Radio Silence

LoveReading Says

One of our YA Books of the Year 2016.

March 2016 NewGen Book of the Month.

Frances’ life has been mapped out since forever. She’s set on reading English Literature at Cambridge and getting a good job. That’s the path she believes will lead to a happy life. But academic success isn’t all there is to Frances. She also has a secret side that loves wearing burger-print jumpers and creating fan-art for cult YouTube podcast, Universe City, although that remains firmly under wraps until she befriends Aled.

Shy, clever Aled turns out to be the creator of Universe City. He loves her art, loves her style and, most importantly, he makes Frances “feel like I’d never had a real friend before”. Their friendship flourishes until Aled is outed as the podcast’s creator. Thinking Frances has betrayed him, Aled cuts all contact with her when he leaves for university.

Then, while devastated at losing her best friend, the rest of Frances’ life also starts to unravel.

“Nothing good comes out of lying to people,” Frances remarks, and that’s one of the big themes of this big-hearted novel: being brave enough to face up to the truth, not least the realisation that sometimes the path you’ve mapped out for yourself isn't the right one. Frances and Aled’s friendship is a truly beautiful thing, and this is a seriously smart piece of contemporary YA. ~ Joanne Owen

Reviewed by Joanne Owen
Joanne Owen’s lifelong love of reading and writing began when she was growing up in Pembrokeshire, and very much wished that witches (and Mrs Pepperpot) were real.
More reviews by Joanne Owen

About Radio Silence

The second novel by the phenomenally talented author of Solitaire, Alice Oseman - the most talked-about YA writer right now. What if everything you set yourself up to be was wrong? Frances has always been a study machine with one goal, elite university.

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