Solitaire

 

Solitaire by Alice Oseman, 400 pgs.

Tori Spring finds no particular joy in being alive. She goes to school, talks to as few people as possible, and returns home as quickly as she can to create an entry on her blog, watch a film, or talk to her brother (who is, quite probably, her best friend). Tori finds almost everything uninteresting, not worthy of a second glance, until one day, she notices a trail of bright sticky notes which lead her to a blog called "Solitaire." She meets another student, Michael Holden, who has discovered the blog, and they embark on a journey neither of them could have expected. 

After reading, and loving, the Heartstopper graphic novels, this book's much darker tone took me a bit by surprise, but it fits well within the universe Oseman has created. Tori's external indifference and internal cycle of discovery and doubt create a frustrating, but very real, experience for readers as they see the world simultaneously through her eyes and from the outside. She discovers something new, then hides from it; she reaches out, then recoils; and no one in her life seems to understand her, except perhaps Michael Holden. Overall, the book was a bit drawn out for me--especially with the cycle of actions and emotions Tori experiences--so I would have enjoyed a slightly condensed version more, but I liked getting to know Tori better and found Oseman's world building to be very impressive.