July 2023 - AudioFile
Oseman's HEARTSTOPPER characters first appeared in 2014. This new production, narrated by Jenny Walser, is an entertaining addition to the franchise. Walser, who plays Tori Spring in the HEARTSTOPPER streaming series, clearly knows her character well and narrates this story, full of suspense and romance, fittingly. Although she does not widely vary her voice for dialogue, her narration distinguishes characters through tone and pacing. Tori, a high school student, blogger, and introvert, has attracted the attention of the mysterious Solitaire as they create a series of increasingly dangerous "experiences" for the student body. Walser's narration keeps the listener engaged as the suspense and romance build to a dramatic climax. C.F. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
01/19/2015
Sixteen-year-old Tori Spring likes her brothers, her best friend, and that’s about it. According to Tori, her fellow teenagers are mostly “soulless, conformist idiots,” and adults aren’t much better. But when the new term starts, Tori meets Michael Holden, an oddball she finds oddly interesting, and Lucas Ryan, a long-lost childhood best friend (in Year 12, boys can transfer in to Tori’s British all-girls school). She also hears about a website called Solitaire, which traffics in small-scale pranks that escalate into danger. Tori is clearly depressed (her younger brother has an eating disorder and has survived a suicide attempt that Tori feels guilty about), but debut author Oseman wants her crankiness, disdain, and confusion to be charming, which isn’t always the case. While the book’s climax, when Solitaire’s leaders are unmasked and relationships are cemented or mended, is chaotic and predictable, Oseman proves herself a clever, witty writer, and she effectively shows how angry or sad “nice” teens can be, as well as how the internet has infiltrated pretty much every aspect of life. Her sophomore effort will be worth watching for. Ages 13–up. (Mar.)
VOYA
Oseman’s debut could put her among the great young adult fiction authors. Solitaire is a pleasure to read; Tori’s voice is incredibly relatable.”
Bookseller
The most honest and authentic account of modern teenage life that you’ll read this year…outstanding contemporary fiction.”
Times (London)
Catcher in the Rye for the digital age.”
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
Tori’s voice makes this story into a poignant yet blackly funny and even lively emotional journey. A deeply absorbing read.”
AudioFile
Narrator Jayne Entwistle does a fantastic job conveying the drama. In her British accent, Entwistle keeps to a slow, even pace that reflects Tori’s disinterest in life, though at times a bit of excitement breaks through. As the story takes on many YA issues—including depression, eating disorders, and OCD, Entwistle’s subdued tone lends weight to these moments.”
From the Publisher
Tori’s wry voice and dark humor provide a counterpoint to her descent into depression. A fascinating debut from an author to watch.” — School Library Journal
“Oseman’s debut could put her among the great young adult fiction authors. Solitaire is a pleasure to read; Tori’s voice is incredibly relatable.” — Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)
“Tori’s voice makes this story into a poignant yet blackly funny and even lively emotional journey. A deeply absorbing read.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“Oseman proves herself a clever, witty writer.” — Publishers Weekly
“Honest and authentic… with appeal to fans of John Green.” — The Bookseller (London)
“In [Oseman’s] punky, depressive, epigrammatic, mordant heroine Tori Spring we have a Holden Caulfield for the internet age. — The Times (London)
“Intrigue, suspense, and a fairly spectacular climax will appeal to teens asking the big questions.” — ALA Booklist
ALA Booklist
Intrigue, suspense, and a fairly spectacular climax will appeal to teens asking the big questions.
Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)
Oseman’s debut could put her among the great young adult fiction authors. Solitaire is a pleasure to read; Tori’s voice is incredibly relatable.
The Bookseller (London)
Honest and authentic… with appeal to fans of John Green.
The Times (London)
In [Oseman’s] punky, depressive, epigrammatic, mordant heroine Tori Spring we have a Holden Caulfield for the internet age.
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Tori’s voice makes this story into a poignant yet blackly funny and even lively emotional journey. A deeply absorbing read.
School Library Journal
12/01/2014
Gr 9 Up—Sixteen-year-old Victoria "Tori" Spring is the personification of angst, slowly slipping, day by day, into the depths of despair. On a good day, she can convince herself she feels nothing. Her best friend has become preoccupied with boys; her brother, Charlie, is recovering from an episode of mental illness and attempted suicide; a former childhood friend has suddenly resurfaced with expectations that she can't fulfill; and her mother cannot tear herself away from the computer long enough to notice Tori's decline. Then, there's Michael Holden, the crazy new student who refuses to let Tori alienate herself from him the way she is doing with everyone else. He forces himself into her life at the same time as a bizarre prank is unleashed to instigate rebellion among the students at Higgs. Solitaire.co.uk delivers messages via blog posts and by commandeering the schools' computers and PA system, touting a rallying cry of "Patience Kills." Strangely, all of its enigmatic messages seem to bear some resemblance to episodes in Tori's past. When the pranks begin to turn dangerous, Tori convinces herself that she's the only one who can put a stop to it. Told in the first person, Tori's wry voice and dark humor provide a counterpoint to her descent into depression. Nineteen-year-old author, Oseman, opens a frightening window onto life as a teen in today's world, summed up by Tori's sardonic remark, "It's funny because it's true." A fascinating debut from an author to watch.—Cary Frostick, formerly at Mary Riley Styles Public Library, Falls Church, VA
AudioFile - JULY 2023
Oseman's HEARTSTOPPER characters first appeared in 2014. This new production, narrated by Jenny Walser, is an entertaining addition to the franchise. Walser, who plays Tori Spring in the HEARTSTOPPER streaming series, clearly knows her character well and narrates this story, full of suspense and romance, fittingly. Although she does not widely vary her voice for dialogue, her narration distinguishes characters through tone and pacing. Tori, a high school student, blogger, and introvert, has attracted the attention of the mysterious Solitaire as they create a series of increasingly dangerous "experiences" for the student body. Walser's narration keeps the listener engaged as the suspense and romance build to a dramatic climax. C.F. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
SEPTEMBER 2015 - AudioFile
Sixteen-year-old Tori Spring is full of angst over her brother, her isolation, and her confusion about new student Michael Holden. Narrator Jayne Entwistle does a fantastic job conveying the drama. In her British accent, Entwistle keeps to a slow, even pace that reflects Tori’s disinterest in life, though at times a bit of excitement breaks through. As the story takes on many YA issues—including depression, eating disorders, and OCD, Entwistle’s subdued tone lends weight to these moments. In the midst of the disorder of her life, Tori is confronted with Solitaire, a group of students who are causing chaos at her school. Believing she’s the only one who can stop them, she becomes more involved with life, and with Michael Holden. E.N. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2015-01-10
This debut novel evokes a classic to present a girl searching for something true.Tori Spring is a disaffected teenager: She can almost never finish a film in one sitting, she's smart but can't care about school anymore, and she dislikes her friends but is unwilling to forgo their company. About the only thing she cares about is her brother Charlie, who's recovering from an eating disorder. When a mysterious blog called Solitaire starts triggering pranks at her school, Tori isn't too interested, even if strange new boy Michael Holden tries to make her be. Tori's too trapped in her head, too convinced the whole world sucks, to care about Michael's overtures of friendship or the arrival at her school of an old friend, Lucas. But when Solitaire's pranks cross lines and people start getting hurt, Tori will be forced to discover if the world has anything good in it. Like Holden Caulfield, Tori is looking for something that isn't phony, but while the story more or less achieves its goal of evoking a modern-day, English The Catcher in the Rye, it's still not very engaging. Only Michael and Charlie are likely to engage readers' sympathies, while Tori's unpleasantness makes it hard to see why Michael and Lucas are so fixated on her. Still, Oseman's novel will be popular with those who worship Holden. (Fiction. 14-18)
