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bennoyb's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Abandonment, Alcohol, Animal death, and Gaslighting
lizziaha's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
I never really got Aled in the heartstopper comics but after reading this I have a real soft spot for him. He’s so riddled with mental illness that he’s become incredibly relatable to me. The standout for me in this book was the relationships! Each one felt realistic and complex, with layers that peeled back as the book went on. I think that Alice Oseman just writes teenagers very realistically, and though I no longer relate to that, I can still appreciate that. The themes were a little heavy-handed in my opinion, but important nonetheless.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Mental illness
Moderate: Outing, Stalking, Suicide, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
Minor: Acephobia/Arophobia, Classism, Homophobia, and Racism
gigglygabriela's review against another edition
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Animal death
Minor: Mental illness
Absolutely loved the book. It’s now a comfort read for me, right next to Looking for Alaska by John Green.lee_noel's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Stalking, Mental illness, Bullying, and Animal death
aliveandnotlovingit's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
4.5
i am literally Aled Last.
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death, Cursing, Mental illness, Gaslighting, and Emotional abuse
s1x0fh03s's review against another edition
dark
emotional
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? It's complicated
5.0
my favourite book EVER
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Child abuse, and Mental illness
Moderate: Animal death
Minor: Bullying and Acephobia/Arophobia
stuckinatimeloop's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
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
probably my favourite alice oseman book. god. I don't know what to say. i LOVE LOVE love that it's platonic-relationship centred. we need more books like that. some happier ones too.
i need a frances to my aled or the other way round.
i need a frances to my aled or the other way round.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Alcohol
beckyyreadss's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
4.0
I wanted to read this book because I've been loving Alice Oseman - I wanted to read more about the other people that Alice has wrote about and I was excited to read about Aled. From what we’ve seen in the comics he is a very shy and timid person and I wanted to know more about him.
Even though Aled is in this book, it’s based on Frances Janvier, and she has spent most of her time studying. She has always been a study machine with one goal, elite university. Nothing will stand in her way, not friends, not a guilty secret and not even the person she is on the inside. This all changes when Frances meets Aled, the shy genius behind her favourite podcast, she discovers a new freedom. He unlocks the door to Real Frances and for the first time she experiences true friendship, unafraid to be herself. Then the podcast goes viral and the fragile trust between them is broken. She is caught between who she was and who she longs to be, Frances’ dreams come crashing down. She is now suffocating with guilt, she knows that she must confront her past, she must confess why Carys disappeared. Meanwhile at Uni, Aled is alone and fighting even darker secrets. It's only by facing up to your fears that you can overcome them. And it’s only by being your true self that you can find happiness. Frances is going to need every bit of courage she has.
I adored all of these characters in this book (expect Carol Last, she can fuck off entirely). I wanted to hug most of these characters and tell them that things would get better once they left University, but I'm not gonna lie – being in your twenties absolutely sucks just as much as being in high school and university does. This book had a strong storyline and makes everyone depending on your situation and sexuality feel seen. Not a lot of books and authors can do that, but Alice seems to want to sucker-punch every time I read one of her books. It makes me feel like they are in my brain and writing exactly how I'm feeling at this moment.
I struggled with the podcasts and the Tumblr side of it, because I don’t really listen to podcasts, and I don’t use Tumblr. This book can be hard-hitting so please check trigger warnings before you read this book, due to controlling and abusing parents and academic pressure.
I'm really excited to read more of Alice’s work including I Was Born for This and Loveless, even if it will break my heart.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Child abuse, and Mental illness
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, and Animal death
purplesaturday's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
4.75
I really enjoyed listening to this book. The characters felt like real people I could actually meet, and I felt really connected to them. I wish I had a friendship like Frances and Aled’s.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking, Mental illness, and Cursing
Minor: Acephobia/Arophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, and Fatphobia
daryn's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Child abuse
Moderate: Animal death
Minor: Acephobia/Arophobia and Fire/Fire injury