forevermorepages's Reviews (811)

I'm honestly trying to figure out how this is a debut novel right now because it has the power and force of a book written by an author who has been published before.

But anyway, I have a lot of thoughts about this book. I did find the ending slightly disappointing,

I had hoped she would have turned him in, forced the school to assess how they handle sexual harassment, assault, and abuse, but I don't think that was the point of Vanessa's story. I think the point was that she needed to become someone else. She needed to no longer be his, and drawing it out would hurt her. She didn't owe anyone but herself the truth.

I appreciated the dismantling of her relationship with him, how the author took it apart piece by piece for the reader. It was nuanced, hard to read, important. I know this book won't be for everyone, especially people who want cut-and-dry reflections of sexual abuse, but I think this book is more real than any of those could ever be.

TW: sexual assault, rape, sexual abuse, suicidal thoughts, suicide

Really, really good! I'm super impressed and super stoked for the next book! As a poli sci major, I really appreciated the amount of politics in this book!

Also I was devastated when Lan died. That was cruel.

king of some of the best prose, not king of the best plotlines. suffice to say, i was a tad bored.

but very grateful for my friend gifting this for christmas last year! we all know i have a thing for lewis and tolkien and it was such a thoughtful gift.

also i plan on using a lot of the imagery/prose in it as inspiration for my writing! so that's a success :)

-book hugger

*I think it's important to preface this by saying that I am not trans, so I cannot speak on whether this book has good rep - so definitely read reviews from #ownvoices readers who can better address the representation*

With that said, I do think this book could and will be really important to trans readers. It definitely felt personal to the author and I really liked how honest and raw the book was. I will say that I had a few issues with it that I'm not really sure how to articulate. I think the ending felt rushed. I was flipping my e-arc looking for more pages. I also felt like the

breakup between Zoe and Dean wasn't addressed fully. I liked that they came to an understanding later, but I wish Zoe's perspective had been respected a little more in the text. While Zoe had no right to be transphobic or expect Dean to not transition for her (like wtf), I think it should also be said that if Zoe is a lesbian than it shouldn't be expected that Zoe would still date Dean since Dean isn't a girl. I wish that had been discussed more in the text aside from the minimal conclusion made at the end

. I also felt that there were too many characters and in the beginning, I had a really hard time keeping track of them and each of their side stories. I love the found family trope and that this book used it, but I wish the family had been just a bit smaller so I could have felt more connected to each of the characters. (With that said, Ronnie is my absolute favorite and I would love to see an entire novel dedicated to him.)

Anyway, I did really like this! I appreciated that the issues within Dean's family weren't black and white and that his mom was changing toward the end. That stuff hit a little harder for me.

I definitely recommend this! I think some of my issues with it honestly are now coming down to my pickiness with YA. A book really has to have me connected to the characters more emotionally and has to *do more* for me to give it four or five stars and this just didn't have it for me. I think it'll be a really important book in 2021 and I hope it gets the hype it deserves!

-Book Hugger

Okay, so I will 100% say that this is a really important book, with a really important conversation at its center, and I really, really did think the ending saved this book.

*However*, I still had so much trouble getting through the middle half of the book. It got really boring and I think a lot of it comes down to my disinterest in slice of life fiction. While hard-hitting at times, this wasn't a very emotionally impactful read and I felt myself distant from all of the characters, but especially Emira. It didn't feel intentional; I think I really was supposed to care for Emira, but I found it hard to feel like I was inside her head. The writing style was really dry at times (but really good at others! don't get me wrong, it's a very well-written book!) and felt kind of...uninviting.

I don't deny that this is a good book (and nor do I understand the criticism about the ending, because I really do think that was its strongest point), but this wasn't what I had expected it to be and I am a bit disappointed in what I found. It had the tone of a thriller without any of the thrills and while I usually do like literary fiction, I really need to care about the characters for it to work...and I didn't.

Definitely still recommend because it's clear this book is successful and has an audience. I just don't think it was right for me.

-Book Hugger

That was simply just what I needed right now. I forgot how much this series means to me (and I think this read it means more to me than it did when I was younger and first read it). I cried through the last fifty pages.

I love the focus on friendship, family, and how the conflict between the gods and the titans was resolved. The gods weren't absolved of their crimes either, and I'm grateful it wasn't a black and white good versus evil story.

And, of course, Percabeth supremacy :)

-Book Hugger

I mean, did we really expect me to dislike this?? Or even only like this?? I mean yeah, I don't have the same emotional attachment to it like I do with Radio Silence but it's a wonderful book that I know will mean so much to so many people. And it's easily my second favorite Alice Oseman book (discounting Heartstopper).

I just...I loved this. It's a beautiful story and once again, Alice is right about the POWER of friendship. And I really miss college having read this now. I really miss my college friends and our stupid antics and watching movies in each other's rooms and eating pizza on the floor and dressing up and taking photos of each other. Georgia's friend group just reminded me so much of my own.

-Book Hugger
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I have never been more excited for something in my entire life

I would sell my soul for this

Review to come closer to the release date!

REREAD 2:

I have a long essay that I want to post on my blog, so I guess stay tuned for that. But anyway. I think it goes without saying that I still love this book, that it has firmly secured it's spot as one of my favorite books of all-time.
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REREAD: I think I forgot just how important this book is to me. I can't even hesitate to say that this is my favorite book right now. I just...I'm still sort of crying about how much it means to me. I want everyone in the entire world to pick up this book and read it. It's just so important. So important. Every line feels like Alice picked apart my brain and saw exactly what I needed. There's an extra layer of relevance considering I leave for university in August.

Thanks, Alice. I have never felt so seen by a piece of literature in my entire life. Your book means the world to me.

(Also the Solitaire and Hearstopper cameos destroyed me.)

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It has been a long time since I have read a book that has captured me like Radio Silence did. This novel is so timely and accurate to teenager's lives and I am so glad I have read it. As someone who is obsessed with her grades and now even more worried about getting into college, I felt Frances so much. The message that not everyone is made for a university is so important. While I know my future is in a four-year institution, the same cannot be said for everybody. There is a huge pressure on teenagers to know what they want to do with their lives and to go to college. Not going to college in our minds equates to failure and we'll "never be successful". That's not true. So I am so grateful for Alice Oseman spreading this message. 

“'It must be useful to be smart,' she said and then laughed weakly. She glanced down and suddenly looked very sad. 'I'm like, constantly scared I'm going to be a homeless or something. I wish our whole lives didn't have to depend on our grades.'"

Anyway, what really made this book special was the characters and the diversity. Nearly everyone of these characters is marginalized and it was such a breath of fresh air. I especially loved that Frances and Aled were just friends throughout the entire book. Nothing more. Just friends. And it wasn't treated as though they were missing something out of their friendship and neither of them had feelings for the other. All of the characters were so three-dimensional, even the side characters, like Daniel, Raine, and Carys. (Also Daniel and Aled forever <3) 

"'And I’m platonically in love with you.'
'That was literally the boy-girl version of ‘no homo’, but I appreciate the sentiment.'"  

I was scared to death at the ending when we weren't really sure what was going to happen with Aled. SO SCARED. This book had me by my heartstrings and kept tugging on them. I really despise Aled's mother. I didn't know it was mentally possible to hate someone more than Dolores Umbridge, but here ya go. That isn't how a parent should be--ever. Aled's storyline really resonated with me and he reminded me a little too much of some of my friends. It just broke my heart in pieces to read about him and Carys. ALSO WHO KILLS A DOG??? WHO??? 

Frances, on the other hand, has a good relationship with her mom. I loved the contrast there and how it didn't fall into the trap of every other YA book with absent parents. Her mom was very much present in her life and supportive of her obsession with Universe City. I love her mom.

“I wonder sometimes whether you've exploded already, like a star, and what I'm seeing you is three million years into the past, and you're not here anyore. How can we be together here, now, when you are so far away. When you are so far ago? I'm shouting so loudly, but you never turn around to see me. Perhaps it is I who have already exploded. Either way, we are going to bring beautiful things into the universe.”

Anywaaaay, the podcast Universe City was super interesting and quirky. It really reflected Aled's personality, despite him being really distant and reserved in public. Both him and Frances were the most unique characters I have ever read about, but I really felt that. They made me want to go to school decked out in fandom merch (which I do occasionally). Not going to lie, this book also made me want to delve into fanart and podcasts. I haven't yet, but if anyone has podcast recommendations, leave them in the comments. They probably won't be as amazing as Universe City, but I'm willing to try one.

Gah, the best thing about this book was it didn't stray away from the struggles of being famous on the internet. All of the Universe City fans were wondering who the creator is and when they released who it is, became obsessed with Aled and extremely intrusive in his life, to the point of stalking him. It showed the negative side of creation and art, which I really liked. I've seen it all over Bookstagram, where people were getting too involved in some of the really popular account's lives and becoming quite creepy (especially with the previous @readsleepfangirl--I can't think of her current username right now). It's insane how weird people can be with social media. And even more, I can think of how insane people get with Youtube stars, such as writing fanfiction about them getting together when they've been outspoken and against it. 

Okay, I think I got off on a tangent.

But anyway, if my love for this book isn't clear yet, then I've failed at my job. Gosh, I love this book so much. Sure, the first half was rather plotless and missing a "direction", and it was rather long, but I don't think I'd have it any other way. Sometimes, the most important books aren't all that plot heavy at all. Sometimes the importance is in the message and the characters.

Now, watch me go out and read every book Oseman ever publishes. 

“I wonder- if nobody is listening to my voice, am I making any sound at all?” 

-Book Hugger

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probably more like 4.5 stars but I think once I read articles and theory about if for my class/paper, I’ll love it even more so consider this me thinking ahead