Book Review: Solitaire by Alice Oseman

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Solitaire
Author: Alice Oseman
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary
Released: March 30th 2015
Review Source: HarperTeen

In case you're wondering, this is not a love story.

My name is Tori Spring. I like to sleep and I like to blog. Last year – before all that stuff with Charlie and before I had to face the harsh realities of A-Levels and university applications and the fact that one day I really will have to start talking to people – I had friends. Things were very different, I guess, but that's all over now.

Now there's Solitaire. And Michael Holden.

I don't know what Solitaire are trying to do, and I don't care about Michael Holden.

I really don't.

This incredible debut novel by outstanding young author Alice Oseman is perfect for fans of John Green, Rainbow Rowell and all unflinchingly honest writers.

Solitaire was one of my most anticipated debuts of 2015 and unfortunately it fell short for me. I’m not sure if it was the style of writing or if I just couldn’t relate to the character enough, just something didn’t fit right for me.  But don’t let that change any curiosities you may have towards this book, a lot of people seem to enjoy this book.

Tori Spring is a Year 12 girl who tends to hate everything, would rather spend time blogging, and studies English Literature but hates reading. Year 12 is when boys have the choice to integrate into another school, so there are new students, there’s Michael Holden and Lucas Ryan, both of whom have a huge impact on Tori’s life. Once the New Year starts there’s this anonymous blog that appears, solitaire.co.uk, they start off playing innocent pranks on the school and it soon leads into something a little more.

I honestly couldn’t connect with Tori, and I think that’s what made it hard for me to read it. She was very pessimistic, didn’t really like anyone, and always had an attitude. I can’t say that I was a fan of all the pop culture references either, there were too many and sometimes I think it can be hard to understand what’s trying to be conveyed if you aren’t familiar with said pop culture reference.

This book may not have been for me, but it is definitely a book for some people. People will love this, the character that doesn’t have a filter, doesn’t care too much, and would rather blog all day (though I totally get that). There’s always a person that’ll get us, and there’s always a book that just gets you.