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longlost's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
"Hello, I hope somebody is listening," I said, under my breath.
Words I'd spent the last two years listening to over and over, words I'd sketched again and again inside speech bubbles and on my bedroom wall. Words I'd heard in a male voice and a female voice, changing every few weeks, always in that classic World-War-II old-time radio accent.
The opening line of every Universe City episode.
"Hello. I hope somebody is listening."
Happy to say that this makes three out of three stories from Alice Oseman that I've read and enjoyed wholeheartedly. The way they handle the relationships between their characters feels so authentic, and it's definitely one of my favourite things about her books so far. The tenuous build of Frances and Aled's friendship,
Both Alice Oseman books I've read previously - Loveless and Heartstopper - felt like a very personal read to me. As an aroace person Loveless was very important in helping me round the corner to understanding my identity, and while Heartstopper didn't hit quite as many personal beats, ultimately it was a story that brought me a lot of comfort and that I'll continue to read as future updates to the comic come out. Radio Silence was no different in that it almost felt like it was written for me - Frances and her determination to get into Cambridge, and the way her dream that had been driving her for the entire book turned out to not be quite exactly what she wanted. Aled's attempts to reach out to February Friday through Universe City - the worldbuilding of Universe City in general was one I particularly enjoyed, and a story that I wish we could explore more in-depth. The depth we were slowly given in characters like Daniel or Raine, and how their relationships interconnected with both Frances and Aled. The story behind Carys and her mysterious disappearance.
Alice's attention to character really shines here - the development of Frances and Aled's relationship feels incredibly authentic and heartwarming,
Aled's story throughout the book was hard to read.
It was also painfully easy to relate to Frances -
Alice Oseman weaves the mystery of Carys and Aled's family life superbly - they reveal the right information at the right moments, keeping you in the dark about facts until it is absolutely necessary for them to be revealed, and when they are it makes previous sequences of the book even more impactful. Her skill at character-building and writing relationships, including the problems that come with them, really shine in this book. Radio Silence is a book I'll definitely be coming back to in the future to revisit these characters and their stories again.
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Stalking, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Abandonment, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Mental illness, and Physical abuse
Minor: Blood and Injury/Injury detail
GRAPHIC: Child abuse / domestic abuse / emotional abuse: The book slowly reveals thatstellabyproxy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Suffice to say, it proved me wrong in all the best ways. The characters and plot were an absolute whirlwind and every word left me wanting more. A secret podcast made by a quiet nerd who wants to conceal their identity AT ALL COSTS hardly sounds like much of a plot but with each “Hello. I hope somebody is listening…” you get closer to the truth and fall more in love with the story.
No perfect way to explain it except that there is so much more than meets the eye and don’t judge a book by it’s cover, or a podcast by its sound…
Graphic: Abandonment
Minor: Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse
anielabooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Animal death and Suicide
Was an okay book. Not a favorite but I definitely could see myself in the characters and it touches on very important topics.amberinbookland's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Abandonment, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship
kass17's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
I'll leave you to the book's opening line, "Hello. I hope somebody is listening.."
Moderate: Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Child abuse, and Suicidal thoughts
malloryfitz's review against another edition
4.0
Moderate: Abandonment, Alcohol, Child abuse, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Bullying, and Mental illness
Minor: Racism and Suicidal thoughts
evieolive's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse
Moderate: Animal death, Stalking, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Physical abuse, Abandonment, and Blood