Solitaire: Book Review by Penny R.

 Summary

Solitaire by Alice Oseman is a fictional novel about mental illnesses and self- improvement.

The book opens from the perspective of Tori Spring. She has a pretty normal friend group, including her best friend, Becky, but never wants to socialize or hang out with the people around her. One day, she notices a line of post- it notes all around the school, leading to somewhere unknown in the school. She follows the trail for days, eventually leading into a small room with a post -it that says solitaire.co.uk. A boy named Michael Holden shows up, and Tori is irked by him immediately. He has the bubbliest personality of anyone Tori has ever met. As soon as she goes home, too, her younger brother and his boyfriend confirm rumors of Michael causing trouble at Truham. So that's it. Case closed. 

But Tori can't seem to stop running into Michael. As the only other person who's even a little bit interested in Solitaire, he shows up all the time. Solitaire also begins to grow in popularity, showing up like a mystery travel hunt all over the school. Lucas, a boy from primary school, talks with her, saying they were best friends in primary school. She doesn't really remember that, but she tries not to say anything. Becky remarks he's the only boy she really talks to. Contrary to what everyone says, Michael keeps spending time with her. When she's at a restaurant with her friend group and Lucas, Michael shows up just to tell her something he doesn't remember. Meanwhile, Solitaire starts to grow and adapt, and school staff can't seem to control it. 

As time goes on, the whole school starts to find Solitaire funny. It becomes the norm to show up to school and have funny posters on the walls or weird songs blaring over the speakers. Tori also begins to hang out with Michael more. She finds there's something endearing about him, but she doesn't know what. None of her friends like him, and they keep saying he's not good for her. They get very invested in the mystery of Solitaire, captivated by the mystery of solving this treasure hunt. 

Over time, Charlie even begins to support Michael and Tori, saying he's alright if he makes her happy. However, Tori's mental health is rapidly decreasing. She finds support in Michael and Solitaire, and begins to lean away from her friends. She learns he struggles with mental illness too, and that he's an exceptional figure skater. They both become even more obsessed with Solitaire, and Tori gets recruited to figure out who made the website by the student council. As things become more desperate, you become more sucked into the book. You're left wondering: what will happen to Tori, Michael, and Solitaire?

Review

I've been wanting to read this book for a really long time, so I began reading with high expectations. However, it was really hard for me to get into the book, and I don't really know why. It might have been the lens of the narrator, or the general feeling of the book, but it wasn't my favorite book ever. I also know sad books like this one isn't everyone's cup of tea. 

On the other hand, I really loved the friendship between Tori and Michael. I think Michael managed to help her appreciate her life a lot more. It was also a lot more meaningful than a lot of Alice Oseman's books. While this story has been heavily overshadowed by Heartstopper, I think it's still pretty underrated, even though it has a slow start. I will say you shouldn't expect that it'll be exactly like Heartstopper, because it's a lot more intense and it doesn't have that same happy ending. I'd recommend to anyone looking for a good book! 

In comparison to the other book I reviewed, I'd say this one was slightly better, due to the thorough plot and mature aspects and metaphors. I rate this book an 8/10!