“There’s something about knowing we aren’t the only people who’ve been through shit that give us hope life won’t always be so hard. If telling Baby my secret would somehow help pull her up from rock bottom, then so be it. I’d do it for her.”
For Joel, life as most people understands it is something far out of reach. “The Bad Thing That Happened” and “What Was Wrong With [Him]” have hindered his social relationships and upbringing as a teenager. But now, after seven years of therapy, he is finally ready to go back to “normal” life. His fresh start begins with a brand-new job at ROYO Video, where his new persona as Solo will become his tabula rasa…the only thing left for him to do is to decide whether to open up to his new friend, Baby. Lisabeth Posthuma’s debut novel Baby & Solo is an enthralling exploration of what it takes to heal and move on.
You may have noticed that the description of Baby & Solo is quite a cryptic one. And what’s with all the caps and vague references? Well, that is because this novel is an enigma on itself. It is an exploration of Joel’s mind, present, and past…with the catch that he will not tell you what he has gone through. He does this for the most part of the novel, even breaking the fourth wall a couple of times to save information for a later time. It will be difficult to do this book justice, as it is not possible to discuss its most remarkable elements without getting into spoiler territory. But bear with us, and please, DO give Baby & Solo a go, because it is so, so worth it.
In broad terms, Baby and Solo focuses on Joel’s life after therapy and how he applies what he has learned about managing his emotions and mental health to his daily life. His group therapy sessions and numerous talks with his doctor have made him an expert on feelings and learning to acknowledge them in a healthy way. And so, not only is he able to help himself cope, but also the people around him. Joel is able to read his colleagues’ emotions with ease and offer solutions to help them handle their own problems. There enters Baby (or Nicole), a girl who doesn’t like most people and is going through a lot herself. And despite being polar opposites, between Baby and Solo flourishes an unlikely friendship that brings the best of the two characters out.
Their exclusively platonic relationship is a joy to read. Even though they find it hard to trust each other at first, Posthuma is able to unravel their bond slowly but steadily, showing how trust is something to be earned. For Joel, being rejected for what he’s been through is his biggest fear, and that doesn’t allow him to fully connect with Baby at first. For Baby, keeping her tough, nonchalant exterior is what keeps her safe from getting hurt. But when the both of them learn to leave these insecurities aside, they are able to find what they had always been looking for: a friend.
The novel has quite a slow start, as its more than four hundred pages make it quite a long work for a YA contemporary piece. However, despite dragging a little at first, that helps to set the environment where Baby & Solo unravels. While their relationship and self-development are the central pieces of the story’s progression, Baby & Solo draws from the best and worst of the 90s. Posthuma beautifully depicts the joy of video rental shops, as well as the sense of community and rich filmographic culture that revolved around them. For those readers who had the chance to browse the aisles of such a store, Baby & Solo is no doubt a rather nostalgic blast from the past. On the other hand, the author also puts emphasis on how paradoxically backwards, yet progressive society was in the 90s. Topics such as parental over-control and projection of fears and bigotry on their children, the stigma towards LGBTQ+ identities and mental illnesses, or the wide spread of slut shaming and the policing of female sexuality are made crudely visible in the behaviour of most characters. Nonetheless, at the same time, the author also shows how 90s youths also fiercely defended female body autonomy, queer kids, and people suffering from mental health issues. This opposition is even present in Joel and Nicole, who despite being two open-minded and progressive individuals for the most part, also embody some of the mentioned faults. Ultimately, that comes to show how important it is to never stop fighting these very negative behaviours we internalise due to our social upbringing and parental influences. It is hard to heal and accept yourself while others impose their morals into you, but, ultimately, the author shows that we are in charge of our own moral compass and trying to constantly strive to do better, no matter what.
For fans of John Green, Baby & Solo is a story of self-acceptance and self-discovery where emotions—laughter, anger, sadness, grief—take over. It is a celebration of friendship and mutual support. It is also a declaration on learning to defend your beliefs, even if they seem to go against the grain because you can’t make your standards fit those of others, there is no “Normal,” and everybody has to understand and accept that, for some, the sky is not blue…but green.
Baby & Solo is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of May 11th 2021.
Will you be picking up Baby & Solo? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
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?
Seventeen-year-old Joel Teague has a new prescription from his therapist—a part-time job—the first step toward the elusive Normal life he’s been so desperate to live ever since The Bad Thing happened. Lucky for Joel, ROYO Video is hiring. It’s the perfect fresh start—Joel even gets a new name. Dubbed “Solo” after his favorite Star Wars character, Joel works his way up the not-so-corporate ladder without anyone suspecting What Was Wrong With Him. That is, until he befriends Nicole “Baby” Palmer, a smart-mouthed coworker with a chip on her shoulder about . . . well, everything, and the two quickly develop the kind of friendship movie montages are made of. However, when Joel’s past inevitably catches up with him, he’s forced to choose between preserving his new blank slate persona and coming clean—and either way, he risks losing the first real friend he’s ever had. Set in a pop-culture-rich 1990s, this remarkable story tackles challenging and timely themes with huge doses of wit, power, and heart.
