ARC Review: Solitaire by Alice Oseman

Title: Solitaire
Author: Alice Oseman
Publication: July 31st 2014 by Harper Collins Children's Books
Genre: YA Contemporary Thriller
Source: Provided by the kind publisher...
Goodreads

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.

This incredible debut novel by outstanding young author Alice Oseman is perfect for fans of John Green, Rainbow Rowell and all unflinchingly honest writers.

-- My Rating --

2/5 Oscars: It was Ok

-- My Thoughts --

     When I saw the cover of this book, I fell in love. And the blurb was so intriguing that I immediately jumped at the chance to read this. Unfortunately, it was not as good as I hoped it would be. And it seems that I am one of the few people who didn't enjoy this book.
     Victoria (Tori) Spring is  a pessimist. There's nothing that matters to her in her life except her brother, Charlie and her blog. But all that changes when; her childhood best friend, Lucas appears in her life again. And a group called Solitaire starts pranking the whole school. And she meets Michael Holden.
     What intrigued me was the idea of this Solitaire blog that starts up at Tori's high school. They prank the whole school with the most innovative and unique pranks ever. I really liked that. But after a while, things get really out of hand. When I read the blurb, I imagined horror or at least a lot of thrill. But I didn't get any of that. The whole Solitaire aspect was just mild. There was nothing that scared me about them or intrigued me to find out who they really are.
     Then, there are the characters. My main problem with this book is the fact that I didn't like Tori, at all. No matter how much I tried, I couldn't connect with her and her negative nature. She was moody about everything and her decisions were ridiculously stupid. I guess it has to do with the fact that I am as optimist as a person can be. Then, there was Michael, whom I liked but I thought his actions were unbelievable. He felt two-dimensional to me.
     There is a bit of romance in this book which was also unbelievable. Like, it just came out of the blue. With no precaution or anything. That was just weird. Finally, when the villains were discovered, I felt nothing. I was just okay with it and it was no surprise for me considering who was the real bad guy. I knew it already.
     Overall, I imagined this book to be much better. But sadly, it did not live up to my expectations. But that does not mean that this book was horrible. Actually, there might be a lot of people who will love this book or already love this book.