Rebecca Horton ’21
EE Contributor

What if everything you’re supposed to be isn’t what you want to be? This is the question Radio Silence by Alice Oseman aims to answer. With the release of her third book, I Was Born for This, on the horizon (set to be released in May of 2018) all are scrambling to reread this testament to Osemans writing ability.

Oseman released her first book in July of 2014, when she was only nineteen years old. Since then, she has released Radio Silence, her most critically acclaimed book to date. The book follows the life of teenager Frances Janvier as she struggles to balance her promising academic career with her “social” life. Frances, who has always been a top student and is basically guaranteed a spot in the most prestigious universities, has her world turned upside-down when she befriends the unusual Aled Last, who also happens to be the mastermind behind her favorite podcast, Universe City.

Radio Silence contains everything that makes a YA novel great. It has relatability, love, diversity, and emotion- and not to mention puns, lots of puns. The characters carry a certain depth that makes you care about their struggles. And unlike most contemporary YA books, it has an incredible plot. It’s not just about high school drama and romance. It contains thought-provoking plot-points about creating art, being a fangirl, and being yourself- even if you have to discover who “yourself” is first.

Not a single person who reads this book will be disappointed, Goodreads critics agree. “This book was like, the spiritual equivalent of eating a perfectly toasted bagel… [It] was a show of unity to the millennial experience,” said user softlykaz.