The writing style was teenaged in the best possible way. It can be quite difficult to connect with that personal perspective when catchy references from three years ago are thrown in. Usually, with YA in particular, dialogue is the crucial pass/fail mark in my eyes. It felt real, from the characters, their decisions, even down to the way they talk. The story ties together every character into the narrative. The trend continues among the diverse range of all the supporting characters, too they didn’t feel like background filler upon recollection.
Although the book isn’t specifically focused on mental health, it does voice how many of us feel out of balance with our surroundings and even within ourselves. He displays the deep-seated anxiety that not a lot of Young Adult genre authors portray as a theme of the university experience. It felt real, from the characters, their decisions, even down to the way they talkĪled’s character uniquely shows the uncomfortable transition into new adulthood and the difficulty of expressing yourself, even at university. It was nice to see the interwoven story of Aled compound with it. Frances’ story is incredibly close to the experience of many young people at the end of A-Levels: extremely academic and dead set on achieving that goal of university. His journey is told through insightful glimpses and story stood out to me the most, even during my initial first read, because it was the closest to my own emotionally. I want to talk about Aled, as I loved his character. Oseman decided to write this authentic account of the teenage experience after her first book Solitaire at age nineteen. The book explores how Frances navigates through the disappearance of a main character and Aled’s lonely experience at university, which is equally as difficult. After it goes viral, things between them are changed forever. When Frances meets Aled Last, she discovers he is the genius (“Radio Silence”) behind the podcast. Radio Silence is the story of high achiever Frances Janvier who is in the process of making the transition into university, and creates fan art for her favourite podcast. I revisited this book during the summer and enjoyed it even more than the first time I had read it.
The latter was an outcome I didn’t expect when reading Radio Silence, a 2016 young adult novel by Alice Oseman. We all find that particular part in a novel that inspires thought when we read, but I believe the best books are the ones where all the parts make you think, no matter how many times you read them. It’s easy for most of us to read a novel and relax back into the comfy surroundings of Hogwarts, for instance. "About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.One of the great joys of reading is escapism. VERDICT A top pick for any YA collection.-Cary Frostick, formerly at Mary Riley Styles Public Library, Falls Church, VA Oseman is a master at combining sardonic wit with angst to create believable characters and a compelling contemporary story that will resonate with teens. With their friendship in ruins and Aled miles away and spiraling into a dangerous depression, Frances must face long-buried fears and desires to find a way to save him. But as the start of Frances's senior year in high school and Aled's first year at university approach, a revelation changes their close relationship. They become fast friends and spend the majority of the summer working together on the podcast. Likewise, Aled can't believe that his graphic artist, Toulouse, is Frances. Frances is even more dumbfounded when she discovers that the mysterious Radio Silence is, in reality, Aled Last, who lives directly across the street from her. When she receives a message from the creator asking if she is willing to provide graphics for the show, she can't believe it. Frances has joined a fandom Tumblr account, using the moniker Toulouse, and occasionally posts sketches that reflect how she thinks the characters and settings might look. Frances is a fan of offbeat podcasts, and her favorite by far is Universe City, whose agender main character (who is also the show's creator) goes by the name of Radio Silence. Her public persona is academic nerd, but in private, she is a rebel. Gr 9 Up-British teen Frances Janvier is a study machine, focused on doing whatever it takes to get into Cambridge. Find out more about Alice and her books at From School Library Journal: Alice can usually be found staring aimlessly at computer screens, questioning the meaninglessness of existence, or doing anything and everything to avoid getting an office job.
She completed a degree in English at Durham University in 2016 and is currently a full-time writer and illustrator. Alice Oseman was born in 1994 in Kent, England.