(Also the cover is bloody brilliant and looks fab on my bookshelf).Alice imagines Tori having "quite a bony face - sharp cheekbones/jaw and pointy chin". A lot of the points she makes on the topic of university and the pressure to be successful are valid and relatable, and the idea that even if you are bright, you can hate university and it may not be the path for you, is one that isn’t talked about enough.Ī truly brilliant second novel, that should be read and discussed by prospective university applicants (and everyone, ever). There are some others, but they’re a bit spoiler-ific, so I’ll leave them out – but Alice Oseman may well have written this book whilst peering into my soul. Maybe after my interviews.”’ ‘I loaded up an episode of Universe City to listen to but couldn’t bring myself to press play, because I had work to do, and that was more important.’ ‘“But now… I’m just… when you get to this age, you realise you’re not anyone special after all.”’ “Just a little break from all this Cambridge stuff.” I was going to Cambridge and I was going to get a good job and earn lots of money and I was going to be happy.’ ‘“How about we go to the cinema this weekend?” she said. I knew I would though… I was study machine Frances Janvier. Carys also was refreshing and interesting.Ībout halfway through the book, I started noting down the quotes that really spoke out to me, so here are a few: ‘…obviously not everyone enjoyed university. I particularly liked the characters of Frances and Aled, and their differing perspectives brought on by their (small) age gap. The main topic that spoke out to me, the reader, were the themes of having to be perfect, the pressure to go to university, and also the pressure to enjoy university. The parental figures, in particular, are developed and have their own motivations and feelings, something rarely seen in YA fiction. The characters are well-developed and diverse, with a range of different sexualities and ethnicities featured, never feeling forced or out of place. Radio Silence is a tale of friendship (and yes, platonic friendship between a male and female character, because that is so unheard of!), fandom and the fear of not being perfect. I’ve already given the award of ‘If you have to read one book this year, this is it’ to Louise O’Neill’s Asking For It (review here), but this is a well-deserving close second place. I’m 100% sure this book will be up for some big awards next year, and I’ve genuinely heard nothing but praise for this book. Radio Silence is an important, well-needed book in the YA genre, touching on topics that have never been touched on before – or if they have, only fleetingly. And it’s only by being your true self that you can find happiness.įrances is going to need every bit of courage she has.įirst off, a huge thank you to Jim for the copy of Radio Silence – it genuinely has been one of the best books I’ve read this year (and I’ve read some brilliant books!) It’s only by facing up to your fears that you can overcome them. Meanwhile at uni, Aled is alone, fighting even darker secrets. She has to confess why Carys disappeared… Suffocating with guilt, she knows that she has to confront her past… Then the podcast goes viral and the fragile trust between them is broken.Ĭaught between who she was and who she longs to be, Frances’ dreams come crashing down. He unlocks the door to Real Frances and for the first time she experiences true friendship, unafraid to be herself. Nothing will stand in her way not friends, not a guilty secret – not even the person she is on the inside.īut when Frances meets Aled, the shy genius behind her favourite podcast, she discovers a new freedom. What if everything you set yourself up to be was wrong?įrances has always been a study machine with one goal, elite university.
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