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Solo
A YA verse novel about first love and friendship, lost and found.
Daisy can feel like a solo act at home. On the outside of her twin brothers’ intense relationship, she leans towards her parents, particularly her father, for support. As a passionate classical musician, she is not wildly popular at school, but she has one close friend and a life filled with musical performance. Her life is turned upside down when her boyfriend suddenly breaks up with her, and Daisy is left disconnected from her one true love, music.
When she makes a new friend at school, mysterious Flora, Daisy finds a glimmer of peace in her chaotic life. Just as everything seems to be getting better, they all fall apart. Family tensions heighten as Daisy’s dad falls ill and Daisy needs to decide should she find her way back to who she was or look towards who she is going to become.
For fans of Sarah Crossan and Elizabeth Acevedo.
Daisy can feel like a solo act at home. On the outside of her twin brothers’ intense relationship, she leans towards her parents, particularly her father, for support. As a passionate classical musician, she is not wildly popular at school, but she has one close friend and a life filled with musical performance. Her life is turned upside down when her boyfriend suddenly breaks up with her, and Daisy is left disconnected from her one true love, music.
When she makes a new friend at school, mysterious Flora, Daisy finds a glimmer of peace in her chaotic life. Just as everything seems to be getting better, they all fall apart. Family tensions heighten as Daisy’s dad falls ill and Daisy needs to decide should she find her way back to who she was or look towards who she is going to become.
For fans of Sarah Crossan and Elizabeth Acevedo.
192 pages, Paperback
Published April 3, 2025
6 people are currently reading
189 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
December 27, 2024
A beautiful novel in verse that captures adolescence perfectly. I fell in love with Daisy and her passion for music as soon as I turned the first page. The style in this novel is so rich - each themed title relating to the moods of both Daisy’s music and life held within the rhythm of each verse and crescendoing with the rediscovery of herself. Absolutely gorgeous!
July 5, 2025
I hated this book so much.
I hated the main character.
I hated all the nasty profanity.
I hated the sexual content in a book for teens.
Why? Why is there sexual content in a book for under-age minors? And why does the cover look like it's being marketed for young children? I picked up this book thinking it was Middle Grade, because of the cartoony style of the cover.
To see all the objectionable content in this book, you can check it out on the Screen It First website! https://screenitfirst.com/book/solo-2...
Daisy is devastated when her boyfriend breaks up with her right after they have sex for the first time just weeks before her 18th birthday. She fails her music exams. She withdraws from her family. She mopes around depressed for months. She gives up playing the recorder. Her family and friends try to encourage her to dive back into music and find her way forward again, but she is a selfish brat and just wallows in her misery. Finally, almost an entire year later, she gains some maturity and realizes that she needs to actually do something with her life. She starts to embrace music again, and gets inspired to pick up the recorder and resume her music studies.
I liked the writing style okay. The story is told in modern verse, which lent a certain rhythmic emphasis to each sentence. However, the narrative jumps around in time as Daisy remembers things that happened months or years before, and then it jumps back to the present. That was mildly annoying.
I did not like the unhealthy obsession that Daisy has with her ex-boyfriend. I get that she is traumatized and depressed, but she doesn't seek help. She doesn't talk to her parents. She doesn't ask a counselor or therapist for help. She just wallows in it, reveling in it, like her trauma is what makes her special or something. So unhealthy!
Ultimately, I just couldn't get past all the profanity and nasty content in this book. This story could have been told without all of that and it would have been much more powerful and compelling.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts and are not influenced by anyone.
I hated the main character.
I hated all the nasty profanity.
I hated the sexual content in a book for teens.
Why? Why is there sexual content in a book for under-age minors? And why does the cover look like it's being marketed for young children? I picked up this book thinking it was Middle Grade, because of the cartoony style of the cover.
To see all the objectionable content in this book, you can check it out on the Screen It First website! https://screenitfirst.com/book/solo-2...
Daisy is devastated when her boyfriend breaks up with her right after they have sex for the first time just weeks before her 18th birthday. She fails her music exams. She withdraws from her family. She mopes around depressed for months. She gives up playing the recorder. Her family and friends try to encourage her to dive back into music and find her way forward again, but she is a selfish brat and just wallows in her misery. Finally, almost an entire year later, she gains some maturity and realizes that she needs to actually do something with her life. She starts to embrace music again, and gets inspired to pick up the recorder and resume her music studies.
I liked the writing style okay. The story is told in modern verse, which lent a certain rhythmic emphasis to each sentence. However, the narrative jumps around in time as Daisy remembers things that happened months or years before, and then it jumps back to the present. That was mildly annoying.
I did not like the unhealthy obsession that Daisy has with her ex-boyfriend. I get that she is traumatized and depressed, but she doesn't seek help. She doesn't talk to her parents. She doesn't ask a counselor or therapist for help. She just wallows in it, reveling in it, like her trauma is what makes her special or something. So unhealthy!
Ultimately, I just couldn't get past all the profanity and nasty content in this book. This story could have been told without all of that and it would have been much more powerful and compelling.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts and are not influenced by anyone.
February 26, 2025
“i need to play like me. play because i love it. because music is what i need. to heal. to grow. to change.”
this was such a beautiful read. i loved how it was written in prose, and how the words flew so easily on the page. it was a simple story, yet the messages that it conveys were not simple and very important. i related a lot to the mc, not because i play an instrument, but because how she feels in regards to her family. and what happens to her. how she feels at her loss when someone shows her a path to finding herself again. it was full of raw emotions that made me cry more than once.
i highly recommend it!
this was such a beautiful read. i loved how it was written in prose, and how the words flew so easily on the page. it was a simple story, yet the messages that it conveys were not simple and very important. i related a lot to the mc, not because i play an instrument, but because how she feels in regards to her family. and what happens to her. how she feels at her loss when someone shows her a path to finding herself again. it was full of raw emotions that made me cry more than once.
i highly recommend it!
January 11, 2025
Absolutely loved this, could not put down! Beautifully written and engaging -- immediately put me back in the place of being a young girl growing up, and all the confusion and pain and joy that comes in those years. I'd recommend for teens as well as their parents and other adults.
May 18, 2025
It made me cry, made me relive loving playing music, relive first heart break. Well done.
May 17, 2025
I have always been drawn to coming-of-age stories. From To Kill a Mockingbird to The Catcher in the Rye, and The Bell Jar to IT by Stephen King; nothing offers me more comfort than reading about the unsteady, unmoored formative years in a young person's life.
Solo by Irish writer Gráinne O'Brien is an expertly realised portrait of one teenager's grappling with belonging and her sense of self.
The book opens on Daisy's 18th birthday; a day she's reluctant to drag herself out of bed because she's consumed with thoughts about David, her first love, who has broken her heart, and Shannon, her best friend, who stamped on the pieces. When Daisy's Dad is diagnosed with cancer, and she has to deal with the confusion and fear that comes with the very foundation of her home being threatened, Daisy must find a way back to herself through music.
Reflecting Daisy's classical musical talent, Solo is written in verse. The beautiful musicality of the words - the rhythm, the ebb and flow - match the emotion in the story. What Daisy learns about love, loss, and heartache is thoughtfully brought to the page through music, as she navigates the complex social world of being a teenager, understanding more about who she is.
I can't emphasise enough how special this novel is. The writing has a simplicity and clarity that perfectly describes the gut-punch of emotion that comes with being a teenager, with poignant moments of realisation and learning. The characters are so well-realised, especially self-aware Daisy, who represents perfectly that pivotal period between childhood and adulthood.
Solo is a triumph of a book; an insightful and brilliant composition about friendship, first love, family, passion, and belonging.
It's the best kind of book: a book for everyone, to remind us why we fell in love with reading. If Daisy's comfort blanket is music, mine is books. And it's a lovely thing to be reminded of that. All of the stars.
Solo by Irish writer Gráinne O'Brien is an expertly realised portrait of one teenager's grappling with belonging and her sense of self.
The book opens on Daisy's 18th birthday; a day she's reluctant to drag herself out of bed because she's consumed with thoughts about David, her first love, who has broken her heart, and Shannon, her best friend, who stamped on the pieces. When Daisy's Dad is diagnosed with cancer, and she has to deal with the confusion and fear that comes with the very foundation of her home being threatened, Daisy must find a way back to herself through music.
Reflecting Daisy's classical musical talent, Solo is written in verse. The beautiful musicality of the words - the rhythm, the ebb and flow - match the emotion in the story. What Daisy learns about love, loss, and heartache is thoughtfully brought to the page through music, as she navigates the complex social world of being a teenager, understanding more about who she is.
I can't emphasise enough how special this novel is. The writing has a simplicity and clarity that perfectly describes the gut-punch of emotion that comes with being a teenager, with poignant moments of realisation and learning. The characters are so well-realised, especially self-aware Daisy, who represents perfectly that pivotal period between childhood and adulthood.
Solo is a triumph of a book; an insightful and brilliant composition about friendship, first love, family, passion, and belonging.
It's the best kind of book: a book for everyone, to remind us why we fell in love with reading. If Daisy's comfort blanket is music, mine is books. And it's a lovely thing to be reminded of that. All of the stars.
April 25, 2025
I've never read a verse novel before and delighted this was my first as it was fantastic.
I loved the little quirks like the font size changing at certain points to amplify the emotions of the time. i loved the music definitions at the start of every poem/chapter.
Basically i loved everything about this and I hope Daisy goes on to great happiness after her emotional leaving cert year <3
I loved the little quirks like the font size changing at certain points to amplify the emotions of the time. i loved the music definitions at the start of every poem/chapter.
Basically i loved everything about this and I hope Daisy goes on to great happiness after her emotional leaving cert year <3
September 29, 2025
This is a very good book. It gets into you very quickly.
I really enjoyed the Classical Music connection, the Music Exams and the info about the Leaving Cert.
A wonderful coming of age YA novel (maybe a Novella???) written in verse.
This book is honest, raw, very sad at times, glimpses of love, family and friends.
I loved the way each chapter started with verse, lovely lyrical, flowing words.
I only gave it 3 stars because it's much too fast, only took a couple of hours to read.
I really enjoyed the Classical Music connection, the Music Exams and the info about the Leaving Cert.
A wonderful coming of age YA novel (maybe a Novella???) written in verse.
This book is honest, raw, very sad at times, glimpses of love, family and friends.
I loved the way each chapter started with verse, lovely lyrical, flowing words.
I only gave it 3 stars because it's much too fast, only took a couple of hours to read.
December 30, 2025
I did enjoy this and I can see why it well reviewed. Still chuckling at the fact that out of all the instruments the main character could haved played that she plays a recorder. Clearly I've been damaged by listening to too many primary school children murdering songs with one.
March 24, 2025
Daisy has just turned eighteen, but is in no mood to celebrate. Her recent breakup with David has destroyed her first passion, the recorder. She is lost in a blur of low self esteem and depression.
When the summer ends and school starts, Daisy meets Flora, who has a unique energy and a love of music, specifically being an alto in the choir.
Despite the idea of David still lingering on the periphery of her mind, Daisy finds through Flora a path back to the recorder and her love of music. When a family scare deepens Daisy's anxiety and guilt, her relationship with Flora and music in general becomes much more complex.
This is a beautiful YA verse novel.
Daisy is an extremely well-developed, complex and believable character that exudes all the frustration, rage and joy that an older teen can experience. She thinks of herself as an adult but also possesses the immaturity that is hard to shed as an eighteen year old.
The novel is brimming with musicality, with each chapter being given a title that pairs with Daisy's love of music and her emotional state. As a verse novel, Solo strips away everything but the absolute essential to the story, there is a simmering energy to it that gives it an extra punch to the guts. O'Brien clearly is a master at developing inner agonies that crawl out from the page to wrap their tendrils around your heart. Solo is a deeply affecting novel that will leave you rooted to the floor, I loved it.
You can listen to my interview with O'Brien here!
https://soundcloud.com/booklingschat/...
When the summer ends and school starts, Daisy meets Flora, who has a unique energy and a love of music, specifically being an alto in the choir.
Despite the idea of David still lingering on the periphery of her mind, Daisy finds through Flora a path back to the recorder and her love of music. When a family scare deepens Daisy's anxiety and guilt, her relationship with Flora and music in general becomes much more complex.
This is a beautiful YA verse novel.
Daisy is an extremely well-developed, complex and believable character that exudes all the frustration, rage and joy that an older teen can experience. She thinks of herself as an adult but also possesses the immaturity that is hard to shed as an eighteen year old.
The novel is brimming with musicality, with each chapter being given a title that pairs with Daisy's love of music and her emotional state. As a verse novel, Solo strips away everything but the absolute essential to the story, there is a simmering energy to it that gives it an extra punch to the guts. O'Brien clearly is a master at developing inner agonies that crawl out from the page to wrap their tendrils around your heart. Solo is a deeply affecting novel that will leave you rooted to the floor, I loved it.
You can listen to my interview with O'Brien here!
https://soundcloud.com/booklingschat/...
December 31, 2025
Written in verse, this Young Adult novel is a masterpiece in storytelling and music. Each chapter/section is titled with a musical term and followed by its definition. Exquisitely written, everything flows beautifully. Like a composition, if you will.
The story covers first heartbreaks, both platonic and romantic, and deals with the grief of having a sick parent. All of this makes Solo a compelling and unforgettable story.
The author is not just writing a character who loves music, she herself seems to have the knowledge of musical terms and captures the dedication and commitment it takes to learn an instrument, devote most of your life to it. I think we all have read books where an author writes a character who loves something, be it a sport, chess or, indeed, music. And as a reader, you can tell the author is not overly familiar and making an educated guess on that topic. Not here. I felt like O'Brien truly understands it (music), understands me.
Music was a huge part of my life, arguably my whole identity, for the first 23 years of my life. Since finishing my music degree, I've taken several steps back. For different reasons to Daisy, I pursued a career in books instead. I've yet to refind the love I once had, but Daisy gives me hope. Reading her story was like looking in a mirror. I never expected to see the grief I felt from losing music reflected in the thing I used to fill that void, books.
A new favourite!
The story covers first heartbreaks, both platonic and romantic, and deals with the grief of having a sick parent. All of this makes Solo a compelling and unforgettable story.
The author is not just writing a character who loves music, she herself seems to have the knowledge of musical terms and captures the dedication and commitment it takes to learn an instrument, devote most of your life to it. I think we all have read books where an author writes a character who loves something, be it a sport, chess or, indeed, music. And as a reader, you can tell the author is not overly familiar and making an educated guess on that topic. Not here. I felt like O'Brien truly understands it (music), understands me.
Music was a huge part of my life, arguably my whole identity, for the first 23 years of my life. Since finishing my music degree, I've taken several steps back. For different reasons to Daisy, I pursued a career in books instead. I've yet to refind the love I once had, but Daisy gives me hope. Reading her story was like looking in a mirror. I never expected to see the grief I felt from losing music reflected in the thing I used to fill that void, books.
A new favourite!
November 9, 2025
I'm totally blown away by this. I've devoured it in one sitting.
It's a verse novel which demonstrates the power of the author and her ability to select the right words, the right layout, the right construction so that I feel like I know these characters. There is a musical quaility to the text which is reflected in each stansa's title. To be clear, I am not musical but still adored everything about this text.
Daisy is starting her Leaving Cert year after dealing with a break up. Her passion is music, but dealing with the emotions of being a teenager her dedication has wandered. This text is a journey of her emotion, choices and growth.
I'm certain many teenagers and adults will relate to sections of this, from managing family dynamics, first love, exams, grief and so much more. It really does throw many punches! So glad to have a copy and I'll be gifting a few for Christmas.
(Also love the note at the start to help those who don't know the Irish system decipher some particular English vocabulary that you would only know if Irish!)
It's a verse novel which demonstrates the power of the author and her ability to select the right words, the right layout, the right construction so that I feel like I know these characters. There is a musical quaility to the text which is reflected in each stansa's title. To be clear, I am not musical but still adored everything about this text.
Daisy is starting her Leaving Cert year after dealing with a break up. Her passion is music, but dealing with the emotions of being a teenager her dedication has wandered. This text is a journey of her emotion, choices and growth.
I'm certain many teenagers and adults will relate to sections of this, from managing family dynamics, first love, exams, grief and so much more. It really does throw many punches! So glad to have a copy and I'll be gifting a few for Christmas.
(Also love the note at the start to help those who don't know the Irish system decipher some particular English vocabulary that you would only know if Irish!)
October 27, 2024
I was lucky enough to get to read an ARC of this book and it quickly became one of my favourite reads of the year. Gráinne has a unique ability to tell a story that feels so perfectly contemporary but which takes me right back to my own teenage years. Solo is a novel-in-verse that follows Daisy as she goes into her final year in secondary school. She has recently gone through her first break up, lost her only real friend, and most significantly, lost her love of the recorder - an instrument she has excelled at for years. As she enters her Leaving Cert year, she has to navigate new friendships, changing family dynamics, and try to find a way back to herself.
I hadn't read many verse novels before and I was awed by Gráinne's ability to weave a story with such depth and nuance through her poems. Her writing is beautiful and lyrical it swept me along until the very end. Solo a perfect book for the teenager in your life who is maybe feeling a little lost and looking for a ray of hope.
I hadn't read many verse novels before and I was awed by Gráinne's ability to weave a story with such depth and nuance through her poems. Her writing is beautiful and lyrical it swept me along until the very end. Solo a perfect book for the teenager in your life who is maybe feeling a little lost and looking for a ray of hope.
March 4, 2025
An incredible coming-of-age YA novel written in verse. The central character Daisy is going through turbulent times - the catastrophic loss of her first love; the betrayal of a friend, and the diagnosis of her father with cancer. The overwhelming feelings that accompany these events make Daisy fluctuate between anger, anxiety, and a paralysis in her actions until this moment , music was at the core of Diasy's world. Each chapter is cleverly given title that is musical, and the meaning of this term brilliantly sums up the events in that chapter. Such a clever device that drives the narrative. Daisy's emotions are so raw, the heartbreak pulsing through each page through the rhythm of the verse. The story captures the incredible depth of feeling experienced by teenagers and just how brutal those experiences felt. Solo exposes the pain and heartbreak of all those firsts that we felt so strongly - the end of a first relationship, the betrayal of a best friend, the realisation that put parents won't live forever and the realisation that out parents are not perfect, but make mistakes, too..These events for Daisy occur over the course of her key examinations in school and music and have the potential to change the course of her future life and iptions if she cannot bet herself into a functioning mode..Solo is honest, raw and utterly heartbreaking with hope shining through and beautiful flimpses into the love and support of family and friends that help carry us through life's journey. #Solo #grainneobrien #littleislandbooks
March 25, 2025
Poetry or verse is not typically something I read but, ‘Solo’ by Gráinne O’Brien flows easily and is well-written. As with poetry, ‘Solo’ is visually striking in the way the verse is set out on the page. I enjoyed this but, there’s little opportunity for discussion. Of course, sibling rivalry and jealousy come into play which could start a conversation but, it may be quite one-sided rather than open for a debate. I felt a kinship with Daisy as she struggles against the weight of other people’s expectation and having to play by the rules. I also empathised with Daisy’s naivety around love, life and other people. I shared in Daisy’s frustrations, and it was interesting that the author seemed to have similar struggles.
December 13, 2025
I literally read this book in one afternoon. I got it for a gift for someone and couldn’t help myself from reading the whole thing peeking at the pages so I wouldn’t crack the spine. It had the perfect reminiscent voice of a horrendous teenage girl(form a former horrendously teenage girl) and I actually loved the poem-ish dictionary kinda unique formatting. it brought me back to reading Charlie and Lola (and this other book I loved when I was a kid with like brown and pink stripes on the cover if anyone knows what I’m talking about(???))and like children’s books that had me up reading under the covers with a flashlight as a kid. I love the tonal notation that was communicated with the musical language. This was such a unique and wonderful read. I absolutely adored it!
August 16, 2025
I won this book through a competition on Instagram, so thank you to @elaineandthebooks for introducing me to this beautiful book. It is very similar to Toffee by Sarah Crossan, which I read recently, in that they both have that impactful verse style, which I find resonates with the intense emotions the characters are feeling in both stories. This type of writing pulls you into the story quickly, making it hard for you to put down.
Daisy was a beautiful, mixed-up character going through some pretty difficult times both at home and at school. The people she loved most and whom she would normally confide in are all dealing with their lives, and this leads to feelings of loneliness, isolation and rejection.
The one thing that had always made her happy was her music, but she put it aside for someone who had then broken her heart. Now she is fearful of music as it proves just how much she neglected it while chasing something that wasn’t real. It was also the one thing she excelled at, and to return to her previous standard requires a lot of work, which she doesn’t think she has the energy for.
This is a poignant story of growing up and dealing with heartbreak, school, family illness and friendships, and being a teenager, this can all seem like the end of the world. A beautiful story that I will remember for a long time to come.
May 15, 2025
I read this book in one sitting as it was unputdownable! The pace of the story will keep you turning the pages, and the sheer emotional roller coaster ride of life as a teenager where friendship, love and betrayal can knock the stuffing out of you and stop you focusing on your upcoming exams. Music is at the heart of this novel and the prose are not only lyrical but the scene breaks are titled musically with a metaphorical meaning. The family background story is compelling and all the clearly defined characters will remain with you long after you've read the book.
July 7, 2025
This book is BEAUTIFUL
I’ve never read a verse novel before I’m so glad I took the risk and stepped out of my comfort zone with Solo.
It’s beautifully written, lyrical and flowing, yet so easy to read. You can feel the rhythm as you’re turning the pages of this book.
Daisy is such a relatable character. Her struggles and emotions felt so real that I found myself reconnecting with my own inner child🥹
I can’t wait for this book to be translated into Spanish so non-English speaking friends can experience it too.
A truly wonderful read.
I’ve never read a verse novel before I’m so glad I took the risk and stepped out of my comfort zone with Solo.
It’s beautifully written, lyrical and flowing, yet so easy to read. You can feel the rhythm as you’re turning the pages of this book.
Daisy is such a relatable character. Her struggles and emotions felt so real that I found myself reconnecting with my own inner child🥹
I can’t wait for this book to be translated into Spanish so non-English speaking friends can experience it too.
A truly wonderful read.
July 13, 2025
Not my usual sort of read, but it was neat to try out a modern verse novel. Reading the whole book in one sitting, the style starts to feel repetitive, although some poems stand out as powerful on their own. Read for teen drama and a girl relearning her role in a normal, imperfect family.
**Thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to review with YA Books Central. See YABC for more reviews!**
**Thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to review with YA Books Central. See YABC for more reviews!**
August 10, 2025
I went through this book in a single sitting. Although it took some adjusting to get used to the writing style and structure, I quickly fell in love with it. The format creates a rhythm, and reminds me of how I read sheet music.
I believe the book captures complex emotions, grief, and storyline so beautifully.
If you want a fast read with a well written story of adolescence, I would recommend!
I believe the book captures complex emotions, grief, and storyline so beautifully.
If you want a fast read with a well written story of adolescence, I would recommend!
December 19, 2025
A girl’s boyfriend dumps her so she’s too sad to play the recorder :( This captured teen angst and how everything feels so big when you’re young. I didn’t like the brief chapter in prose so that showed me that the verse format worked well for this story. Plus the cheesy music metaphors grew on me as I went!
January 11, 2025
Absolutely loved this, could not put down! Beautifully written and engaging -- immediately put me back in the place of being a young girl growing up, and all the confusion and pain and joy that comes in those years. I'd recommend for teens as well as their parents and other adults.
April 26, 2025
Astoundingly brilliant YA verse novel. I have an interview with the author and my review on a blogpost here: http://vsviewfromthebookshelves.home....
December 30, 2025
This is a fantastic book in verse that perfectly captures the complicated feelings that come with being a teenager on the cusp of adulthood! If you’re a music lover, you will enjoy how Daisy experiences her final year of school through the lens of being a musician.
June 24, 2025
Beautifully written, every word, every feeling took me inside the head of a teenager and reminded me how it used to be.
June 25, 2025
Beaituful book. Written in a really original way. Was a pleasure to read.
December 7, 2025
Beautifully written, heartfelt and poignant. 💓
December 29, 2025
loved this. Packs a punch for such a short book. Captures so much pain and turmoil in so few words. Couldn't put it down
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews