Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

Radio Silence by Alice Oseman

168 reviews

dannythestreet's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Mental illness, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Racism, Homophobia, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Biphobia, Grief, and Animal death

Minor: Classism, Cursing, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

rat_girly's review against another edition

hopeful mysterious medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I really enjoyed this! I found the protagonist, Frances, uncannily relatable. I loved how friendship was at the centre of the story rather than romance, and loved the development of the main friendship throughout the book. Oseman did an excellent job of demonstrating how parental emotional abuse and manipulation works. The mystery element of the storyline also had me intrigued, and I wish Universe City was real! Overall a really enjoyable read, much more so than Solitaire which I struggled to get through.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse

Moderate: Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Animal death, Mental illness, and Child abuse

Minor: Blood, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Cursing

bdauk's review against another edition

emotional inspiring mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcohol, Animal death, and Homophobia

Minor: Abandonment

cookiecat73's review against another edition

emotional funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

This was my first novel by Alice Oseman (although I've read heartstopper online), and I really liked it!

Something I wasn't really aware of going into the book was that a main part of the plot revolves around things happening online, and a youtube channel called universe city, and if I'm honest, it was my least favourite part. I loved the characters, but I found all the internet drama a bit too overdramatic and although the plot was good, I think I would have enjoyed it more if it was less over-the-top. I also found it a little too fast paced? I think some of the emotional scenes could have done with a little more time, things could feel a little rushed at times, or there was a time-jump which I felt skipped over too much.
The characters were definitely my favourite part, I thought they were all really good.
Some thoughts on the ending:

I think I would have prefered the ending to have been a more low-key scene with just the friends hanging out and recovering and healing and starting to thrive and re-adjust to the new lives they're building for themselves, rather than another dramatic scene with Aled's internet fame being the happy ending, although I did like the way it was done. I was also sort of hoping Aled was going to come out as non-binary at the end, becuase he often mentions how much he relates to radio and feels like he is radio, and radio is agender. Also with the whole hair thing. Again, I'm okay with how it ended, I just would have liked that :)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Child abuse, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Animal death, Blood, Outing, and Suicide

Minor: Homophobia, Sexual content, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, and Confinement

samcsmith's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcohol, Mental illness, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Fire/Fire injury and Death

abrokenmirror's review against another edition

emotional hopeful

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Mental illness

Moderate: Abandonment, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Suicidal thoughts, and Animal death

Minor: Confinement, Homophobia, Eating disorder, and Gaslighting

captainoliimar's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I really enjoyed this book. I felt like I could relate to a lot of the characters, especially Frances and Aled. It took me back to being being in year 11 and trying to figure out what I wanted to do with the rest of my life and figure out who I was going to be in university. The story felt fairly realistic while also having a mystery woven through it that kept me engaged and wanting to find out what happens next.
I really think I would have enjoyed this book while I was doing my A-Levels, though it does cover quite a few potentially triggering topics. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcohol, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Fire/Fire injury, Homophobia, Outing, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Acephobia/Arophobia and Stalking

keato's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Ugh beautiful wonderful loveable characters and I love love love the focus on a friendship the way that many books focus on romantic relationships. Obvi informed by aroace themes even in non-aspec characters/relationships bc of course it was ugh we love Alice. Just *chef’s kiss.* And I love a secret second identity. And I loved how the MC was honest about secrets that many other books would have kept a secret and then blown up at the end. God that was so refreshing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury

lost_windsock's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad medium-paced

• 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

This book was absolutely seeping with hard, dark emotions. A lot of it was light and cheery, but the undertones of pain were on every page. I wept for Aled multiple times. I loved watching as Frances and Aled became friends, and encouraged each other to be who they are. Seeing Frances figure out what was important to her, and seeing her fight to make Aled see that he was important...just...what a great story. I was drawn in from the beginning, and I couldn't put it down.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Animal death

lucy42's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcohol

Minor: Animal death