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When the four friends undergo a freak accident, they begin to develop superhuman abilities and come to realize that all is not as it seems within the bleak walls of their high school. While dealing with the day-to-day challenges of being teenagers, they must also confront their sinister principal, Mr. Devlin, who seems to have more than just education on his agenda.
Ardash Vartparonian was born in London and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He moved back to the UK to begin university and is now a fourth-year undergraduate studying English Literature at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. In his free time, he enjoys going out at night with his friends, watching horror movies and writing bad poetry.
Publisher's Website: http://sbpra.com/ArdashVartparonian
NAKS
Posted November 7, 2012
Just finished this book... Could not put it down!!!
If you're looking for something interesting, light and just really fun - look no further!
It's really worth a read, check it out!
NKS
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Nicky1607
Posted November 7, 2012
Amazing. The perfect mix between between Twilight and Fifty Shades of Gray... Sexy, edgy, phenomenal.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted November 7, 2012
Great read! I loved this book I'm recommending it to all my friends ... can't wait till someone picks it up and makes a movie/TV series!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.StephAndDani
Posted March 15, 2013
Solstice High is Ardash Vartparonian’s debut novel. It is the story of four friends who are forced to take a burden heavier than their shoulders can carry. When Matt, Rochelle, Daphne, and Jonas stumble upon Principle Devlin’s sinister plan and begin to develop powers that they thought were only in movies, they promise to do whatever they can to stop him.
This novel is a mix of teenage drama and fantasy. I was surprised that Mr. Vartparonian combined them so seamlessly. Each chapter changes between the four main character’s perspectives. It is fairly easy to tell who’s eyes you are viewing the world of Solstice High through once you get to know the characters. I loved this aspect of Solstice High because I didn’t have to ponder what each character was feeling. I was never bored because all four characters have such different and interesting personalities. The character development is fabulous!
Matt has been picked on and made fun of for all of his high school years. He is coming to terms with being gay and has a crush on the captain of the swim team, Julian. At first he seems to be a weak character who can’t fend for himself, but when the freak accident uncovers his power, he transforms (like he literally TRANSFORMS) into a powerful being. He fears that he won’t be able to control his new power because he feels like it’s a beast with a mind of its own. After several accidents involving his power, he wonders what he is becoming. He sinks deeper into the pit of depression when he had just begun to climb out of it. The author really pulls the reader into Matt’s mind. I traveled with Matt up and down his emotional rollercoaster. Out of all the characters, I sympathized the most with Matt because he has the most volatile power.
Rochelle is the “Queen Bee” at Solstice High. She is the effortlessly flawless girl who every girl wants to be and every boy wants to date. Rochelle appears to be a constantly squealing diva who only cares about gossip and fashion, but her true personality is much deeper. She can be petty and compassionate, a vindictive queen and a sympathetic friend. She is one of the strongest female characters I have ever read about. Rochelle blindly charging into a potentially dangerous situation set in motion the accident that changed her and her friend’s lives forever.
Daphne is, if possible, an even more headstrong heroine than Rochelle. Her family life is a wreck because her mom wants a “perfect family”. Daphne’s mom dream shattered when Daphne’s brother went into drug rehab. Her mom is constantly criticizing everything everyone in her family does, constantly pissing off Daphne. As a result, Daphne seems to be constantly angry. She hides her emotions in a box deep inside of her and doesn’t open the tightly closed lid until the end of this novel. It’s fitting that a girl with such a fiery personality develops the power she does.... ;)
Jonas is a jock who is in love with Rochelle. He has “hippie parents” who often leave him at home for days while they go to pursue their dreams. Jonas is a responsible person so he wouldn’t crash the house with his parents gone (and his parents know that), but he is secretly annoyed with his parents for not being there when he needs them. I loved to read from his point of view because he thought about Rochelle practically every second of the day. It was so funny and sweet!
Ardash used a lot of allusions of pop culture in his novel. For example, Rochelle is obsessed with the TV series Gossip Girl. Personally I usually don’t like it when an author uses many allusions, but I thought it added more humor and insight into the characters’ personality in this novel. There is TONS of humour in this book along with the more serious feelings of depression, anger, vengeance, and grief.
Solstice High is an amazing novel where I groaned about homework (which I already do), battled evil principals, and squealed in delight about being a “superhero” with the characters. It’s so easy to live through each character in this novel. I know a knocked off 0.5 of a star, but it’s only because I got the feeling of being in a comic book when I read this novel. Everything else was fabulous, but the beginning plot seemed a little corny to me. However, it’s extremely difficult to come up with unique plots now because SO many stories have been written!
All together, Solstice High is a very good book. What made me love this book is the character development. Each character’s personality is so unique and complex. As a teenager, I especially enjoyed it because I could relate to the trials and tribulations of being a high schooler. Even if you’re not a teenager, I think that you will enjoy this novel because you will time travel back to when you were a teenager! And maybe you adults will sympathize with us teenagers more when we complain about our lives. :)
jenmac1
Posted November 11, 2012
I found Solstice High most entertaining, and very well written. Above all, the fascinating way the author describes what teenagers go through with their failures and successes during this period of their lives!
I highly recommend it.
MelloMR
Posted November 9, 2012
I just got this book on the mail about 3 hours ago and can't stop reading it. It is extremely catchy, can't put it down!!
I love how it is written, it has multiple narrators and that makes it interesting. Great narrative, you never know what is going to happen next.
I highly recommend this book if you are looking to read something entertaining. If you are not much of a reader, I can assure you this book is definitely going to grab your attention.
Ok, I'll go back to reading now.
Anonymous
Posted November 8, 2012
Great read! Perfect blend of scandal, adventure and edge. Could not put it down!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted November 8, 2012
Really enjoyed this book! Couldn´t put it down. Can´t wait for the next one!!!!!!
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Overview
When the four friends undergo a freak accident, they begin to develop superhuman abilities and come to realize that all is not as it seems within the bleak walls of their high school. While dealing with the day-to-day challenges of being teenagers, they must also confront their sinister principal, Mr. ...