I really connected with our protagonist; Tori. She is really introverted, doesn’t have a lot of energy and she doesn’t have a whole load of friends. She explains that she doesn’t really know where her place is at school, despite feeling pretty ordinary, which really spoke to me. I also loved that Tori only drinks diet lemonade throughout the book as I pretty much survive off Pepsi Max. She also manages to explain how I feel about talking on the phone, which was fun to see.
“I hate the phone. It’s the worst invention in the history of the world because, if you don’t talk, nothing happens. You can’t get by with simply listening and nodding your head in all the right places. You have to talk. You have no option.”
Tori is a very relatable character, not just for me, but for anyone who is or has been a teenager. Especially if you have ever felt like an outsider. She is a blogger and introvert which is something a lot of readers can relate too. However if this isn’t you, there is Michael who (outwardly, and at first) seems so cheery and positive. He was a wonderful character and friend. I really liked his personality. He grows throughout the book and we learn so much more about him and how he keeps a lot inside, which is a lot of peoples coping mechanism. Also, he could well have been bi or ace or any sexuality at all but he refuses to label his sexuality as he doesn’t see why he has to and that’s a really interesting choice.
There is wonderful rep in this book, not many labels are used so I can’t specify with confidence, however I’m pretty sure I spotted depression, anxiety and definitely homosexuality. Specifically, Tori’s brother has really struggled with his mental health and we watch as Tori herself slowly realises she might be struggling too. We see how her mental health effects her relationships with everyone and how they cannot possibly know what is going on inside her head. She tells everyone she’s fine because that is what is expected from her. Tori’s relationship with her parents played a minimal role in the book and I would have found it interesting to explore that more and see how it affected Tori’s mental health.
Whilst I generally enjoy plot driven books and find less enjoyment in the character development, with Solitaire, I was all in for the characters and only mildly interested in the actual plot. I wanted to know who was behind Solitaire, however, I felt the “pranks” they were pulling off were unrealistic which took me out of it slightly. They were dramatic and added an element of mystery to the book, but I feel like the real meat of the story had nothing to do with Solitaire.
Overall, I think this was a wonderful read with something for everyone that tackled a bunch of really tough topics really well.
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From the Publisher
Discover the stunning collection of YA novels from Alice Oseman, creator of the Netflix sensation, Heartstopper
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SolitaireTori Spring isn't sure how to be happy again. Then she meets Michael Holden, and they try to unmask the mysterious Solitaire (and survive A-Levels) in Alice Oseman's stunning, unflinching honest debut novel, which first introduced her fan-favourite Heartstopper characters Nick and Charlie. |
Radio SilenceFrances is on the path to Cambridge, even though she's not quite sure why she's so determined to get there. But when she meets the creator of her favourite podcast, a whole new world opens up - and studying may not be a part of it. |
I Was Born For ThisAngel Rahimi is the world's biggest fan of boyband The Ark. Lead singer Jimmy Kaga-Ricci isn't sure how he ended up in this surreal celebrity life. And when the two collide, they'll both come crashing down to the real world... |
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LovelessGeorgia loves romance stories, but she's never been fallen in love. And she's not sure she ever wants to. A thoughtful and heartrending exploration of asexuality, aromanticism and the meaning of true love. |
Nick and CharlieThe beloved Heartstopper characters Nick and Charlie find themselves at a crossroads when Nick heads off to university. Can this first love survive the distance, or are they just delaying the inevitable? |
This WinterReuniting Solitaire's Tori Spring, her little brother Charlie, and Charlie's boyfriend Nick, this novella sees the Spring siblings brave a particularly difficult festive season. |
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| Loveless | I Was Born For This | Radio Silence | Solitaire | Nick and Charlie | This Winter | |
| Characters you'll fall in love with | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Heartbreaking and heartwarming stories | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Relationships that will captivate you | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| LGBTQ+ representation | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
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Customer reviews
I absolutely love this book, I downloaded it a while ago to read and thought that I absolutely MUST get a physical copy. I saw that a lot of the bad reviews were from a while ago so I thought that the front cover problem may have been resolved, it had not. I have spent the past few hours re-drawing the title onto the book as the orange one looks tacky and badly printed. Also the paper is quite low quality, I expected a lot more from such a big publisher. Bad cover aside, as a teenager I loved this book so much I loved the story and the characters, for me it was an amazing blend of aditional content for the comics and backstory for Tori. I know that many people in the reviews do not like how Tori's character is portrayed or how the story is written but I think it is brilliant.
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Top reviews from United Kingdom
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Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 25 April 2019
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 13 October 2020
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 May 2022
A bit disappointed :/
By Paul Holbrook on 7 May 2022
I absolutely love this book, I downloaded it a while ago to read and thought that I absolutely MUST get a physical copy. I saw that a lot of the bad reviews were from a while ago so I thought that the front cover problem may have been resolved, it had not. I have spent the past few hours re-drawing the title onto the book as the orange one looks tacky and badly printed. Also the paper is quite low quality, I expected a lot more from such a big publisher. Bad cover aside, as a teenager I loved this book so much I loved the story and the characters, for me it was an amazing blend of aditional content for the comics and backstory for Tori. I know that many people in the reviews do not like how Tori's character is portrayed or how the story is written but I think it is brilliant.
By Paul Holbrook on 7 May 2022
Images in this review
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 May 2022
OTHER THAN THAT READ THE BOOK ITS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING <3
interesting
By Jasmine on 8 May 2022
honestly. i love the book. i love anything alice writes or even does. this book it’s everything and i love it, and in every other case i would’ve gone to the bookstore to buy this book but i couldn’t wait and bought it on here. what a mistake. the printing of the front cover was horrible, i really regret buying it on amazon as it was printed by amazon. i won’t be returning the book as i couldn’t wait to read it, but if i see the book in a store i’ll be buying it again to replace this atrocious cover.By Jasmine on 8 May 2022
OTHER THAN THAT READ THE BOOK ITS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING <3
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Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 May 2022
Shouldn’t Judge a Book by its Cover
By Julia D. on 2 May 2022
Got my collection of Alice Osman books but needed Solitaire to complete my collection. I am disappointed by the printing quality of the book I got on Amazon compared to the one I got from the book store. Especially they are the same price!! It is such a beautiful book it’s a shame that it becomes an eyesore on the shelf due to the bad printing quality. Many people have had this issue too
By Julia D. on 2 May 2022
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