RADIO SILENCE- PB - Softcover

Alice Oseman is an author and also a student, currently attending Durham University reading English. Her debut novel, Solitaire was published to critical acclaim - "The Catcher in the Rye for the digital age" The Times. Like her characters, Alice was once a sarcastic teenager who spent all of her time on internet. Now she is a sarcastic 20-year-old who spends all of her time on the internet. Alice is from Rochester, Kent. She is active on Twitter and Tumblr - and her writing has been significantly inspired by behavioural trends on Tumblr. Follow Alice Oseman on Twitter: @AliceOseman Follow Alice on Tumblr: www.chronicintrovert.tumblr.com

Gr 9 Up—British teen Frances Janvier is a study machine, focused on doing whatever it takes to get into Cambridge. Her public persona is academic nerd, but in private, she is a rebel. Frances is a fan of offbeat podcasts, and her favorite by far is Universe City, whose agender main character (who is also the show's creator) goes by the name of Radio Silence. Frances has joined a fandom Tumblr account, using the moniker Toulouse, and occasionally posts sketches that reflect how she thinks the characters and settings might look. When she receives a message from the creator asking if she is willing to provide graphics for the show, she can't believe it. Frances is even more dumbfounded when she discovers that the mysterious Radio Silence is, in reality, Aled Last, who lives directly across the street from her. Likewise, Aled can't believe that his graphic artist, Toulouse, is Frances. They become fast friends and spend the majority of the summer working together on the podcast. But as the start of Frances's senior year in high school and Aled's first year at university approach, a revelation changes their close relationship. With their friendship in ruins and Aled miles away and spiraling into a dangerous depression, Frances must face long-buried fears and desires to find a way to save him. Oseman is a master at combining sardonic wit with angst to create believable characters and a compelling contemporary story that will resonate with teens. VERDICT A top pick for any YA collection.—Cary Frostick, formerly at Mary Riley Styles Public Library, Falls Church, VA