"Do I Dare Disturb The Universe?" - Solitaire, Alice Oseman

"Do I dare disturb the universe?" - Solitaire, Alice Oseman

I always think about the differences between Michael and Lucas. Michael has everything that Lucas lacks. The way he fulfills his relationship with Tori is the exact opposite to how Lucas attempts to do it.

Lucas set out to fix Tori, which led to the creation of Solitaire. Michael set out to understand her. Lucas never loved Tori, but rather the idea of her. The idea of having a childhood best friend that turns into your lover is what Lucas chased, and when he found out that Tori was not the person he pictured in his mind, he planned to save her. Michael never looked to change or save Tori, because that is not how love works.

Even though Michael and Tori had only known each other for a couple of weeks, Michael seemed to know way more about her, even down to the brand of diet lemonade she likes. Lucas, on the other hand, gave her a can of Sprite thinking it counted as lemonade.

Their methods of communication are also completely different. Lucas created an entire organization to send his message, but never once directly communicated his concerns to her. Instead, he chose to be subtle, sneaky, and passive aggressive at times. However, Michael communicates what he thinks directly. As he said himself, when he wants to do something, he usually does it. And that is why he found her at a busy restaurant to tell her that he'd seen her before.

Michael did everything Lucas couldn't.

and im back again

"It's funny because it's true" - Solitaire, Alice Oseman

we always forget the pressure Michael has against himself.

Asexual representation is something that very few books show. I am so thankful for Alice showing it in a way that many people who identify as ace feel. The thing with asexuality is that it is different from person to person and Alice has managed to spread that message in such a supportive way. So thank you Alice Oseman for this update.