Radio Silence is a 2016 YA English novel written by Alice Oseman. It is the fourth book released in the Osemanverse, released after This Winter and before I Was Born For This.
The book starts off at the end of the events of Solitaire, Oseman's first novel. It follows Frances Janvier, a new protagonist hoping to study English Literature at Cambridge University, whose ambitions have led her to hide her passions for fanart and the YouTube podcast, Universe City. Eventually, she meets and befriends a student at her school in the year above, Aled Last, and finds they have more in common that she first thought. However, when a string of mistakes breaks the trust between the two of them, she has to reassess her goals and what she wants to do with her life.
Aled later appears as a side character in the webcomic, Heartstopper, set before the events of Radio Silence.
This book provides examples of:
- Achievement Test of Destiny: The difficult A-Levels.
- Be Yourself: The whole book is about discovering your true self and accomplishing your desires.
- Frances discovers from Aled that she can show who she really is through her drawings, as he does with his podcasts.
- After ignoring their true desires and believing that university is the only way, Frances and Aled decide to become whoever they want to be, without worrying about being academic or perfect for their parents.
- The Cameo: Nick and Charlie from Solitaire make an unnamed appearance at one of the parties.
- Canon Character All Along: It’s revealed in the final chapter that Frances was the girl in the Doctor Who costume that Tori meets in Solitaire.
- Cast Full of Gay: Frances is bisexual, Daniel is gay, Carys is a lesbian, Aled is demisexual and Raine is confirmed
to be pansexual. - Childhood Friend Romance: After spending years as friends, Aled eventually develops feelings for Daniel and has a relationship with him.
- Coming of Age Story: The book deals with the transition from adolescence to adulthood when choosing studies after high school.
- Disappeared Dad: None of the characters' fathers are present.
- Education Mama:
- Carol Last puts enormous pressure on her son's academic success and keeps him away from distractions. She was even harder on her daughter, who was not a good student.
- Inverted Lana Janvier worries about the pressure her daughter is under to succeed, even though she would like her to get a good education, pushes her away from her homework and is delighted when she starts spending time with Aled.
- Evil Matriarch: Carol emotionally abuses her children, Aled and Carys, destroying what they love and causing Carys to flee her home.
- Good Parents: Lana Janvier is an adorable, supportive and funny mom.
- I Have No Son!: Carol coolly dismisses Carys in favour of her "real" child to her face when the two meet each other again outside St. John's College.
- Kick the Dog: When Aled's mother, Carol, euthanizes their dog, Brian, we can see how cruel she is.
- Naturalized Name: Daniel's birth name is Dae-Sung.
- Platonic Life-Partners: Frances and Aled.
- Trash of the Titans: Aled's dorm at St. John's College, as Frances and the others find it.
- You Can't Go Home Again: Aled's unable to stay anywhere near his mother after she ransacks his bedroom and puts down the family dog, choosing to return to university instead of living with Frances during Christmas.
