Book Review: ‘Radio Silence’ Calls Out Across the Airwaves
Podcast fans will rejoice with this YA novel featuring Frances Janvier and Aled Last as they navigate self-discovery journeys while bonding through a dystopian sci-fi podcast. Frances is a huge fan of “Universe City”, a podcast about a young person in college in the far future whose college town is constantly invaded by “monsters and demons and synthetic abominations”, so they’re using outdated radio technology to call for help. Within the first 50 pages of the book, Frances learns that Aled is the creator of the two-year old podcast; Aled is a graduating student of the neighboring boys’ grammar school, Truham. Aled asks Frances to do some art and voicework for the podcast, and so begins their tumultuous friendship.
Character relationships are the highlight of this book, as each character discovers that they can only get by with a support system of reliable friends and family members. Frances barely maintains any friendships before meeting Aled, preferring to fly solo as she chases academic perfection in order to get into Cambridge. Daniel, Aled’s best friend, operates similarly to Frances, as he and Frances maintain head boy and head girl positions. Aled doesn’t believe himself worthy of his friends and tries to isolate himself in self-protection. Carys, Aled’s twin sister, runs from her family’s problems without considering the repercussions. Frances’ friend Raine has her own struggles with the school system and traditional learning, just like slightly older Carys.
In an interview with Blue Willow Bookshop, Alice Oseman said that she identifies a lot with both Frances and Aled as they are both largely drawn from her personality. I was most drawn to Aled as a character because he has some truly difficult issues to tackle for anyone, much less an eighteen-year-old. He feels rejected by his entire family and has to navigate real-world issues that inadvertently come up as a direct result of his podcast. If ever a teenager needed a therapist, it’s Aled, but he manages to pull through with the help of his friends, and that is truly admirable. It was refreshing to see such an honest portrayal of mental illness through Aled’s journey; while most authors shy from realistic depictions of depression, Oseman excels at it and teaches us all some important lessons.* Aled also struggles to identify his sexual orientation, settling on demisexual; I’m not sure I’ve ever read a male character who’s demisexual, so that’s a nice portrayal to finally have.
The more I read of Oseman, the more I like, as she always highlights relationships over plot points, to the point that Heartstopper is almost entirely vibes (which I love). Her works are an examination of what people mean to each other, how our actions influence each other, and how no one exists in a self-isolated microcosm. What we do and say has real impact on those around us, especially when mental illness is involved, so maintaining healthy relationships is key to leading a balanced life.
After hearing so much about this weekly dystopian podcast, I now want to go find some real fictional podcasts! You know an author is doing something right when their work makes the audience want to go out and learn more about something they’ve written. It was also really nice to hear about how some of these young adults are finding ways to lead a happy life without attending traditional college. We are constantly told as children that we have to follow the path of high school>college>marriage>children, so I love seeing multiple characters rebuke that fallacy and make their own way in the world. There is no one way of doing things and that’s ok.
For those keeping track of the “Osemanverse” timeline, Radio Silence starts in May of the year that Aled and Charlie’s class is finishing high school. Frances is a year younger than Aled, which makes her two years younger than Nick and Tori. It’s a little confusing, but Oseman has provided a couple helpful breakdowns on her website. The images on her webpage include the timeline for her four novels and two novellas, as well as the graphic novel series.
*If you or anyone you know is struggling with a mental illness, please seek help. You can instant message a counselor at www.crisistextline.org or www.thetrevorproject.org. You can also find more resources at www.nationaleatingdisorders.org, www.adaa.org, and www.heardalliance.org. For anyone who needs to hear this: You matter.