Even though the audio cut out halfway through on my ALC I was able to finish it on Everand and this was such a GREAT book! Giving some angst, some retro feelings, some flashbacks for myself. I could definitely enjoy this one as a movie or a show,

First of all, props to Nick Walther for bringing this book, but particularly the character of Solo, to life,

I requested this audiobook ARC because it was labeled as being LGBTQ+. That is it. When I started reading I was lulled by the slow exposition of the book, but I couldn't put it down because I wanted to know what had affected Solo so much. When Joel finally feels ready to say what happened... Let me just say this. I am writing this review two years after the fact and I felt a pang in my heart.

Beautiful, beautiful book!

I enjoyed this audiobook , the narrator did a good job switching between characters. The only thing I would say is I do prefer audiobooks with multi narrators for male and female voices.

I enjoyed Baby and Solo , it's a coming of age story, tackling adolescent mental health. I loved the film and 90s references! I really rooted for the mc Joel!

A great YA novel that I enjoyed as an Older Adult !

Story of the book-

Joel Teague, also known as Solo, is a 17-year-old high scholar with a major mystery. The mystery is called “what was wrong with me”. We realize he went through certain years all through mental illness clinics in light of the “bad thing that happened”. At the point when the story opens, Joel has been delivered from mental consideration and is projecting about an approach to invest his energy. He finds a new line of work at the neighborhood video store (as the timeline is 1996), where he makes a companion, something he has not had since he was 10 years of age. His companion, Nicole, is called Baby. Baby has confidentiality of his own, which comes out around Halloween. Baby needs Solo to share his filthy clothing, yet given that his messy clothing isn’t of the ordinary teenager issue assortment, he is hesitant to share. He might lose her kinship in any case.

My review-

Joel, also known as Solo is seventeen, it’s 1996, and after investing energy in a mental health facility, he’s considered all around ok to start his new typical life by finding a new line of work at a video rental store.

The wistfulness of the time, the music and film references, and just being inside a video store again with the rental labels, the snacks, and so on, those little subtleties especially improved the reading experience for me. Joel might be the fundamental person, however, my most loved was Baby. She’s the meaning of an old buddy, she acknowledges Joel yet she likewise challenges him when their companionship feels excessively uneven and when he acts in manners she doesn’t endorse. In any case, Baby doesn’t simply feel like the best help character for Joel, she has her significant circumstances she’s figuring out and she has this convincing character that is a balance of extreme and power.

Concerning the substantial stuff Joel’s managing, I’m not going to say what it is since in the book it isn’t straightforwardly expressed. It’s simply that Joel needs that amount of time in the novel to quit wasting time where he’s prepared to contemplate, talk about, and face everything, and when he does this at the end of the story, the scenes are certainly worth the pause, properly troublesome, touchy, dismal and surprisingly a little elevating.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* there's a lot of things i liked about this book and in all hoensty i am baised bc even tho this takes place the decade i was born its so awesome to read books with landmarks you know! When solo got lost in the mall it was so cool knowing the entire mall in your head already lol i liked the characters and i loved that they talked about mental illness and mental heath and other issues/hardships teens face. Would love to own, loved the audiobook.

I really enjoyed this audiobook. The narrator did a great job of portraying the character. The book kept me guessing, was relatable, and did a great job of explaining what it's like to live with guilt and be a trauma survivor. I would recommend this book to teens and adults who are struggling with the loss of a loved one, gender/orientation/identity, or just anyone who loved video stores when they were popular.

Making a video rental store the hook for a modern teen novel is a risky move, since that is something most teens have never experienced. In this case, though, I think it pays off. Because Posthuma works to create the world. We get a solid physical description of the store as well as the culture of the people who work there. They all have secrets that affect the way they interact with one another. Astute readers will guess Joel's secrets pretty early on but that works in the novel's favor as we question how his desire to keep them hidden will play out with other characters. While not always comfortable to read, the characters are compelling and keep us engaged.

This was not what I was expecting but it was an interesting and good book! It reminded me of early John Green. Look into trigger warnings, although they are spoilers. I’m also not sure this book should actually be classified as LGBTQ as it’s not really the main characters identity but… something else… that qualifies it as such. I loved the platonic love story central plot and the matter of fact discussion of mental health and will recommend it to customers who have enjoyed John Green books or are looking for more serious or “literary” YA.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgally for providing me with an ARC of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
I LOVED this audiobook! 10/10 would recommend! That being said a few chapters cut off early but I assume that is an ARC issue.
The author and the narrator both did a fantastic job making Joel feel like a real teenager. The writing makes his voice sound so genuine and, somewhat ironically, normal. The story flowed really well and the pacing was fantastic. I don't know if this is just because I listened to the audiobook, but I can't remember feeling like there were moments that were dragging or rushed.
My favorite part of this book is the relationships! Lisabeth Posthuma really excels at depicting multiple different types of relationships without any of them feeling weird or out of places (unless its in line with the characters- I'm looking at you Godfather). Joel has a very complicated relationship with both of his parents and this handled very well in the book but the thing that really blew me away was that I was reading a YA novel where the parents actually did parent things like wanted to know where their kids were and actually paid attention to what they were or were not doing. I also really enjoyed the dynamic of all the video store employees. If you like books with a friend group or big cast of characters- this one is for you!
Out of all the amazing relationship depictions in this book I have to say a few words about the Baby + Solo dynamic. It was so enjoyable to watch their friendship develop, even while they are both going through some really tough stuff. Their relationship developed in a very natural and authentic way and it was a joy to watch unfold.
This book handles some very serious issues but Lisabeth Posthuma skillfully maneuvers through them and dedicates the appropriate amount of time to tackles these issues. I really love how much a focus was put on proper treatment and coping mechanisms for varying mental health issues and varying severities or issues.

Baby & Solo is such an adorable book. I really enjoyed following both Baby and Solo. Solo was such a well written character and I felt attached to him the entire time. I really loved following the characters working at this store. The cover is also so nostalgic, vhs tales bring back so many memories. I highly recommend this cute novel!

Joel’s family doesn’t like to talk about what happened, about what’s wrong with him. A job at the video store delights his therapist, and he thinks it’ll be good for him. As he makes friends and starts to trust people again, his past starts coming back to haunt him, and he’s terrified all of this will fall apart. Worse, he’ll have to trust his new best friend with his secret after he helps her through a pregnancy situation. All of this is on the backdrop of a local video store where the employees pick names based on their favorite movie characters.

There’s so much to unpack. A young man with a schizoid disorder trying to hold down his first job in a video store while making a friend who is pregnant and trying to decide if she’s going to keep the baby. A quirky cast of coworkers and minor characters who provide color and comic relief to the story.

I was a tad worried once or twice that the story would hinge on some unpleasant turns involving queer folks, but I needn’t have. I loved these characters, their messy lives, and beneath it all, their heart and friendships. It reminded me of my movie theater days. The narration is excellent, and I tore through this one in about two days. I’m a little behind on this review, so it’s out now. Perfect summer read or listen.

Wow - . I just finished this book yesterday and I am amazed by it . Okay sk we follow Joel , who has taken up a job at a Movie rental store . Joel has a dark past and he doesn't want to talk about it to anyone else. Joel then meets Baby or Nicole at the store , they begin to spend a lot of time with each other and become real good friends .
Now i truly enjoyed how Solo aka Joel's work name really aligned with his character and his back story . The author put a lot of effort into this concept and I can say that it paid off . Same for Baby , her name symbolises a lot that is going on in her life .
I really liked how each character was super unique and complex in their own ways . The pacIng was perfect for me , a lot of events were happening and it was quik and we knew a lot .
I really loved every minute of this book and I found that the " bad thing " completely shook me . I was astonished at it and putting the peices together I realised that this book is all about Loving and accepting people the way they are and i believe that is one of the most important messages .

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All of the opinions are my own and this did not affect my review in any way.

As it is the case with most of my Netgalley audiobooks, I had no idea what this book was about. I was attracted by the vibrant cover and the synopsis was vague but left me wanting to know more. Little did I know that I was about to read one of the most heartwarming and impactful books ever.

In Baby & Solo we follow Joel and Joel’s new job at the video store is just what the therapist ordered. But what happens if the first true friend he’s made in years finds out about What Was Wrong With Him?

The book starts pretty slow, the author calmly lets you in on the story and in the beginning you have no idea what is happening or what happened. The story in the beginning is a mess, you know the main character is Joel, but you don´t know why. However as each layer is revealed and we learn more about Joel it is impossible not to fall in love with him.

Even though throughout the book not much is happening really, this book is impossible to put down and that is because of the characters. The way the author wrote the characters of this book was absolutely outstanding, you have such a wide range of characters that are each unique and have their own quirks that it is impossible not to relate to al least of them. For me my favorite characters were Joel, Nicole and Joel´s dad.

For me Joel was an extraordinary character, you have this clearly flawed person who is just trying to fit in while dealing with so much things we have no idea about. He has a dark sense of humor which I love and in the end he means no harm, he just simply wants to be “normal”. Nicole “Baby” for me, was an excellent representation of friendship, she was loyal to Joel, no matter what and that makes her so valuable. Finally Joel´s dad, definitely a controversial character, but I couldn’t help but feel for him, the way he grew by the end of the book was so heartfelt I almost cried.

This book definitely deals with a lot of hard topics and it takes some dark twists that I did not see coming, however, it is this hard topics that make this book a heartfelt, heartwarming and impactful book. I have to admit that when I found out “what was wrong” with Joel I couldn’t stop crying for about 2 hours. This book definitely packs a punch and it for sure hit me right in the feels.

Overall, this is one of the best books I have read this year, it is an emotional, heartwarming and raw story that should be read by everyone. This book deals with very important topics such as mental health, friendship and family dynamics and I recommend everyone to pick up a copy.

Thanks so much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for allowing me read and review this book.

This book has some great representation with great character and some beautiful character development.
I really loved this book but the end felt a little bit overdramatic and I didn't like it.

I found myself full of empathy and sadness through most of this book. Even though it's set in the 1990's, the themes are universal. It's hard surviving those teen years. Even harder with issues and the lack of patient and attentive guidance from the adults that are supposed to help shape their lives. I'm nearly 60, and the pain and frustrations these characters dealt with resonated with me.

Don't get me wrong- author Lisabeth Posthuma does a beautiful job telling this story, and keeps it as light as humanly possible. I hope it will find its audience with YA readers, though it might be harder for them to relate to, set before cell phones and social media.

I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have seen nothing but good reviews for this book and I just... don't get it. It wasn't bad but I just didn't care and kept zoning out and losing track of what was going on. Maybe it's because I had the audiobook, I don't know but over all I just felt a little lost and almost like the book was trying too hard to be smarter or more intriguing than it was.

As a kid of the 90’s I absolutely adored those book. Awesome movie and pop culture references throughout that I loved. It has so much going on-in the best way. It has some wonderful light-hearted moments but also touches on some serious and deeper issues. It was fantastic and I immediately ordered myself a copy for my library as soon as I finished it.

Baby and Solo was a really good book about mental health and living in the 90's. I really enjoyed this audiobook. There are some twists to this book that I didnt see coming until it was already done. A lot of things that happened in the book that I didnt see coming but I was interested in it nonetheless.

I voluntarily reviewed this audiobook.

Thank you to RB Media & NetGalley for providing a free audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Truthfully, this was one of the most enjoyable audiobooks I've listened to in a while - however, at the time of listening, I was incredibly confused. In the audio provided by RB Media, many scenes and even chapters were missing, which led to large plot points being missed by the listener. Unfortunately, this was not overly obvious to begin with and appeared to be an issue with the writing.

However, having since listened to the full audio, I can say that there is no issue with Posthuma's writing. This novel manages to be a delicate balance between a fun, '90s coming of age story and a much darker tale of mental health.

It is easy to find both Solo and Baby irritating and childish at times but this is largely because they ARE children, despite the heavy topics and struggles they are dealing with or have dealt with. This, for the most part, actually makes them more interesting and relatable.

While a lot of the novel does rely on tropes and stereotypes, none of it is done in a negative or lazy way and actually appears to show how the tropes and stereotypes SHOULD be done.

Overall, an. enjoyable listen - but can we please have a spin off which just deals with The Godfather's life?!

Posthuma's debut novel is like, so 90s. And like, so good. Joel (Solo) is working on living a normal life after "the bad thing that happened" and finds it by clerking at a local video store. He's the narrator and his voice feels authentic if almost too self-aware. But, that self-awareness isn't a big deal because it's been a staple of teen film, movies and books since at least the 90s!
Characters are fleshed out and overall it spoke to me in a way a lot of YA books don't -- I could see myself in Joel. Audio is narrated by Nick Williams and his voice feels like Joel's voice. I don't know how else to explain it. I'm excited to recommend this book to teens who come into the public library where I work as well as coworkers. Loved this book! Loved this audiobook!