Review: Radio Silence by Alice Oseman

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Author: Alice Oseman
Edition: Paperback (474 pages)
Publisher: HarperTeen (April 23, 2019)
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
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Radio Silence is the pick for the August round of The Crusty Club, a book club hosted by Chanelle over at chanelletime on YouTube!

Synopsis

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My thoughts

Radio Silence is a liminal story about finding your way in life told through the lens of the pre-university anxiety many teenagers face. Alice Oseman examines how a well-established path isn’t necessarily right for everyone and that it’s okay to change your mind.

Plot and Pacing

Radio Silence is a story somewhat about school that interestingly enough doesn’t really take place at school – maybe because the themes are so much bigger than the framework of school. Instead, it’s a story about identity, self-worth and the transformative power of art.

I love that the story is centred around a podcast. Podcasts are some of my favourite pieces of content and I think the medium lends itself perfectly to what Alice Oseman is trying to do. The struggle of wanting to be listened to, understood, but not necessarily seen is resolved in the anonymity of Aled’s Universe City podcast. He can share his anxieties, his hopes through a carefully constructed piece of art as a safe space. Things spiral out of control as soon as his art and his real-life start to intertwine.

At first, that is a good thing, his friendship with Francis elevates the art and they form a genuine connection, but when Universe City is no longer their secret, it takes a toll on Aled’s mental health. The author perfectly captures how art can be a safe space and how violating it can be to have that space taken away from you.

Overall, I enjoy how the plot revolves around a particularly stressful transitional period in life that is often riddled with confusion about what’s right. Having different characters make different choices and also change their mind is not only relatable, it is relieving. I kind of wished I had read this book sooner, I think it might have helped me with my own anxiety about university and the future in general.

Characters

I love, love, love that at the heart of Radio Silence is a strong, platonic friendship. Alice Oseman authentically represents the drama and genuine heartache of platonic relationships that often get overlooked in contemporary Young Adult novels. As someone who has experienced a similarly creative partnership and friendship that then fell apart, the fights Aled and Francis had hit particularly close to home.

I’m just so happy to have a story about love that isn’t a love story.

There’s something sweetly innocent about both Aled and Francis and their secret art projects. They’re nerds, but the kind of nerds I can relate to because I am one myself. Seeing how they open up to each other and share their creativity was endearing, it’s the kind of friendship I really wish everyone gets to experience.

Let’s talk side characters real quick! I think Alice Oseman is very good at using side characters and their small plot threads to contrast and complement the main themes. Pretty much every character that’s around Aled’s and Francis’ age serves as a different possibility for how to live your life.

There’s Daniel who’s set on university and is probably going to be happy there. Raine knows university isn’t the choice for her and chooses differently and Carys is the ultimate proof that there are a billion ways to live a happy life. Despite the characters serving a clear function within the plot, they also feel dynamic and rounded enough to be genuinely interesting.

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All in all, Radio Silence is one of my favourite contemporary YA novels. It’s one of my favourite portrayals of a platonic young adult friendship and the obsessive frenzy of making art together. I am continuously impressed by how Alice Oseman finds the big, life-affirming movie magic moments in the everyday mundane.

This book is for you if…

…you’re feeling lost in life (especially before going to university, but at any point really) and are looking for a story that authentically captures that anxiety.
…you want to read about a strong friendship and the power of art.

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