Book Review || Radio Silence by Alice Oseman

I read it on Queer Liberation Library because someone told me it was ace and because the author also wrote Heartstopper (which I haven't finished lol). It originally took me two days to finish reading, the re-reads took a bit longer but that's likely because the first time I stayed up all night to read it. The genre is coming of age. It was published in 2016. I've re-read it three times now and forced my dad to buy a physical copy for me.

I posted a review of this on Tumblr already, if you'd like to read that.

I love aroace authors so much. I've decided all authors must get at least more aromantic, immediately.

The book is mostly about a very strong and lovely friendship between Frances, the P.O.V. character, and Aled. There's a romance subplot between Aled and Daniel-- Frances's frienemy, but it's not amatonormative, which makes it okay. It's literally said outright from Daniel that they're friends first. It feels more queer platonic than romantic to me. Aled is demisexual but it's kinda implied that that also means demiromantic for him.

Frances and Aled's friendship is so beautiful to me. It's absolutely wonderful. There are so many quotes from them that feel so real and are so so sweet.

There's a disclaimer after Frances and Aled become friends that they won't fall in love, which made me really happy. It's still in character, like Frances is warning someone she's talking to, or podcast listeners, not to get attached to something that isn't there.

The climax of the story is when Aled and Frances stop talking to each other. It feels terrible and it's really sad, I hate it when friends seem like they're not going to be friends anymore, but there's an underlying implication that it'll all be okay, so it was bearable.

Raine is cool. She's a bit abrasive at times, in a way different from the other characters, that the book needed. She's a really good friend. The first time I read it I kinda thought she might be one of the stalkers, but she's actually not. Sorry Raine please forgive me 🙏

The story is rambly. It feels like Frances's actual thoughts, which I like.

The ending wraps everything up nicely. It's all okay again, everyone's together, yippie. But the actual scene that it ends on urks me. They go to a convention, Aled performs a live episode of Universe City, and that's it. Roll credits. Although to be fair, I hate endings in general so it's kinda playing a losing game trying to get me to like one.

The entire book is really emotional. It made me cry on every re-read.

It's my favorite book right now. Very fun, I can't explain how much I like it. 9/10. Alice Oseman's website for it is here.