Tori Spring is a teenager navigating a period of deep cynicism and chronic apathy at Higgs Hospital for Girls. While her brother Charlie recovers from an eating disorder, Tori withdraws from her peers, finding little meaning in school life or her existing friendships. Her isolation is interrupted by the arrival of Michael Holden, an eccentric student who insists on befriending her, and the emergence of Solitaire, a mysterious local prankster group. As Solitaire’s stunts escalate from harmless disruptions to dangerous acts of sabotage, Tori is forced to confront her detached worldview and the reality of her deteriorating mental health.
This novel is for readers who identify with the experience of teenage alienation and clinical depression. It serves those looking for a blunt depiction of the internal struggle to care about life when it feels void of purpose. Readers gain an unsentimental look at how mental illness affects family dynamics and social connections. Instead of a traditional optimistic resolution, the book provides a raw acknowledgement of the effort required to remain present in the world and the difficulty of accepting help from others.
Inward-looking; an easy read.
Best for readers like The Empathetic Explorer. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 2014
- ISBN
- 9780007559220
- Language
- EN
