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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
15 people are currently reading
205 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 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.
January 7, 2026
I found this such a confusing book, no passion, no emotion despite trying to be an emotional story. the layout threw me off too...
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/...
January 27, 2026
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and Gráinne O'Brien for providing me with an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
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Summary
Daisy has always felt slightly out of sync in her own home. Her twin brothers share a bond she can’t penetrate, so she gravitates toward her parents, especially her dad for grounding. Music is her anchor: as a dedicated classical musician, she pours her heart into performance even if it doesn’t win her popularity at school. She has one close friend, a steady routine, and a boyfriend who seems to understand her.
Then everything fractures.
Her boyfriend abruptly ends their relationship, leaving Daisy emotionally unmoored. The breakup doesn’t just hurt her heart, it severs her connection to music, the one thing that has always made sense. Suddenly she’s drifting, unsure of who she is without the rhythm that once guided her.
At school, she meets Flora, a mysterious, intriguing new friend who brings a sense of calm and curiosity into Daisy’s life. Through Flora, Daisy begins to rediscover small sparks of joy. She starts to feel like she might be able to rebuild herself.
But just as she begins to regain her footing, her world tilts again. Her father becomes seriously ill, and the family’s fragile balance collapses. Daisy is forced to confront grief, fear, and the pressure of holding herself—and her family—together.
In the quiet spaces between heartbreak and healing, Daisy must choose; cling to the version of herself she once was, or step into the person she is becoming. Through music, friendship, and courage, she slowly learns to find harmony again.
----------------------------------
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review (4 Stars)
This verse novel delivers an emotionally rich, beautifully paced coming‑of‑age story that feels both intimate and universal. The chronological flow works especially well: we follow Daisy from stability, to heartbreak, to tentative hope, to crisis, and finally to growth. The structure mirrors the emotional arc of a symphony; soft openings, crashing lows, and a resonant, hopeful finale.
The writing shines in its lyrical simplicity. The verse format captures Daisy’s inner world with clarity and vulnerability, making her grief, confusion, and resilience feel immediate. Her relationship with music is especially compelling; the way she loses and slowly rediscovers it adds depth to her journey.
Flora is a standout addition, and their friendship offers a gentle counterbalance to Daisy’s turmoil. The family storyline, particularly her father’s illness, adds emotional weight without tipping into melodrama.
Overall, it’s a moving, empowering YA story about identity, loss, and the courage to begin again
----------------------------------
Summary
Daisy has always felt slightly out of sync in her own home. Her twin brothers share a bond she can’t penetrate, so she gravitates toward her parents, especially her dad for grounding. Music is her anchor: as a dedicated classical musician, she pours her heart into performance even if it doesn’t win her popularity at school. She has one close friend, a steady routine, and a boyfriend who seems to understand her.
Then everything fractures.
Her boyfriend abruptly ends their relationship, leaving Daisy emotionally unmoored. The breakup doesn’t just hurt her heart, it severs her connection to music, the one thing that has always made sense. Suddenly she’s drifting, unsure of who she is without the rhythm that once guided her.
At school, she meets Flora, a mysterious, intriguing new friend who brings a sense of calm and curiosity into Daisy’s life. Through Flora, Daisy begins to rediscover small sparks of joy. She starts to feel like she might be able to rebuild herself.
But just as she begins to regain her footing, her world tilts again. Her father becomes seriously ill, and the family’s fragile balance collapses. Daisy is forced to confront grief, fear, and the pressure of holding herself—and her family—together.
In the quiet spaces between heartbreak and healing, Daisy must choose; cling to the version of herself she once was, or step into the person she is becoming. Through music, friendship, and courage, she slowly learns to find harmony again.
----------------------------------
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review (4 Stars)
This verse novel delivers an emotionally rich, beautifully paced coming‑of‑age story that feels both intimate and universal. The chronological flow works especially well: we follow Daisy from stability, to heartbreak, to tentative hope, to crisis, and finally to growth. The structure mirrors the emotional arc of a symphony; soft openings, crashing lows, and a resonant, hopeful finale.
The writing shines in its lyrical simplicity. The verse format captures Daisy’s inner world with clarity and vulnerability, making her grief, confusion, and resilience feel immediate. Her relationship with music is especially compelling; the way she loses and slowly rediscovers it adds depth to her journey.
Flora is a standout addition, and their friendship offers a gentle counterbalance to Daisy’s turmoil. The family storyline, particularly her father’s illness, adds emotional weight without tipping into melodrama.
Overall, it’s a moving, empowering YA story about identity, loss, and the courage to begin again
February 5, 2026
Thank you to Little Island Books and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
BookSloth used to play the recorder. Three hours every Saturday morning, in an ensemble, sat in neat rows of plastic chairs. She's now wondering why she stopped!
Before even talking about the story, let's talk about the layout. The typesetting is beautiful—genuinely beautiful. It understands silence matters as much as words. Solo is the first verse novel BookSloth has read, and she didn’t just like the form—she fell a little bit in love with it. Because verse suits this story perfectly. The short lines echo the nature of thought, the rhythm of the music that is embedded in Daisy's soul.
Teenage life isn’t neat. It’s intense and fragmented and immediate. Thoughts come fast. Feelings come faster. Daisy's world is built around exams, family expectations, and heartbreak. One conversation or one mistake might permanently alter the course of your life. There’s no perspective yet. Just the narrow, high-stakes world of school corridors, rehearsals, friendships, crushes, and the constant, exhausting question of where you fit.
The narrow focus of this age is captured painfully well.
When we first meet Daisy, she's grieving. The boy she thought was "the One". When he walks away, Daisy loses more than a boyfriend. She loses her sense of direction. Her connection to music.
The emotions are messy, irrational, overwhelming—and completely logical at the same time. The psychology behind it all, the stuff we don’t yet have the language for at that age, quietly drives Daisy's every action.
This book also captures how creativity and identity tangle together when you’re young (and even when you're not). How music—or art, or writing, or anything you care about deeply—can feel like the only place you actually make sense to yourself. It also shows how easily this passion can be weaponised. Consciously or not.
Another thing BookSloth appreciates is how the novel shows that parents are human too. Daisy's parents love her but they're tired. They make mistakes. They don't always know the right way to respond to her pain when they're dealing with their own. Part of growing up is realising that parents are people, too, improvising just the same as their teens.
This is a beautifully crafted story about music, first heartbreak, and the strange intensity of being young and feeling everything at full volume.
Five thoughtful sloths, many lingering lines, a heart warmed by verse.
BookSloth used to play the recorder. Three hours every Saturday morning, in an ensemble, sat in neat rows of plastic chairs. She's now wondering why she stopped!
Before even talking about the story, let's talk about the layout. The typesetting is beautiful—genuinely beautiful. It understands silence matters as much as words. Solo is the first verse novel BookSloth has read, and she didn’t just like the form—she fell a little bit in love with it. Because verse suits this story perfectly. The short lines echo the nature of thought, the rhythm of the music that is embedded in Daisy's soul.
Teenage life isn’t neat. It’s intense and fragmented and immediate. Thoughts come fast. Feelings come faster. Daisy's world is built around exams, family expectations, and heartbreak. One conversation or one mistake might permanently alter the course of your life. There’s no perspective yet. Just the narrow, high-stakes world of school corridors, rehearsals, friendships, crushes, and the constant, exhausting question of where you fit.
The narrow focus of this age is captured painfully well.
When we first meet Daisy, she's grieving. The boy she thought was "the One". When he walks away, Daisy loses more than a boyfriend. She loses her sense of direction. Her connection to music.
The emotions are messy, irrational, overwhelming—and completely logical at the same time. The psychology behind it all, the stuff we don’t yet have the language for at that age, quietly drives Daisy's every action.
This book also captures how creativity and identity tangle together when you’re young (and even when you're not). How music—or art, or writing, or anything you care about deeply—can feel like the only place you actually make sense to yourself. It also shows how easily this passion can be weaponised. Consciously or not.
Another thing BookSloth appreciates is how the novel shows that parents are human too. Daisy's parents love her but they're tired. They make mistakes. They don't always know the right way to respond to her pain when they're dealing with their own. Part of growing up is realising that parents are people, too, improvising just the same as their teens.
This is a beautifully crafted story about music, first heartbreak, and the strange intensity of being young and feeling everything at full volume.
Five thoughtful sloths, many lingering lines, a heart warmed by verse.
January 22, 2026
Daisy's boyfriend dumps her just weeks after they had sex for the first time, leaving her devastated. Her parents are often busy paying attention to her twin older brothers and Shannon, her supposed-to-be best friend, ignores her so Daisy gets rid of what she loves too: her music.
Then come Flora, a transferred student from Dublin, who sees through Daisy and insists that she must reclaim her music. Flora is a Bach-pilled, secretly music prodigy, and although Daisy doesn't really get her, they get along. As Daisy's father receives ongoing cancer treatment and turns of events make her life once again in shambles, will she come back to music and to people who matter most?
This is the first YA novel set in Ireland that I read, and honestly I find the setting fascinating. I'm also thankful the author and publisher provided a terminology notes for certain words regarding to education in Ireland that the character goes through. Daisy is realistically written—she makes mistakes, she overthinks, she experiences everything intensely just like teenagers. She also tries her best to learn and fix what she can. I liked and appreciated that her dynamics with family and friends are as bumpy as it gets, imperfect but warm and understanding. The ending is a bit of a cliffhanger, especially Daisy's relationship with Flora, but it indicates a happy one.
While I understand that Daisy needs to go through some coming-of-age events thus making her character unlikable at the start, the timeline confused me on the first one-third of the book so I struggled to grasp what's going on. I also almost judged Daisy dramatic and ungrateful but then remembered she was probably intentionally created that way. The writing is concise and poetic, and I particularly liked the chapter titles that are taken from music terminology. However, the capitalized letter on each line makes it difficult to follow, like I need to pause before continuing every two or three words. I'm sure it wasn't intended to be choppy, but it reads like so.
For example:
It would be read more easily and smoothly if Older, Apart, and Pain is written older, apart, and pain. I hope they would change this formatting after this.
Solo is a one-sitting emotional read that portrays a life of a teenager in an honest, realistic, and compassionate way, perfect for fans of YA coming-of-age and meaningful verse novel. Thank you Little Island Books and NetGalley for providing an eARC of this book.
Then come Flora, a transferred student from Dublin, who sees through Daisy and insists that she must reclaim her music. Flora is a Bach-pilled, secretly music prodigy, and although Daisy doesn't really get her, they get along. As Daisy's father receives ongoing cancer treatment and turns of events make her life once again in shambles, will she come back to music and to people who matter most?
This is the first YA novel set in Ireland that I read, and honestly I find the setting fascinating. I'm also thankful the author and publisher provided a terminology notes for certain words regarding to education in Ireland that the character goes through. Daisy is realistically written—she makes mistakes, she overthinks, she experiences everything intensely just like teenagers. She also tries her best to learn and fix what she can. I liked and appreciated that her dynamics with family and friends are as bumpy as it gets, imperfect but warm and understanding. The ending is a bit of a cliffhanger, especially Daisy's relationship with Flora, but it indicates a happy one.
While I understand that Daisy needs to go through some coming-of-age events thus making her character unlikable at the start, the timeline confused me on the first one-third of the book so I struggled to grasp what's going on. I also almost judged Daisy dramatic and ungrateful but then remembered she was probably intentionally created that way. The writing is concise and poetic, and I particularly liked the chapter titles that are taken from music terminology. However, the capitalized letter on each line makes it difficult to follow, like I need to pause before continuing every two or three words. I'm sure it wasn't intended to be choppy, but it reads like so.
For example:
Fiachra and Tadgh are my
Older brothers.
Twins. Born ten minutes
Apart
Not a drop of
Pain relief.
It would be read more easily and smoothly if Older, Apart, and Pain is written older, apart, and pain. I hope they would change this formatting after this.
Solo is a one-sitting emotional read that portrays a life of a teenager in an honest, realistic, and compassionate way, perfect for fans of YA coming-of-age and meaningful verse novel. Thank you Little Island Books and NetGalley for providing an eARC of this book.
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.
January 14, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Solo is a beautiful book. The story is all about healing and finding yourself again, and it’s told in such a unique and original way. The style of verse makes the characters and story line more emotional, personal & believable, without the story feeling heavy or hard to read.
I loved the link to music & the facts given at the start of each chapter, which helped to link the content of the chapter to the name of the musical term
Overall, this was a genuine pleasure to read. A really beautiful, heartfelt book that stays with you long after you’ve finished it.
Thanks to Little Island Books for providing me an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
I loved the link to music & the facts given at the start of each chapter, which helped to link the content of the chapter to the name of the musical term
Overall, this was a genuine pleasure to read. A really beautiful, heartfelt book that stays with you long after you’ve finished it.
Thanks to Little Island Books for providing me an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
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!
January 26, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Little Island Books for the ARC!
A story focusing on Daisy, a star musician, whose life falls apart once her boyfriend breaks up with her and hooks up with her best friend. She then meets a singer named Flora who slowly starts to help her pick up the pieces of her life and find her way back to music.
This was an interesting story! Flora definitely was my favorite character, and I think there was just some moments that confused me a bit. But this was great!
A story focusing on Daisy, a star musician, whose life falls apart once her boyfriend breaks up with her and hooks up with her best friend. She then meets a singer named Flora who slowly starts to help her pick up the pieces of her life and find her way back to music.
This was an interesting story! Flora definitely was my favorite character, and I think there was just some moments that confused me a bit. But this was great!
February 5, 2026
I was asked by NetGalley to review this really interesting story.
I read this in one sitting, this was such a beautifully written story. I would recommend this to teenagers as I could resonate with this and growing up with happiness, as well as total confusion and pain all wrapped up in one.
This is a comimg of age book with connections to classical music and music exams
Totally honest and such a good read recommended and due for publication July 23 2026.
I read this in one sitting, this was such a beautifully written story. I would recommend this to teenagers as I could resonate with this and growing up with happiness, as well as total confusion and pain all wrapped up in one.
This is a comimg of age book with connections to classical music and music exams
Totally honest and such a good read recommended and due for publication July 23 2026.
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!
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