A review by yasidiaz
Solitaire by Alice Oseman

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced
  • 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

Solitaire explores Tori Spring dealing with undiagnosed depression after her brother Charlie Spring had to leave for treatment the year previous, and how a new mystery at school turns her life around.

This is a much heavier book than Heartstopper, and despite still expecting that, it still caught me off guard. I still enjoyed the book, but it also made me ache as it reminded me so much about my own struggles around that age and my own undiagnosed depression. The only difference is that while Tori didn’t want to accept that something was going on with her, I knew something was going on with me but most people didn’t believe me. 

It’s not my favorite book from Alice Oseman, and it has a couple of flaws, but it was still a nice read, especially seeing Nick and Charlie from the point of view of Tori was interesting. I think the main drawback from this book is that it is clear that this is Alice's first book and they still hadn’t developed their current writing style. From what I read she published this while still a teenager, and while the book is still well-written when you consider that, it doesn’t have the same growth and perspective as her most recent work. 

As noted by the edition I read, this is nothing like Heartstopper. It’s dark, it’s sad, and it gets heavy easily. So if what you liked the most about Heartstopper is how lighthearted and hopeful it is, this might not be right in your alley. 

 
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