I requested this title back before my blogging break. I have ended up with a number of titles that are overwhelming to catch up on now I am back from my blogging break. I am regretfully not going to be reading and reviewing this title, but now I am back from my blogging break, I am looking forward to reading and reviewing some of your future titles. Thank you so much for the opportunity and apologies.

I reviewed Alice Osman's debut, Solitaire and just to say that this book is set in the same world/town, so Radio Silence spoils the end of Solitaire, not majorly but I know some people do not want to have knowledge of any kind about the books before they read them. So just a heads up.

So why don't I like Radio Silence as much as everyone else seems to. Okay, this story doesn't feel like it about Frances. Yes, she has a lot of growth and realisation about herself and life. However, we also have an oddball character that Frances saves, with me relating to that character more (shared labels and all). I didn't like that.

I do find it kinda funny that Tumblr is called Tumblr in this book instead of just referred to as blogging like it was in Solitaire, but I suppose that was the early days of Tumblr so no way to know if it would last for any point of time. The internet use to move on a lot quicker than it does now. Does anyone still use LiveJournal anymore?

This book is more than diverse than Oseman's last book, with the main character being mixed-race and other characters clearly being described as not white. There is a conversation about growing up in a British, white-dominated culture and with Frances lives with her white mum, how she feels like she is not in touch with the other side of her heritage. As I am Scottish white, I can't say how good this representation it is. It seems like a good effect. The thing I can comment on is that once again, there is a character that could be read as being autistic, as in if I met them in real life I would wonder if they were autistic as an autistic person myself.

This book might have been sold to you as having a demisexual character. It does, but it's a big reveal at the end of the book. It is discussed by other characters more than the demisexual character themself. It's more this is a thing that exists, and you shouldn't be confused by Ace/greysexual people. It is a starting point but don't get your hopes up really high in finding yourself if that's you. It's written more for others to understand than it being about that character. There is not a lot of other demisexual characters in media so it's something to be appreciated, but in the hope that it will cause other books to have main characters that are demisexual or even side characters from the start being stated as that.

In terms of plot structure, this is a mystery. Frances wants to know who the creator of a podcast is, then what happened to this person. That's the driving force of any plot and drives the novel along which is why the book is in the point of view of Frances.

Another good thing is that this book explores possibilities outside of going to uni and how that's not for everyone and is some for others. Not many YA books discuss this positively.

This book is also being sold on its fandom Tumblr aspect. It has this fictional story podcast, hosted on YouTube in the vein of "Welcome to NightVale." That sounded cool, but like Solitaire.com in her last book, in it is more to service the characters interacting with each other. The only fandom parts it goes into is the annoying, toxic side of fandom that harass the creators of shows, the side that ruins it for everyone else. Parts of the podcast are in the book, but it was disappointingly lacking in those part of the audiobook. But hell, I finished listening to this book right after Sadie by Courtney Summers which will go down as the standard to beat when having an audiobook involve a podcast. This was an okay book to listen to on audio.

I am a fan of NightVale and found it an odd choice to make it so that NightVale exists in this world. I think that always a risky thing to do, to co-exist with the thing you're inspired by. I think the fictional Podcast, University City is meant to be smaller than NightVale at the start of the novel. Also, University City is different, it's just this odd alternative place like Night Vale and is also used to give insight to the Creator. Fan Theories are a thing that plays into character plot.

I wouldn't recommend reading Oseman's books back-to-back, she could have up her game with "I was Born for this", but these books are actually really similar except now it a podcast that pushes the plot instead of a weird prank website. I wouldn’t recommend reading Solitaire while having Radio Silence be the audiobook you listen to while you have to do stuff other than just read all day.

Overall, I give this book 4/5 stars for Drunken Uploads. I just didn't like it as much as Solitaire, I know Oseman sees this as growth, but the only improvement I see is giving more diversity in terms of race. Maybe 'We born for this' will have disabled characters (outside of mental illness). On a serious note, it does explore more letters of the LGBTQ+. I guess it just might be preference and my hang-up of characters with autistic traits being side characters to someone else's discovery about them. I don't think it was intentional, especially with the plot this book was meant to have with the whole podcast thing: the take on the fantasy of becoming friends with the person that made something you love so much. It also one of those rare things where the main character finds growth by making a friend, instead of getting a lovefriend, which is there is definitely not enough YA books about friendship. (Okay, imagine if Lovefriend becomes the acceptable gender neural term for boyfriend/girlfriend. I am sorry if it does.)

Totally loved this. Fab and engaging contemporary read exploring identity, the nature of friendship and encompassing the gulf between 'real world' lived identity and online identity. Loved the representation of Tumblr and fandom - something that many will welcome as more real in their lives and identities than school and family. Also appreciated the non-heteronormative depiction of sexuality. Am definitely recommending.

A perfect example of young adult, contemporary fiction in the 21st century. Alice Oseman is an incredibly talented writer and I'll read anything she writes. The story of friendship between two teens and what happens when one does something unforgivable. Will recommend to anyone interested in YA contemporary fiction, both teens and adults.

Unfortunately, I never got around to reading this book while it was available.

This is the first Alice Oseman book I’ve read and I was really impressed with it. It’s so refreshing to read a novel with a diverse cast - heaps of non-straight, non-white characters, all fully formed people who weren’t just there to tick the diversity box (unlike some books).
This is a story of friendship, and of being a teenager. Of school and studying, and ending up doing what’s expected of you even as you’re trying to discover who ‘you’ actually are. Ultimately, it’s a story of being true to yourself.
It’s also a tale of two contrasting mum. Frances’ mum is possibly the greatest mum I’ve encountered in YA fiction recently – she is funny, supportive and accepting. On the other hand is Aled’s mum who is a crazed control freak who makes her kids’ lives a living hell.
My only issue with this book was the repeated and annoyingly incorrect use of the word ‘literally’ all the way through it – I understand that a lot of people use it a lot, and use it wrongly, but considering the main character is planning to go to Cambridge to study English Lit, I would have thought she’d known better. Using the search function on my kindle, it tells me that there are 54 uses of ‘literally’ throughout the book – it seemed unnecessary and repetitive and actually did begin to mar my enjoyment of the book towards the end, which is a shame as it’s such a good book. However, I did receive an advanced reading copy from Netgalley (yes, it’s taken me this long to read and review it, so sue me), so maybe this got fixed in the final published edition.

LOVED this a lot, my favourite of hers. I talk about it a lot, I recommend it a lot, I’ll be buying the new cover

Alice Oseman does it again!
This book is everything I want in a contemporary.
Quirky characters that feel real and not pretentious at all?
Teenagers actually dealing with teenage problems?
A book without a forced romance?
Yes, and thank you to all of the above

Book Review:

Radio Silence had been one of those books that the blogging community was loving it at the time and before it's release so following all the glowing reviews, I read it myself and of course it did not disappoint and it remains one of my favourite books as well as being one of my favourite books of 2016.

Alice is one of those authors who also just gets the teenage way of life, especially how they interact on the internet with this being based on a popular podcast. The university experience in this book is also done correctly well as it really does show that university for some people can be a hard time. This book is also diverse which added to the story especially the asexual character which is something that still is not shown in books. One of the best aspects of this book is the fact that it does have a plutonic friendship in it which is something that needs to be celebrated in YA. It is fair to say that I loved this book.

The Verdict:

Radio Silence is the perfect UKYA contemporary that deals with the struggles of the university as well as internet life that also has a wonderful plutonic relationship. Radio Silence is a must read!

Refreshingly different and incredibly well written. A fantastic addition to any teen library shelves

Okay! I can now officially call myself a fan of Alice Oseman! Having loved both 'Solitaire' and 'Radio Silence' Alice has managed to secure her place on my bookshelf, and I will be eagerly awaiting her new books!
Radio Silence follows Frances, a high achieving closet-fangirl who is in love with an obscure radio show hidden within the depths of the internet whilst also maintaining a demanding school life designed to gain her a place at Cambridge University. Then Frances meets the creator, Aled, whom she has lived opposite for most of her life, and from there stems a story of high school loss, adult control and the friendships that would define her final year at school. But with friends come problems, and it isn't long before the problems reveal themselves, leaving Frances and Aled wondering whether the paths they have taken (notice the lack of the word 'chosen') are necessarily the right ones.
I get it, that all does sound a bit cliché but I promise you dear reader that it really isn't a cliché book!
One thing that I really REALLY loved about this book is the way that Alice introduced the characters, and how she portrays them racially and sexually. There isn't a big deal made out of the fact that two of the characters are POC, she just slips it into the story in a way that feels completely natural, and not like some books do where they are so dead set on showcasing the fact that 'oh my gosh they have a POC character, and she's great, but did we mention she's a POC!' Like Alice, I love you for this, I feel that this is how writing should be done.
The LGBTQIA aspect is also brilliant. In the same way that Alice handled race, she delicately writes the LGBTQIA elements as well and its just brilliant!
The story itself is engaging, and the whole concept of Universe City is one with which I think many of us can identify. Alice does a magnificent job of portraying people's love for art forms but also how that can affect the creators. Often we don't think about the Creator's as people as all we see is the finished product through the screen of a computer or TV, but Alice's writing impresses on us that they are indeed people and that we should be mindful of how our comments can affect them.
I feel like this book was something of a masterpiece, with brilliant characters and beautiful writing whilst still maintaining it's youthful tone, albeit with some infinitely darker parts thrown in.
Other than that, Alice perfectly captures the trials of being a teenager and the transition to adulthood, plus the ways in which certain decisions need to be made.
I loved it!
So I urge you to add this to you TBR because I promise you won't be disappointed.

Boy oh boy. This was, without a shadow of a doubt, my favourite read of the month so far. Maybe even the year so far. I'm actually shocked at the fact that I haven't read any of Oseman's books up until now, because SO many people recommended them to me (particularly this one). I had really good vibes about it too! I raced through this book pretty quickly as a result, and I must say that I was a little sad that it ended.

There was so much awesome in this book. The diverse cast list, the relateable teenage characters, the setting (my home county, Kent of all places! I've never read a book set there!), the plot, and especially the writing. Oseman is a real talent, and 'Solitaire' is going on my list straight away! Characters are her biggest skill, she writes such good, unique ones! I loved the relationships: a platonic friendship between a guy and a girl with no romantic interest, a gay relationship that felt REAL and not like it had been edged in to tick a box, a YA parent that was supportive and nurturing, a YA parent that was the very opposite. I loved the themes it covered too, a deep look at exams and the education system, the value of University, fandoms and 'nerdiness'. It perfectly highlighted the kind of stress teens go through and how adult figures (teachers, parents, etc.) can really help or make things a LOT worse.

I genuinely can't think of anything that I didn't enjoy about this story, though I have to say that the main 'villain' as it were felt a little on the ridiculous, exaggerated side of things. Nevertheless, it made for intense reading and spiced things up nicely. Frances was a great MC and ethnically diverse, I totally figured out who February Friday was but I was still excited about the big reveal, I loved watching Aled's relationship with Daniel too. Raine and Carys were great characters too and it was wonderful to see normal teenagers interacting on a level that I understood and could relate to. Bravo Miss Oseman!

Excellent! Terrific story, great characters, perfect pace. An author to watch!

A book about social media and fandom, and about the pressure on teens to go to university even if it is not what is best for them. But this is mainly a story about the importance of friendship and being yourself.

I received an e-copy of this book courtesy of HarperCollins UK, Children’s via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

So finally, it has come.

The review of my favourite book of last year and my favourite read for a very, very long time. Why it has taken me so long to review it, I don’t really have an answer to that; I could only suggest the fact that this book was such an incredible masterpiece that has stayed seared in my brain for so long after reading it that I could not even begin to fathom words that would do it justice. And I still cannot, but this post is going to be a crude attempt at doing so.
And feels there were. I am pretty sure I actually cried for a good portion of the story, but with good cause.

Oseman crafted such realistic, diverse and relatable characters it really didn’t take long for me to become attached to them with no way of turning back. And I loved every single one of them.

Frances was a brilliant protagonist (and it was also great to see that she, unlike many other YA protagonists out there had a very supportive, unicorn-onesie-wearing mother in her life to care for her), I think she portrayed the struggles of teenagers in Britain’s sixth forms remarkably well. I mean, with the first-hand experience of how attending one of said institutions feels like – I can definitely confirm that a good percentage of the ‘smart’ individuals definitely have multiple crises a week…

Which in turn leads me to my next point. I honestly feel like thanking Oseman for her realistic take on the British (and probably global) education system. It was not sugar-coated in the slightest – there was failure, it was also shown how easy it is to be deemed a failure; especially by relatives when following a path in life that they do not quite approve of or not wanting to follow a path that they do… This book also dealt with the pressures put on students by the schools themselves, which of course do not help at all when trying to deal with the whole ‘life’ thing whilst being told that it “only gets worse in the real world” whereas, in all fairness, the hardest years will probably be over once school and university for those who want to attend it are over and done with.

Back to the characters, their relationship was so bloody refreshing. A book based solely on the ideas of friendship is rare, especially where there is potential for some romantic chemistry to occur. I mean Frances was bisexual and Aled identified as asexual, so there was basically no reason for them not to get together other than the fact that their relationship was entirely platonic. THANK YOU SO MUCH BOOK GODS FOR FINALLY ANSWERING MY PRAYERS FOR AN AUTHOR WHO FINALLY UNDERSTANDS THAT TWO TEENAGERS OF OPPOSITE SEX CAN BE FRIENDS WITHOUT WANTING TO GET INTO EACH OTHER’s PANTS AT ONE POINT OR ANOTHER.

Their friendship was honestly flawlessly written, whilst still possessing flaws – there were fights and disagreements but it was clear that there was a lot of platonic love between them, and paired with understanding and a general love of similar things – they made a wonderful pair.

This book was definitely not an easy read, with the aforementioned reflections on the education system – but also with the general works of being a teenager and trying to find yourself whilst simultaneously losing yourself in the process whilst trying to overcome all the other hardships that life will throw in your way such as familial issues, and general not knowing what to do which comes quite often as a teenager in present-day society which inadvertently pressurises us to get our metaphorical shit together and adult slightly before we are actually ready to in a lot of cases. I mean – deciding what I want to do with my life at 16? No thanks… I’d much rather not, but unfortunately, there is just no escaping it.

I loved every single thing about this book, down to the way in which it was written, the style was easy to read and made the 470 page book shrink down into one sitting of just over an hour and a bit…. The transcripts were a brilliant addition, and I honestly felt as though I could hear Aled speaking when reading them. The concept of Universe City was truly brilliant (have I used the word brilliant enough in this post??) and whilst it definitely made me cry towards the end, I appreciated the messages which it carried.

Also, may we talk about how bloody realistic and relatable this book generally was? Oseman honestly did a brilliant job, and I think that is partly due to her age – there were honestly so many points during the novel at which I simply felt like saying “same” or “that’s me and so and so” and I honestly don’t think enough books have gotten that sort of reaction out of me, so huge HUGE kudos to the brilliant author.

One thing that actually had me bouncing with excitement was the fact that this book was actually set in my home town’s surrounding area. The descriptions of the highstreet and its cobblestone streets rang a bell whilst reading, but it didn’t fully click why it was a little bit too familiar until I found out Oseman’s origins. This in turn left me a wee bit inspired and with hope that I too may be able to create similar wonderful things with my writing if I stick with it… so I guess this is a huge personal thank you for her from me too.

I could easily continue, but I feel as though it would be boring and many of the next points would be bordering on spoilery, so I am going to end my review here. I hope that many of you who read it will choose to embark on the journey that this book provides, because it truly is an extraordinary one that I will likely never forget.

My Rating: More than 5 / 5 Stars

I’ve had Alice Oseman’s second novel on my shelf since January and even with all the hype, i still didn’t pick it up until the beginning of this month. I think I must have been mad.

I listened to Radio Silence on audiobook and while it took me a little while to get into, but I soon struggled to stop listening. There’s mystery, angst, fandom and a real relatability to Frances and Aled that I was constantly wondering why on earth I’d waited so long to read it.

Frances is obsessed with the Universe City podcast. She’s posts fanart on Tumblr, listens to every episode religiously and RTs everything that comes from the creator, Radio Silence and it’s a real glimpse at how fandom works in 2016. As Frances gets deeper into the fandom and closer to Aled, she realises the poison behind such a ‘passionate’ fandom. It was scary and intrusive and endlessly pushy - the way the ‘fans’ treated the people behind the thing they loved so much was horrible.

The other strongest theme in this book is education. Frances has spent her entire life dedicated to passing exams, acing her coursework and using all of her free time to increase her chances of getting a place at Cambridge. Aled has done exactly the same, but now he doesn’t even know if he wants to go to uni. It’s not the only option after all, is it? It was really interesting to read from this perspective, one I know that Alice shares herself, having spent all of my school life thinking that university was the only way to secure a ‘good’ future.

I really loved Radio Silence and I’m already excited for Alice Oseman’s next book.

I really enjoyed this title. Please do feel free to peruse my review. Link provided!