Tori's struggle completely swept me away from page one, and I read this entire book in two sittings! Having read and enjoyed Heartstopper in its entirety to date, I've been wanting to read this novel for awhile now. It did not disappoint, and surprised me in many ways!

The new edition, published ten years after its original release date, starts out with a warning that it is darker than Heartstopper. Please take this warning seriously if you are dealing with any sort of mental health issues or illness. Eating disorders, suicidal ideation, and depression are all dealt with openly in this book.

With that, Tori's struggle to find herself in a world that expects too much with too little support was extremely relatable. Her voice felt as snarky and bitter as I remember feeling when struggling with depression as a teenager, and I really appreciated the authenticity and nuance to her character that went beyond stereotypes. I also really appreciated her childhood hyperfixation on Star Wars as a fan myself.

An element that caught my surprise was the mystery aspect of "SOLITAIRE." While I did predict the perpetrator, the actual events kept me on the edge of my seat trying to figure out how and why they were doing these things.

*minor spoilers* Her relationship with Michael was a very interesting aspect of the story. It's mentioned in the author's note at the end of the book that Alice later realized that Tori was asexual, but didn't understand the identity when originally writing the novel. This makes sense, as I was completely on board with their relationship until it crossed a line from platonic to romantic.