Book Review: Radio Silence by Alice Oseman | ALL THE ADORATION

Title: Radio Silence

Author: Alice Oseman

Genre: Contemporary

Part of a Series: No

Cover:

Links: Goodreads, Author Website

Synopsis: What if everything you set yourself up to be was wrong?

Frances has always been a study machine with one goal, elite university. Nothing will stand in her way; not friends, not a guilty secret – not even the person she is on the inside.

But when Frances meets Aled, the shy genius behind her favourite podcast, she discovers a new freedom. He unlocks the door to Real Frances and for the first time she experiences true friendship, unafraid to be herself. Then the podcast goes viral and the fragile trust between them is broken.

Caught between who she was and who she longs to be, Frances’ dreams come crashing down. Suffocating with guilt, she knows that she has to confront her past…
She has to confess why Carys disappeared…

Meanwhile at uni, Aled is alone, fighting even darker secrets.

It’s only by facing up to your fears that you can overcome them. And it’s only by being your true self that you can find happiness.

Frances is going to need every bit of courage she has.

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THIS BOOK SNEAKED UP BEHIND ME AND BOWLED ME OVER WITH IT’S AMAZINGNESS. Seriously, everyone has been telling me I’d absolutely adore it, and I started it and doubted that it would be amazing as everyone said, but then I looked up and it was almost midnight and my eyes were burning and I absolutely adored it.

The book is about Frances, an artist, and a fanartist for her favorite podcast: Universe City. From what it’s been described as in the book, it seems kind of like a Welcome to Nightvale type of podcast, or maybe something more along the lines of, say, The Bright Sessions, or The Message in terms of storytelling. Then there’s Aled, the brother of Frances’s best friend who vanished a few years ago. And it turns out Aled is the creator of Universe City.

What I Liked:
-Aled and Frances are AMAZING. Frances is this studyaholic who has done EVERYTHING she possibly can to get into Cambridge, her dream school. She has friends, but at the same time she’s extremely lonely because her school friends know straight-A’s-and-studying Frances, but not who she really is- an artist, a fangirl, and a massive nerd.

Aled is awkward and anxious and a total sweetheart and kind of a dork. And Frances befriends him and they start creating Universe City stuff together and the levels of DORKINESS and NERDINESS in this book is AMAZING.

-Also??? The relationship between Frances and Aled in this book is TOTALLY PLATONIC. Frances is bisexual and kind of had a crush on Aled’s sister and Aled is demisexual homoromantic and has his own secret crush going on. THEY’RE JUST REALLY GREAT FRIENDS.

-It totally captured the anxiety and unsureness of being about to start what a lot of people tell you is the beginning of the rest of your life. College is stressful. And no matter what you do you’re going to have doubts about it, because there will always seem like there’s something that’s more pratical or maybe this will get you a better job possibly or going to this college will give you possibly a better education but this college is cheaper and you won’t need to get as many loans. And it captured all of that PERFECTLY.

-ACTUAL SUPPORTIVE PARENT ALERT. Frances and her mom get along really well and she helps out Frances when Frances needs help and wasn’t just there to ground Frances and/or feed her like so many other YA parents.

-And this book’s writing style was fantastic. It took me a chapter to get into it, but once I did it grabbed me by my heartstrings and didn’t let go, not once. I came up gasping for air and totally, utterly, completely in love with this book.

-THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING SO READ IT.

-Also Alice Oseman needs to write something else immedietly. Like, right now. Pretty please?

Blogglings! Have you read Radio Silence yet? Do you want to read it? If you’ve read it, what did you think about it? Did you love it as much as I did? Have you read Alice Oseman’s other novel, Solitare? Did you like it?

Happy Monday,