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A review by raffy23
Solitaire by Alice Oseman
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
It was really easy to dive into this, both with the simple writing style (after all, Oseman wrote this in her teens) and having prior knowledge of many (not all) of its characters from the Heartstopper comics.
One thing I guess I didn't love was how much different I found Tori. In Heartstopper, she's confident (introverted & mysterious, sure, but...) and bold enough to talk back to people & tell off, say, David. In Solitaire though, she can barely speak up to her friends, let alone the acquaintances/strangers she encounters.
I did enjoy the discussions of life, the reality of introverts in daily experiences, even the crazy anonymous hacker plotline (for the mosf part).
I LOVED Tori's battle with "Pride & Prejudice' and how she reflects on her own self & emotions through analysing it in her schooling.
I'm not too fond of the ending, with the 180 of certain personalities and lack of accountability/justice. But hey, it's a happy ending for an otherwise depressing book.
Depressing, particularly for me, because I'm an optimist - So reading a book that containe triggering content through the eyes of a pessimistic perspective wasn't always thrilling.
Nevertheless, I enjoyed it - & you HAVE to know what kind of book it is before you decide to read it - because I was ready and it was fun to revisit some Heartstopper characters.
One thing I guess I didn't love was how much different I found Tori. In Heartstopper, she's confident (introverted & mysterious, sure, but...) and bold enough to talk back to people & tell off, say, David. In Solitaire though, she can barely speak up to her friends, let alone the acquaintances/strangers she encounters.
I did enjoy the discussions of life, the reality of introverts in daily experiences, even the crazy anonymous hacker plotline (for the mosf part).
I LOVED Tori's battle with "Pride & Prejudice' and how she reflects on her own self & emotions through analysing it in her schooling.
I'm not too fond of the ending, with the 180 of certain personalities and lack of accountability/justice. But hey, it's a happy ending for an otherwise depressing book.
Depressing, particularly for me, because I'm an optimist - So reading a book that containe triggering content through the eyes of a pessimistic perspective wasn't always thrilling.
Nevertheless, I enjoyed it - & you HAVE to know what kind of book it is before you decide to read it - because I was ready and it was fun to revisit some Heartstopper characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Self harm, Mental illness, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, and Self harm