Solitaire by Alice Oseman

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 400

Publisher: Harper Collins Children's Books

Released: 31st of July 2014

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.

What I Have To Say

It must have be hard to write a book with a protagonist who doesn't like to talk to people, but Oseman has managed to pull it off really well. I think the key to this is Tori's strong internal monologue, which is a very distinct part of the book. 

I've not seen a book about a tumblr girl before, but it was really cool to see. The combination of saractistic, pessimistic and anti-social seems to be a common personality type on tumblr but I've always wondered how they would fit into society. I think Tori's shows that they really don't, which is probably why they choose tumblr. 

What really worked about this book was that it was a very accurate representation of teenage life as it is at the moment, with many teenagers changing and growing a struggling so much that they're falling into depression. The mystery of Solitaire really just adds colour and drama to the real story, the vivid potrait of average teenage life. 

I don't think I've really given justice to this book, because I really love it. I haven't even mentioned the witty sarcastic dialogue or the brilliant characters of Michael and Tori, because though they make the book great and enjoyable to read, they're not what makes this book special. And this is a really special book.