Written by 
Solitaire – Alice Oseman
Genre: Contemporary Fiction (Young Adult)
Publisher: Harper Collins Children’s Books UK
Release Date: July 31, 2014
Format read: Ebook (revised edition, post-2020, see details below)
Source of book: This book was acquired independently by the Reviewer.
My Thoughts
Alice Oseman is one of the most prominent YA authors of the moment. You’re probably all aware of the hit Netflix series Heartstopper, which is an adaptation of her webcomic-turned-graphic novel of the same name. But before that, Oseman had already cemented her reputation through her YA contemporary novels. Here at Crokes, we are actually going to be reviewing all of Alice Oseman’s work to date. I am doing this because I have a broader point I want to make about the state of YA contemporary fiction today and use Oseman’s work as a case study. I’m starting with her debut, and doing a Solitaire book review.
I want to mention that the version I am reviewing is the currently available one, and not the first edition. Oseman made a series of content and writing changes to Solitaire in 2020. From what I’ve seen, this was partly to bring the book more in line tonally with her successful Heartstopper franchise. But also, as a novel written originally when she was 17, I suspect there were writing choices she made then that she was not happy with in retrospect.
I respect that an author can make an updated version or changes to their work. I also can relate to not liking your previous work and wishing to fix it. If I am ever able to obtain a secondhand copy of it, I would still be willing to review the original version. Particularly because I have heard that the mental health struggles of Tori and Charlie are toned down in this version.
Storyline & Plot
Solitaire focuses on Tori, a teen with unspecified depressive mental health issues. Specifically, it focuses on her being pushed out of her comfort zone, which allows her to gain a new perspective on life. Her mental health isn’t magically cured, but she ends the book on a more hopeful note than where she started. I feel it is accurate to call the novel a character study first and foremost.
This personal storyline is the real thread of the novel, but there is a “plot” of more action-oriented events as well. This concerns the mysterious rebellion of an entity known only as Solitaire. It might be strange to mention in a Solitaire book review, but the “plot” is really not the point. While the action of the book involves Solitaire, as I was reading I knew it was not really to be focused on. Solitaire is a rather unrealistic and silly entity causing chaos in Tori’s school and life and doesn’t achieve its own stated aim. But the truth is, Solitaire’s existence is a plot device to get Tori somewhat out of her own mind and to teach her some life lessons.
If you focus on the Solitaire mystery plot, you are not getting the true message of the book, so don’t walk into this wanting a mystery. You would probably be disappointed as the resolution is kinda…“The butler did it”. If you know, you know.
For this reason, while the over-dramatic events of the Solitaire plot were like a soap opera, I maintained a suspension of disbelief for them. Especially the final “confrontation” and reveal of Solitaire. Overdramatic for sure. But not the actual point. The point is what Tori learns from these events, and thankfully she does learn. We end the story with a sense that Tori is able to see a little bit of complexity and nuance in the world around her. This is a welcome upgrade from the black-and-white, doomsday mindset she displays at the beginning.
Characters
Is Tori an accurate depiction of a teen girl with unlabelled mental health problems? I think so. Her narration is almost stream-of-consciousness, which means we get every intrusive negative thought that comes into her head. We also see a lot of cognitive distortions: neutral or positive things that are twisted negatively by Tori’s perception.
While not discussed in depth in Solitaire, Tori’s circumstances are depicted in a way that feels honest. Even if Tori can’t see it all herself, the reader can understand how she got here. The effect of Charlie’s problems, the emotionally neglectful parenting, and the difficulty socialising with other teens are all reasonable causes of Tori’s misery. As someone who used to be a teen with similar negative thoughts, I can truly relate. I see myself in Tori.
I am unsure if this was intended. But I see Michael (Tori’s new-found friend) as being a gender-swapped deconstruction of “manic pixie dream girl” characters. You know, the ones that everyone was complaining about in the 2010s. Similar to a manic pixie dream girl, Michael spontaneously appears in Tori’s life. He is an unconventional quirky outcast that encourages the moody protagonist to see meaning and joy in life. The main difference with Michael is that he is given nuance of his own – mainly an angry temper directed largely at himself.
Michael is a young man struggling with the weight of his own expectations, but who attempts to still transmit positivity and sunshine into the world. While we don’t see everything he suffers with, I appreciate how it is shown and expanded throughout the story.
Side characters become a bit less real, but that is due to Tori’s depiction being rather screwy. Oseman has referred to Tori as an unreliable narrator, so it’s important to keep that in mind. Tori depicts facts correctly, but her impressions of people skew highly negative or doubtful.
The character who gets the worst treatment in Tori’s narration is Becky, who is depicted as the typical teen vapid girly girl. Tori is able to adjust her perspective at the end. To be fair, I can also relate to Tori’s condescension towards Becky, as I had similar views myself. I think that Tori’s view of Becky is actually an important aspect as it shows how Tori sees the world.
Teenage girls typically go through a period of trying to understand how they fit into the world. Part of that comes from picking apart, judging, or analysing the behaivour of the girls around them. Online this gets called being a “not like other girls” girl or a “pickme”, but I don’t think those labels truly explain it. At that age, girls are trying to work out what they want from life, and how to get what they want, and they are trying to claim their own identity, beliefs, and feelings. It’s not always pretty or nice – some of Tori’s commentary is a bit ugly. But that’s the reality of the situation.
Other side characters get their perception skewed by Tori’s perspective. Whether that’s ignorance in the case of Ben, or a strong protective concern in the case of Charlie, by the end Tori has had her mind changed about almost everyone in her immediate circle in some way. As such, these characters serve the main story of Tori growing and learning the truth of the world.
Writing
I’ve mentioned Tori’s “unreliable narrator” status previously in this Solitaire book review, and I think Oseman depicts this well. You see everything through Tori’s eyes, and a sharp reader can probably guess some of the truths that lie beyond Tori’s immediate perception.
There are hints of Michael’s difficulties before Tori realises, hints of his perfectionism and internalised anger. There are hints of the broader conflict between Charlie and Ben. I appreciate that we aren’t always beaten down with this. We can work things out but it is not immediately obvious.
If you have read my highly critical takedown of Mystic City, you know that having dumb characters and easy-to-predict situations is something that annoys me about YA. What I like about Solitaire is that it doesn’t treat its teen audience as being dumb. And I think I know why – it’s because Oseman wrote this when she was still a teen herself.
Oseman has been clear to state publicly that Tori is not a fictional version of herself. I didn’t really think that was the case anyway. But Oseman obviously knew her subject matter well enough at that time to write an authentic experience. Specifically, about the struggles of teens in difficult situations. Regardless, the key thing is that as a debut writer, she managed to reflect this experience in a way that respects the teen audience. She makes them feel heard and portrays the nuances and trials of living with mental problems.
As of writing this Solitaire book review, I have already read most of Oseman’s work, so I can say this now. Solitaire is among the most authentic and real writing Oseman has ever done. And I believe this is because it was written as a genuine observation about what Oseman saw as a teen, watching other teens.
Her later works seem to be an attempt to create an idealised version of the world. But Solitaire is a representation of the modern teenager’s world in reality. It is a dark place. It is an isolated place with strange group dynamics, dramatic emotions, and severe lows. It is a place with increasingly high mental illness diagnoses and a place that is becoming increasingly anxious, depressed, and self-destructive.
But Solitaire also is realistic in that it shows that for the teens in this space, what they need is actually very simple. They need community. Tori starts out rather isolated, with only her brother for company. She ends the book with more people around her and is a little bit closer to the ones she had cut off. We know Tori has a long way to go. But with her friends at her side, we know she can make it.
Solitaire is a good book. It’s the one Oseman novel I believe I can recommend seriously to all readers of contemporary YA.
TL;DR: An authentic, true depiction of the modern teenage experience.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
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