I have absolutely fallen in love with Alice Oseman's books. I read Loveless first which sounds really girly but is actually amazing! I then got Heartstopper and a box set of her other novels for Christmas and loved them all so,so much! So with a book voucher I got from my Auntie I got Volume two. And I think I will share my Goodreads reviews too as I think they show what I thought when I had just finished them. Scroll to the bottom for a photo of my Alice Oseman collection!
The italics are my goodreads reviews.
Loveless:
This book is so amazing. It is a real eye opener into the thoughts of asexual and aromantic people. It is so well plotted and warmed my heart. Loved it!
The main plotline is about Georgia who goes to university. She has never fallen in love before and she thinks that university will be the perfect time to start. But she soon realises she isn't like others. She goes on a journey of self-discovery and coming to terms with her sexuality.
The way Alice Oseman writes makes you so aware of the feelings of asexual people and the storyline is so realistic and I just adored it!
Heartstopper:
Volume 1:
Such a beautifully realistic book. It has so much truth and really reminded me of the amount of hate that is given to gay people. In school people who say 'that's so gay' on a daily basis not realising the hurt they cause. It feels nice to see that gay bullying is represented in such a calm, quiet and yet beautiful way. I am definitely getting the others!
This is the graphic novel with the backstory of Nick and Charlie, two characters from Solitaire (see below). I think that the title again seems really girly but it is so eye-opening and as I said for Loveless and wrote in my Goodreads review, it is so realistic. There are so many people at my school that say 'That's a bit gay' and similar remarks and it honestly isn't okay but no-one picks up on it.
If you want to see what Heartstopper is like, it is available for free online on Tapas, Webtoon and Tumblr. Be careful for spoilers as Alice Oseman publishes volume 4 on there too!
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| Alice Oseman's style is beautiful... |
Volume 2:
5 glowing and well deserved stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟for the amazing Heartstopper, now one of my favourite books ever,❣️ Nick and Charlie are so adorable and amazing and incredible and I can't recommend it enough. I can't imagine not having them in my life✨. Love this soooooooooooooooooooo much!🥰
I think Volume two is my favourite so far. It is just a stunning book and everyone should read it. I don't know what I can say that I haven't already and that will do this book justice. It is about a supportive, healthy and caring boy-boy relationship and it is just so beautifully innocent. I am now constantly revisiting this book.
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| One of my favourite volume two moments... |
I then wanted more Alice Oseman and some of my other Christmas presents were Solitaire, Radio Silence and I Was Born For This. So I started reading Solitaire after Great Expectations (scroll down if you are on a PC or come out of this post and click on the Great Expectations if you are on a mobile to view that post).
Solitaire:
A very interesting book that touches on such intimate and personal subjects in the most beautiful way. It is a book about mental health and I can really see what Alice Oseman was trying to do. However, I found the middle section slightly slow which makes it four stars but Nick and Charlie are incredible and I really enjoyed this book!
As I mention in this review, the plot was a bit slow in places and comparing it to Loveless, I definately can see how much Alice Oseman's writing has improved. Tori is such an interesting character and I did like it, just not as much as Loveless. It was quite depressing to be honest which I guess was what Alice Oseman was trying to do but it didn't exactly make it enjoyable! This is where we first meet Nick and Charlie and I loved the passages with them in.
The story is about Tori Spring who has undiagnosed depression. There are friendship issues and it reminded me of my own in the sense that people change at secondary school and as with all Alice Oseman novels it is so relatable. There is a mysterious blog called Solitaire who basically causes havoc at their school and Tori meets Michael Holden with whom she tries to find out who Solitaire is.
I then needed more Alice Oseman so I returned to Nick and Charlie...
Nick and Charlie:
I just love Nick and Charlie ✨
If you loved Solitaire, or even if you didn't then read Nick and Charlie, it's worth your time!
What can I say that hasn't already been said about Nick and Charlie? This is an illustrated novella following Nick and Charlie when Nick has to leave for University and Charlie is left behind as he is a year younger. After all, Secondary School relationships rarely last, especially long-distance...
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| Nick and Charlie is Illustrated |
Radio Silence:
***4.5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
I really enjoyed this and I feel I should rate it more than Solitaire but I don't think it is quite five stars I am hesitating...anyway loved this just didn't quite do the fifth star for me.
I really enjoyed this and I feel I should rate it more than Solitaire but I don't think it is quite five stars I am hesitating...anyway loved this just didn't quite do the fifth star for me.
I definately enjoyed this more than Solitaire. It is so again, realistic and I just love Alice Oseman. I know I only rated it 4.5 stars but I didn't feel like the story for me earnt the fifth star. It was very personal to me as well because I can relate to the feeling that you are a 'study-machine' and people don't always like you for that. I love Frances and Aled is an interesting character too. I love the themes it explores as well. It is a well-rounded book about identity, freedom to choose and friendship.
It is about Frances who is a 'study machine'. She is a very different person at school to at home and one day she meets Aled who she finds she has a lot in common with. But when he reveals his biggest secret, their fragile trust is broken and Frances has to decide who she really is. Things get out of hand involving Aled's secret and Frances has to follow Aled to his University and carries out a rescue mission to help Aled.
I just want to mention that there are mentions of an abusive parent and animal death. So if these are themes that you are not comfortable with then maybe this isn't the book for you.
I Was Born For This
AAAHHHHH The ending is just spectacular. Wow, Alice Oseman is amazing ❣️
This was my last published Oseman novel! I can see the improvements her books have gone through as this writing wise was the same level as Loveless and in my opinion much better than Soliataire and Radio Silence. I felt a huge connection to the characters and it was a joy to read. It made me think about fame in a completely different way and also had such realistic commentary on fandom and the fandom culture. (If you have no idea what fandom is you can know more here). There is also a lot of inclusivity with different cultures and religions and a trans character which although I thought was at times put in to tick the box did have a big part to play in the novel.
There are two narrators: Jimmy and Angel. Jimmy is the lead in a band called 'The Ark' with his best friends Rowan and Lister. Being in a band has been his dream since he was young but now at the height of his fame, he isn't sure if it's what he wants anymore. And on top of that, 'The Ark' have a very present, and sometimes extreme fandom and soon stories are leaked, made up, exaggerated and he can't do anything or go anywhere without a body guard. Angel, on the other hand is a member of the fandom (not one of the extremists though) and is excited when she finally gets to meet an internet friend she met via the fandom for a concert. Things don't go to plan though and when Jimmy and Angel are unexpectedly thrust together they both need to sort out their individual issues and find themselves again, especially when a friend is in danger.
I loved this so much also because I didn't know if I would as the plot I wasn't sure about but once I was in the story I loved it! It has themes that are so relatable and current to today's society. It sounds a bit strange but it's really insightful and one of my new favourite books.
Alice Oseman is such a talented contemporary author and I have loved discovering her novels. I hope she writes many more books!
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| All the Alice Oseman books I own! |
You can view all Alice Oseman's Content warnings here. Note: I think a few of the points are a bit exaggerated as a few of them refer to one sentence and nothing more about the topic but I thought I would include them anyway as her books do deal with serious and topics that could be distressing to some.
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