Solitaire

SYNOPSIS:

Oseman's debut novel follows Victoria Spring, a young troubled woman who suffers from depression, anxiety and panic attacks. Tori (as she likes to be called) can't find joy in school, in her friends and not even her family. However, everything changes when a Solitaire appears – a mysterious prankster that tries to catch her attention.

And FYI, yes, this is a love story.

REVIEW

(2 STARS)

TW: depression, suicide and panic attacks.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Holly Gibbs, so my reading experience was different – there are several things that I may not have appreciated or understood because of it, so that's also a factor that influences my review. I must admit, however, that I didn't appreciate Gibb's narration at all. Maybe my expectations were too high (the only other audiobook I ever read was 'Born a Crime' and Noah is exceptional), but I found her reading to be monotonous and lacking emotion. It was hard to distinguish the characters from one another when they were in dialogue, as she used the same voice, tone and expression for everyone. I had to go back several times, which is very ineffective and time-consuming.

I also think there should've been trigger-warnings at the beginning of the audio. This book tackles suicide, self-harm, depression and anxiety and the reader just gets thrown into it unexpectedly.

Now, focusing on the story... Depending on who you are, you might also get thrown off by the main character's attitude when dealing with all of those issues I stated above. Tory Spring is a bitter young teenager, who thinks the world is out to get her. It's obvious she suffers from depression, but she's also incredibly mean. The horrible thoughts she has concerning her friends, parents and acquaintances are ruthless and make it harder for you to empathize with her. Yes, she always keeps her thoughts to herself, but still, she's a terrible human being. And the worst part is how she wears her personality proudly as if being terrible is something to be proud of.

If you're thinking you might be able to ignore the main character's faulty personality, or that there's more to the story than Spring, there's not. She's our narrator and this book works as her journal. All her thoughts and feelings, all her anger and disgust appear unfiltered, so be prepared to feel uncomfortable.

This book reminded me of why I stopped reading YA. It's just a series of clichés and unnecessary dramas.

You can see this is the author's first book - there are many things she could improve, especially now that she's thinking about re-editing - and so I'll give her a second chance (I've read 'Heartstopper' and was not impressed, but that was a comic, not a novel). However, I don't recommend this book. It is a love story even though the cover states otherwise; it tackles all these important issues superficially; there are unnecessary repetitions (like 'It's funny because it's true'); the pace is too slow (and the book is 200 pages too big); the plot is very predictable, and the characters are flat and irritating.

Be warned 'Heartstopper' fans: if you think this is a nice way to reconnect with Nick and Charlie, think again. It's not funny, even though it's true.