Solitaire: TikTok made me buy it! The teen bestseller from the YA Prize winning author and creator of Netflix series HEARTSTOPPER (Solitaire, 1)

Gripped from the first page. I’m not normally a fan of the graphic novel format, but after a couple of pages it had me hooked. I forgot that I was reading a picture/comic book and the heart warming story took over. The book tells such a sweet story of innocent young love with all its shyness, embarrassment, humour and awkwardness and is incredibly relatable for anyone who is or ever has been a teenager with a crush. Beautifully done. It’s addictive reading; both myself and my 12 year old daughter enjoyed the whole series immensely. As a cautious mum, I would highly recommend reading for preteens. It deals with young romance in a sensitive and age appropriate way, encouraging mutual respectful and unrushed, considerate behaviour within relationships.Fantastically refreshing to have the two protagonists as a homosexual couple of young boys, a lesbian couple and a trans girl. Such cute characters and relatable no matter your sexual identity or orientation.Later novels in the series deal with serious topics such as eating disorders and anxiety in a sensible and informative way. Gripping reading with relevant and current themes for a preteen/teen but handled in a safe and cautious manner.Not only encourages acceptance of diversity, but makes it impossible not to fall in love with this quirky group of friends and their experiences and adventures. Love love love 🥰

I don't think I have ever sympathised with a character nor had such a bond with one. I love that Alice made this book aswell as Tori is one of my favorite characters from heartstopper

but by the time you finish this you just want more of Tori. Her story, the mystery of Solitaire and her relationship with Michael are all so captivating. Coming from the Heartstopper webcomic and TV show, it's curious to see the same world from the view of a different narrator, and a thrill to pick up on story threads and see characters you know from those mediums. For sure it can be grating to be stuck in the head of pessimistic moody teenager for the whole story, but events move at a pace that you're barely thinking about it for that long anyways. There's also some disconnect between the events of this and the slightly retconned different forms of Heartstopper. Having said that, would still highly recommend. Very entertaining read.

Content Warning: Mental Health Issues, Eatimg Disorder, Self-Harm, Suicidal Thoughts and Suicide Attempt. Solitaire follows Victoria ‘Tori’ Spring as she navigates sixth-form, friends she isn’t sure about, her own mental health issues as well as her brothers, and some group that is terrorising the school and town and has named themselves Solitaire. As someone who read the Heartstopper graphic novels first, this was a very interesting read because it’s a completely different writing style, vibe, storyline, and narrative. My favourite character was Tori Spring and my least favourite character was Ben Hope. I recommend this book because I don’t think you read about many characters like Tori. The outcasts, the introverts, the depressed. It’s important to know that these people exist and deserve their story to be told, too. The relationship between Tori and Michael is so interesting and compelling and I would love to see more of it. ‘What’s left underneath is the real Michael, the fire, the boy who skates, the boy who followed me to a restaurant to tell me something he couldn’t remember, the boy who has nothing better to do than force me to get out of the house and live.’

This is one if the first books I’ve ever finished. I always hated reading and I couldn’t even get a few words into a book but this one is so good I couldn’t stop reading.

This 'young adult' novel is a great debut by a very talented teenage British writer. The story's narrator, sixth-former Tori Spring, is finding it hard to see the point in anything and anyone as she enters the sixth form at her girls grammar school. Boys have recently been admitted to the sixth form and this brings Tori into contact with an old childhood friend, Lucas, and new boy Michael, who decides to befriend Tori, despite her clear signals that she doesn't want to be befriended. Her friends are all bright girls who, nevertheless, are mostly obsessed with boys, make up, boys, fan sites, boys and, well, boys. With problems at home, Tori thinks she is content to just follow her own path and that she doesn't really need anyone else. However, she is forced to start to look outside of herself when dark forces start to infiltrate her school through a mysterious online blog. Can she work out what Solitaire is and what they are trying to do? And why won't school newbie Michael Holden just leave her alone? As an adult this book made me smile, laugh, want to give some of the self-obsessed teens a good shake-up and sometimes feel sad. However, it is a good story, well-told, which builds to an unexpected climax. It leaves you wanting more but still feeling satisfied by the ending. The characters are well-written but not over-described, a trap which many more mature and experienced writers fall into when developing their characters and which can result in them feeling contrived. Oseman's characters feel very authentic and their voices will resonate with today's teenagers.

El libro llego bien sólo me llego un poquito golpeado en la parte de atrás en la ilustración pero de lo demás llego muy bien y es súper lindo además me llego rápido 🦆

I recently purchased the novel "Solitaire" for my 12-year-old daughter, an avid reader with a penchant for gripping stories. She first heard about the book from a friend at school and saw it making waves on TikTok, so naturally, we had to see what all the hype was about. Little did I know that this book would become a household favorite, captivating not only my daughter but also capturing my own attention.My daughter, being the voracious reader she is, devoured "Solitaire" within a day. Her enthusiasm for the story was contagious, and I couldn't help but be curious about the book that had prompted such excitement. One evening, I decided to pick it up, and I was instantly drawn into the plot and the wonderfully believable characters created by the author.The strength of "Solitaire" lies in its compelling storyline, filled with unexpected twists and turns that kept me hooked from beginning to end. The characters are so well-crafted that they felt like real people, making the narrative all the more immersive. The author skillfully explores themes that resonate with teens while maintaining a universal appeal that can captivate readers of any age.What initially began as a purchase for my daughter turned into a shared literary experience that we both enjoyed. It's a testament to the book's versatility that it can cater to both younger readers and adults. The seamless blend of suspense, drama, and relatable characters makes "Solitaire" a standout choice for anyone seeking a well-crafted and engaging read.After finishing "Solitaire," my daughter was eager to explore more works by the author, and we've since added several of their books to our collection. The impact of this novel has been nothing short of extraordinary, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to teens and readers of any age who appreciate a compelling and well-written story.In conclusion, "Solitaire" has proven to be a literary gem that transcends age boundaries. With its captivating plot and authentic characters, it's a book that resonates with readers young and old alike. If you're in search of a page-turner that leaves a lasting impression, "Solitaire" is undoubtedly a fantastic choice.

“Solitaire” by Alice Oseman is a young adult novel that was the author’s first published work & the start of her Osemanverse. This is where Nick & Charlie (of Heartstopper) appeared as secondary characters, already firmly in a relationship together. Yet the book stars Charlie’s sister, Tori Spring, who is going through her own mental health crisis while also dealing with an online anonymous group targeting her school with a variety of pranks that escalate dramatically during the course of the novel.Some somewhat random thoughts I had whilst reading:I don’t typically love books with a protagonist that doesn’t like to read… but Tori likes films & is deeply funny in a self-deprecating & needs-mental-health help way that I can deeply sympathize with. She’s one of my favorite minor characters in “Heartstopper” & I think I love her even more. This book has massive spoilers for anyone who hasn’t read the comics but was written before the comics. Nick & Charlie appeared hear first, & I very much understand why they became stars of their own series (& novellas). This book takes part during a time slip & between scenes of volume 4 of the comic.This comic is distinctly not for everyone & is massively different in tone from “Heartstopper,” but if you are more interested in some of the deeper / darker aspects of volumes 3 & 4 of the comic (or are interested in Tori as a character), I’d recommend this book. Just… there are some serious trigger warnings that Oseman has detailed thoroughly on her website & the book itself.For a book that is about a straight (maybe? she mentions being straight until proven otherwise 😻) protagonist, the books is still very queer in its cast.The books also makes me wish I had been able to attend a (mostly) all-girls school, even though I’d have been deeply traumatized by an all-boys school (probably).I’m truly thirsty for diet lemonade while reading this book. If you know, you know, but Tori isn’t drinking tea in the series. 😹Even though Tori Spring dislikes books (& “Pride & Prejudice” / Jane Austen specifically) she loves snow. & I can’t think poorly of anyone who dislikes snow (& rain).The book is dark, has a protagonist not everyone will like, but it is definitely recommended for anyone who likes the Heartstopper series & wants some more mature thematic content. The novel itself does show some aspects of Oseman’s early work & isn’t as superbly crafted as later content, but I enjoyed it for what it was. The book felt very cathartic. It also kept me guessing plot wise as it’s similar in some aspects to a detective story / mystery. The last third of the book hats quite intense, & I had no idea it would go where it did.Will probably read again. Love the new hardback cover illustration. I hope someday Oseman touches on some of the side characters in this book, as this was a very Tori Spring & Michael Holden centered book that left me wishing for more from secondary characters (Evelyn, Rita, Lauren, & especially Becky, Lucas, & Ben). 💜

Minha primeira leitura em inglês que nunca vou esquecer. Alice Oseman tá sendo uma das minhas autoras favoritas. Apesar dos gatilhos(distúrbio alimentar, pensamentos suicidas, tentativa de suicídio, depressão, ansiedade e TOC) obra, Solitarie e magnífico! Tori e a típica adolescente perdida que te faz voltar a lembrar da sua adolescência. E pesado em alguns momentos por conta dos gatinhos. Mas a leitura vale muito a pena! Não sei falar do livro sem dar muito spolier. Então eu digo, leiam!Sobre ser em inglês: se você tem o nível básico consegue ler tranquilo. A leitura é fluida.sobre a ordem de leitura do universo da Alice Oseman, Solitarie deve ser lido depois dos 4 volumes do Heartstopper. por conta dos spoilers.Sobre a entrega: chegou rápido rápido bem embalado. O livro é frágil, a lombada quebra com muita facilidade.

It even came sooner than expected, great purchase! And I'm loving the book so far :)