since when one become normalized and the other an illness? Since when is wanting to leave all this pain behind, the hating, racist, homophobic, all in all messed up society- considered a sin, a sickness, selfish... and wanting to live in that very society is praised?
Since when it's okay to ask people to stay just because you love them, you need them even though they are in incredible pain? And when a person decides to not stay because of that very pain is selfish????
It's always "it's your life, do what you will with it," but your de*th? Is not yours. It's the universe's, your god's, your illness's, your fate's...
This book hugs me in a way of saying that not that everything is going to be okay, but I'm here to read me when they are not, because they're not.
The truth is words fail me. I think this book has said everything. My darkest thoughts, my lowest days, my reality. As a pessimist I identified very much with Tori. While thinking she's not the best person but not the worst? I identified to her in a entirely "human" way. Like is anyone truly bad or entirely good? Who's to judge that? Without having undertaking the circumstances, sympathizing with many factors and justifying many actions?
What breaks me is the " having noticed, expected it but didn't do anything." How many have I thought of that? How many times have other people thought of that? Yet again I wonder if s*ic*de is such an illogical action? Not to say that this book romanticizes it or anything... But as a depressed person with s*ic*da* thoughts I wonder why people take such pleasure in hearing a person thirst and will to live, and such horror in hearing the opposite? Since when one become normalized and the other an illness? Since when is wanting to leave all this pain behind, the hating, racist, homophobic, all in all messed up society- considered a sin, a sickness, selfish... and wanting to live in that very society is praised?
Since when it's okay to ask people to stay just because you love them, you need them even though they are in incredible pain? And when a person decides to not stay because of that very pain is selfish????
It's always "it's your life, do what you will with it," but your de*th? Is not yours. It's the universe's, your god's, your illness's, your fate's...
This book hugs me in a way of saying that not that everything is going to be okay, but I'm here to read me when they are not, because they're not.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Eating disorder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Alcohol, Death, Misogyny, and Vomit