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A review by nixbix_reads
Radio Silence by Alice Oseman
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
Alice Oseman has once again captured part of being a teenager. While it has been many years since I was a teenager, I can still remember the stress & pressure that we all felt as we entered the second half of high school - the immense pressure to have everything figured out about what you want to do after high school. The pressure of selecting the right subjects. The pressure of getting good grades. The pressure of getting into university. The pressure of being someone who is able to do well academically and conversely, the pressure of being someone who is not able to do well academically. The pressure of what are you going to do with your life if you don’t achieve X,Y & Z.
This is a darker novel than Oseman’s other works, and at times I found this disorientating. The pressure put on these characters by their well-meaning (or not so well-meaning) parents, their teachers,their peers and even themselves is immense at times, and we see these characters, especially Aled & Frances, buckle under that pressure. I loved the friendships in this book, especially the one between Aled & Frances. I did enjoy seeing them realise that grades & academics aren’t the be all & end all - that there’s a world out there that doesn’t care if you passed or failed maths, and if creating something brings you joy & makes you happy, then that’s enough of a reason to keep doing it.
This is a darker novel than Oseman’s other works, and at times I found this disorientating. The pressure put on these characters by their well-meaning (or not so well-meaning) parents, their teachers,their peers and even themselves is immense at times, and we see these characters, especially Aled & Frances, buckle under that pressure. I loved the friendships in this book, especially the one between Aled & Frances. I did enjoy seeing them realise that grades & academics aren’t the be all & end all - that there’s a world out there that doesn’t care if you passed or failed maths, and if creating something brings you joy & makes you happy, then that’s enough of a reason to keep doing it.