Radio Silence is the second book by Alice Oseman, author of Solitaire. It centres around Frances, who is in year 13 and in the process of applying for university, specifically Cambridge. Frances is known for being the clever one at school, and that’s it. At home, she is obsessed with Universe City, an online podcast set in a dystopian society. But this is something she keeps separate from her school life. When the two worlds collide, Frances is forced to make decisions about her future that she had never previously considered.
I loved Radio Silence, particularly because it resonated so much with me. Perhaps so much that it almost scared me, I see so much of myself in Frances. It was also incredibly comforting in a way, however, to know that I wasn’t the only one getting incredibly stressed over exams at school, even if my grades are above average. In Radio Silence, Oseman uncovers the massive flaw in the education system as it is at the moment: academic intelligence being the only thing that matters, above all else, such as ability and talent within the arts, at the price of students’ mental health. That’s not to say that Radio Silence is some massive rant about the state of schools, it isn’t. The plot is brilliant and exciting, and the characters are loveable and relatable.
The characters in Radio Silence are massively diverse, in terms of sexuality, race, academic ability and personality. What I most enjoyed about this was that at no point was the characters’ sexuality a massive part of the plot, the book didn’t centre around it, it was merely something that was a part of their lives, as it is in reality.
I would rate Radio Silence 4.5/5. Alice Oseman has an incredible grasp of what it is like to be a teenager at the moment, and Radio Silence sums it up so accurately that it is almost frightening.
• Buy this book at the Guardian Bookshop
