as someone who is aroace i got kinda disappointed after reading Loveless in the people who rated it lower just because they thought Oseman's point with the representation was to represent sex-repulsion as the only way for someone to be asexual, when that definitely wasn't it at all. I feel like people put too much pressure on queer books now to accurately represent ALL the ways someone can be trans, bi, ace, aro, etc. when that really shouldn't be how it works. Everyone has different ways of experiencing gender, sexuality, and romantic attraction, so why does ONE single piece of queer representation have to represent ALL of it. Besides I personally think Georgia being sex-repulsed was perfect for the point Oseman was making in how relationships that don't involve sex or romance are just as important as those that do.
you definitely make a good point about this! there’s definitely a lot more pressure on queer books to be more accommodating when we should really be focusing on what they actually bring instead! I also definitely agree that Georgia’s sex repulsion was perfect for the novel’s message - but also thank you for sharing your perspective!! 💜
I'm 100% with you on that - we are so many different people who experience our aro- and/or aceness in so many different ways. For me, Loveless was so close to being accurate in all aspects, just some story elements differ from Georgia to me (mainly me never having dated anyone and me not living in the UK)
i highly disagree about there needing to be more sex positivity in loveless. as a sex repulsed aroace i can’t describe how important loveless is to me and i really see myself in georgia. loveless is such an important book. society is already so sexualised and being sex repulsed in a world like this is so isolating and it’s a struggle to even just be comfortable with yourself. georgia being a sex repulsed aroace like me is so refreshing and to finally read someone i can relate to was such an amazing feeling. i feel like there’s already so much sex positivity in this world that loveless focusing on sex repulsion is so crucial, especially to aroaces. of course, not all aroaces are sex repulsed, so there might be a book about a sex positive asexual, but i doubt it. there’s already so little about us aroaces in books, in movies, in the media, etc, that finally seeing myself represented in this book made me so happy /nm
first and foremost, i’m so glad that you’re happy to see yourself represented in loveless, it’s something that i love to see happen for people! i definitely agree about the fact that georgia’s viewpoint of being sexually repulsed is something that’s needed and that sex negativity is an important thing that should be represented in stories - and perhaps it was remiss of me to say that i wanted to see more sex positivity, but i guess i just wanted the book to highlight at least some positivity about sex from another character whilst mainly focusing on georgia’s sexual repulsion - again i completely agree with what you’ve said, and you’ve definitely reminded me that not everything needs to highlight or mention sex positivity as there’s already a lot of it in the world! skdkskdkc thank you friend!
I really agree with you!! I don't have any sex repulsed people in my life other than myself. it's very hard to exist in this world where it seems like everything is about that. books are my safe space and the fact that more books are including spicy scenes that have great concepts/are otherwise enjoyable feels like I'm running out of spaces to feel safe? turning the page on that content/just not reading it is a viable option sure but I'd really rather not have it there to begin with ://
@@jamedwards1419 !!!! you actually highlight such a good point - the fact that books are concentrating more on spice can be really alienating to readers who don’t like that particular thing! it’s definitely something that should be addressed
@@fictionalfates yes! I am happy for sex positive people having it normalised in their favourite books because it is normal and it shouldn't be shied away from :) it would just be cool if all groups could take away good experiences
why is no one in these comments talking about Solitaire? it was by far the best book, maybe ive ever read. i LOVED it. the way they wrote Tori was so well done. so raw. so human. so relatable and lovely. the way she tackles the topics of mental health was extraordinary. as someone who suffers from a lot of the same things her charecters do in the book (an0rexia, $elf-harm, su1cidal thoughts, depression, ect.) i felt so represented and seen throughout this whole book. i related so dearly to these charecters struggles, and even though the book didnt end with a ton of hope and everyones problems being solved, it showed me that -as tori says in the very last line of the book- Im not alone. which is so powerful. and not only that, but the plot was very well written and entertaining. i was kept on my toes the whole time. i seriously couldnt put this book down. and their side charecters were very fleshed out. they have so much life as well. i cant get over how well written this whole book was. every chapter truly made me feel something. i typically dont react strongly to books but this one had me laughing out loud so many times. it made my blood boil with anger. it made me cry tears of sadness and immense happiness. it was so good. i cant reccomend it enough. that being said however, it deifnetly was not a light read. there were some really heavy parts so check TWs and proceed with caution :)
As someone who identifies as asexual, reading Loveless was WILD because I had never identified so much with someone's experience of the world, even though my journey with asexuality has been completely different and without the anger or confusion Georgia has in the book. But the way she writes about sexuality and the way they do and don't understand it is SO recognizable, it's mindblowing. And also the focus on friendship and deeply investing in it and fleshing those relationships out as well: incredible, like so recognizable and real. Never read a book that reflected on relationships and friendship in such a real and recognizable way.
I absolutely adore the way Alice Oseman builds their characters. They’re just so… human? So deep? She truly is a model when it comes to writing realistic and complex characters!! Also Radio Silence has been haunting me for years now, especially regarding my relationship with Academia….. dang, it hit bullseye
About loveless, while I haven't read it, I am ace and from talking with other ace people, a lot of ace people go through a phase of being hypersexual and using sex as a coping mechanism, not for pleasure, especially before they knew about or accepted asexuality. From that perspective it can be hard to imagine that other people actually like sex, especially when it seems so repulsive personally. When you were just playing a role, it's hard to imagine that not everyone was.
i relate to angel in such a personal level i actually felt attacked reading i was born for this 😭 also, about what you said about that one radio silence quote - i don't comment a lot on your videos but i just wanted to say they do resonate with me and probably do to your other viewers too, i love the commentary you give while also making it fun and enjoyable. so yeah!! don't worry we are listening
My rankings: 1. Loveless 2. Heartstopper 3. I was born for this 4. Solitaire 5. Radio Silence 6. Nick and Charlie 7. This Winter (and i still rated this a 4.5/5)
alright mine are 1. Heartstopper 2. Solitaire 3. This Winter 4. Loveless 5. Nick and Charlie 6. I was born for this 7. Radio Silence which is still good Obviously I like anything with Nick and Charlie
Omg, slightly unrelated but you and Jack Edward's (another booktuber) should totally do a collab!!!! Your vibes are so similar and cool and omgggg that would be the collab of a lifetime 😍
Soiltaire is my favorite book, the thing is i dont really think about the plot, the reason i love it is because of Tori and how i relate to her. I love all of Alices book, but Solitaire is something that makes me feel seen, not that their other books dont do that but. Alice is defently my favoritt author
I'm gonna *try* to remember to post my ranking after I finish reading all of their books, but I have to say: I highly doubt anything will take Radio Silence's place as my favorite. It's just so beautiful.
JWJSJAHSHS OMG THIS ISN'T HAPPENING AAAAAAAAA! As an Alice Oseman fan this is a blessing. "Radio Silence" is obviously one of my favorite books and the "Heartstopper" series is my comfort read for whenever I feel down. I am so happy to see a queer author get so much hype and recognition, my biromantic asexual ass is SHAKING in cuffed jeans. Thanks again for providing STUNNING content and for being your amazing self. ✌️
rankings for the oseman verse :) 1. radio silence + heartstopper (I can't choose just one) 2. this winter 3. loveless 4. solitaire 5. nick and charlie 6. I was born for this
I read Solitaire when i was in a major crisis of mental health and even though it didn’t make my situation better I teally felt like i wasnt alone which meant a lot to me at that point. After an autism diagnosis i thought about what a psychologist said to me about some autistic people being asexual and i really try figuring this out because i got the feeling of being aroace so now i really look forward to read loveless
As someone who is probably both ace and aro spec (and tbh I wouldn’t be surprised if I was also neurodiverse in some way too), Loveless is such a wonderful book, it is one of my favourite books of all time and it cemented Alice as one of my favourite authors of all time - it’s fantastic and I love it dearly, and I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did 😊
loved this video!! i literally love every single one of alice’s books but if i had to rank them: 1.) I Was Born For This 2/3.) Radio Silence/Loveless (can’t choose haha) 4.) Heartstopper 5.) Solitaire 6.) The Novellas
Your review of these books was so amazing , it was especially amazing because I read all of Alice lawmen’s books at around fourteen, so I basically grew up with Nick and Charlie( I’m 17 now) so seeing someone else love all her books as much as I do brought a smile to my face
I loved how you commented specifically regarding the showcase of good and bad parenting in Alice's books, because I also noticed it and wrote about it when I was doing my journal review...it's so important that she was able to note that not all parents are going to be a big part of a person's support system, but that you can still find it in friends, siblings, getting professional help...it sucks that Charlie and Aled didn't get it from their parents specifically, but they were able to find support in others instead
yess, oh my word i've been waiting for this one!! here are my ratings: 1) radio silence 2) i was born for this 3) this winter 4) loveless 5) nick and charlie 6) solitaire i literally can't choose where to put the heartstopper series, because it really depends on which volume and part lol edit: forgot to say that even though solitaire is my least favourite, michael holden is still one of my favourite characters
i know I'm super late - but I felt that jimmy being mixed race in "I was born for this" added no complexities to his character. I mean we didn't get any perspective of him being half Indian- and I get that he wasn't close to his parents - but it would have been nice to see it. luckily Alice added a lot more "Indian" perspective to Sunil Jha's character in loveless. anyways, rn Alice is one of my favourite authors -so clearly they're doing something right!!
Ngl, I was born for this always intimidated me because I have read so many books by white authors who wrote poc main characters and just did an awful job at capturing the experience. But after your review I feel ready to give it a try ! I really hope it won’t disappoint me haha :D thank you for this amazing video joel!!
just jumping in as another person to let you know that Alice oseman's books, in my experience, definitely have that awkward 'poc written by yt person' issue. I've read 4 or 5 of their books and they all kind of felt that way to me, I was born for this especially. don't let that stop you from reading them! just wanted to let you know that you may not want to expect too much from them :) happy reading!
Im ace and i have an unpopular opinion not liking loveless, i couldnt relate to georgia at all, but that got me thinking about the privileges and experiencies that i had but what i really appreciate is that books like this help to open discussion about orientations that are often not so talked about
I've had this video in my Watch Later for such a long time, because I wanted to rewatch it when I'd finally read all the books. And now I can take it off that list, so this is rather exciting.
My rating would probably be; 7; Solitaire (I didn't really like any of the characters but Tori lol) 6; Nick and Charlie (It's feels unnecessarily angsty) 5; This Winter (I've only read the original but it's bit sensationized I felt) 4: Radio Silence (I loved all of it but the end felt a bit rushed) 3; Heartstopper ( The most wholesome piece of media ever) 2; Loveless (As an Asexual , this was the first time I found myself in a book and I loved that sm) 1; I Was Born for This (Literally incredible. Would not change a thing)
I love Alice so much, I was reading Solitaire the other day and stopped mid-sentence to go order the two books by them I didn‘t have yet and I‘m so excited for them to arrive
i watched this video in full before i had read any of alice's books and now as i'm reading through them one by one i keep coming back to hear your opinions of each one hehe
My rankings lol ik this is probably controversial but honestly I love them all so much 💕 1. Heartstopper 2. I was born for this 3. Nick and Charlie 4. Solitaire 5. Radio silence 6. Loveless 7. This winter
My favorite book of Alice HAS to be solitaire. I relate so much to tori on a very personal level. And the fact that it’s her first book is so surprising. It started everything and all the character are just so human. I love tori and Michaels dynamic so much and I just literally couldn’t put the book down
Oh my gosh how much I love your personality! You really gave me motivation to start reading books more and also getting a bookshelf for my ordered books that might come in few weeks! Thank you really! This video really is like a comfy chat with someone who has the same interests as me!:)
May, I just say, Sunil is also my favorite character in Loveless, I am in love with that person, and that is coming from a very much romance-repulsed aroace. Personally, I loved Loveless. It felt so good getting some representation for once. I actually did not relate to Georgia very much. Which had mixed feelings from me, because it is nice to see myself reflected in a work, and Georgia wasn't that for me for the most part. But I also loved that her experience was so different from mine, it gave me a view into how discovering yourself was for other people in the arospec and aspec communities. But there were also experiences Georgia went through that struck home perfectly, like thinking I just had high expectations.
i haven't read any of their work yet, but i did watch the first season of heartstopper and it was so lovely and wholesome! this video made me want to read radio silence and loveless, and maybe some of the others too but idk, i have such a long tbr already aaaaaa
My ranking: 1. Heartstopper 2. I was born for this 3. Radio Silence 4. This winter 5. Solitaire 6. Loveless 7. Nick and Charlie I love all these books so it feels weird to rank loveless near the bottom. It’s a weird thing of preference because I do think loveless is better written than solitaire, but I just like solitaire better. Loveless gave me a bit too much second hand embarrassment to handle.
Never heard of the author, but seen the books around the younger people. Seemed like something I may question them about later on. Good review regardless 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
My ranking: Radiosilence Loveless Heartstopper I was born for this Solitaire This video came at the right moment because I've been reading everything she's written in the last two weeks!! :d
My rankings: 1.Solitaire (I love Tori) 2.Heartstopper 3. Radio Silence 4.IWBFT 5.This Winter 6.Nick and Charlie 7.Loveless (I still really liked it I just liked some of the others more)
ive spent the last 4hrs watching your vids?????it felt like only 30mins??in love with your voice atm tyvm and i added 9 new books tomy list because of you :')
My one problem with Loveless (as an arosce person who also identifies as loveless - a separate label that Oseman doesn't seem to know of) my biggest problem is that it really pushes the narrative that it's okay to be aroace because at least we can have friends and platonic love. That sounds great, until you realize that some people are also aplatonic and /or loveless and this excludes them. It's seen so often by allos justifying our existence in this way, and it hurts that they feel our existence needs to be justified, especially by something that isn't actually universally experienced. We shouldn't have to justify our existence with the ability to feel platonic love.
Alice Oseman is literally my favourite author. The way she portrays LGBTQIA+ youth and mental health is just amazing and she in general is just such a talented writer and artist ! Plus the community surrounding the oseman books is just amazing too AND ON TOP OF THAT she produced one of the best Netflix series EVER [ no i will not be taking debates ! ] She's so talented and such a great person
i read the books without a particular order and it's okay because we understand pretty well. She is an amazing author who know how to put representation in her books. Also thank you for this amazing video
My ranking: 1. solitaire 2. heartstopper 3. this winter 4. loveless 5. radio silence 6. n&c 7. iwbft keep in mind that all these get no less than a 4 stars and it’s genuinely hard to rank them after solitaire lol
I'm so happy you liked all of Alice Oseman's work! I've also been working through their catalog and just have Solitaire left to go - I know it's most people's least favorite, but we've gotta see where she started. Loveless meant sooooo much to me, but I don't think anything could top Heartstopper - it's simply too wholesome and good 🥰
Loved the outfit matches! Every time I read an Alice Oseman book it's my new favourite. But since I've read them all now, I'd say: 1) Hearstopper, because it's such a comfort 2) Loveless, because I'm ace and I've never seen myself in media before, it was incredible to find a character's reactions be relatable instead of unfathomable 3) Maybe Radio Silence, it was just so good 4) Honestly tied for third, I Was Born For This, as someone who has been in fandom for a long time but everyone in real life assumes it's a fetish thing, it was so nice to have someone explain that it's about comfort - they're just your little guys that you think about all the time 5) Solitaire, a fantastic mystery complicated by a mental unravelling. I kind of wanted it to be a coming-of-diagnosis story though 6) Nick & Charlie/This Winter, I liked the Christmas drama because I like complicated family stories, and I love the way the Spring siblings support each other. Nick & Charlie does feel a little out-of-character if you look back from where we are now - which can't be helped
loved your commentary!! i love heartstopper so much i was scared that i wouldnt love the other stories in the osemanverse but now im excited to read radio silence!
Thanks for making this really thoughtful video. I've only read Radio Silence (so far) and I really enjoyed your take on it. Have got the box set and will be working my way through the rest but looking forward to it even more now. Happy Reading!
my rankings 1. i was born for this. just finished it and it's been a rollercoaster of emotions. 2. solitaire/radio silence (they're too different and I love them both too much so I can't decide which is better) 2. heartstopper to be continued, haven't read the rest
So, im intrested in reading I was born for this, as a black muslim into bands and fandom myself i definitely could relate to the protagonist a lot however, I'm definitely gonna need to find couple reviews that do discuss how well the representation is handled because i've seen waaay too much terrible hijabi rep to go into anything blind ever again. Writing visibly muslim charecters is different and something I've rarely seen done well at all, especially when done by non muslims, so if anyone knows any reviews i could check out or has read it themselves and could let me know that'd be great x Anyways loved the video as usual, gonna try and read the rest when student finance comes in 🙃
I've read the book and I found the muslim representation really well done. Religion is a big part of Angel's (the mc) life, but she's not reduced to it. Her relationship with Islam is really refreshing to see since it's not portrayed in a bad way at all. Her religion means stability and reassurance for her, and it's just a normal part of her life (I've seen quite a lot of books that only talk about religious trauma, and while I have no problem with that I also like the way IWBFT just portrays religion as such a positive thing) Alice Oseman also worked together with Muslims to write about Angel's experiences accurately. The book has many scenes where Angel is just existing with a hijab, or talking about what it means to her, and it was just some proper and nice representation.
A little off topic but if you want good muslim representation I can recommend season 4 of the tv show Skam (don't know how much you will understand if you only watch that season on it's own without having watched the others but I think it's fine).
@@jossposs3400 i think that one's really good :) I've never actually seen skam but I've seen the german version druck and I think the muslim rep was really well done!
Fantastic book review of Alice's body of work. I can't believe how fast you speak, yet I understand every word and value your thoughts! I'm part-way through reading through the Osemanverse and agree Heartstopper is my favourite so far. Although I admired Tori's journey in Solitaire :)
I skipped to Radio Silence's review first because that's the only one i read... I love your review so much! Btw in case you didn't realize... 23:34 you read out loud "employment" but the word on screen is "enjoyment". I'm not sure which one was originally correct but I'll assume the written one?
@@fictionalfates aw it's a small slip of the tongue. No big deal! I'm gray-aro sex-averse asexual and planning to read Loveless soon, I've been planning to for years now lol and so excited to.
I LOVED Radio Silence, and the references to Solitaire. As a huge fan of Welcome to Nightvale and a Alice Oseman super fan, I think it was my favorite! It was one of my favorites of the novels they’ve written. I LOVED THE CHARACTERS, and they all had their flaws. Praying for an adaption of it!!!!!
my ranking would be -solitaire as last place -radio silence - heartstopper (i haven't read this winter and nick and charlie) - loveless and i was born for this tied for first place
if you enjoyed radio silence i must recommend checking out honey girl by morgan rogers, it is VASTLY different in tone and writing but explores some of my favorite things from radio silence ie. academic burnout, mental health, friendships, etc. it also had a neat podcast/radio show element, too! do beware of how poorly and misleading the marketing/blurb is though, i'd just go into it not expecting all the random plot points it chose for the book description
I love this video so much honestly. You put SO MUCH into this video and it hasn’t gone unnoticed or unappreciated! I have only ever read the first heart stopper comic and now I want to read EVERYTHING Alice Oseman! They seem like such a great author and I can’t wait to read her works. I would love to see this type of video with other authors like Taylor Jenkins Reid etc because this is amazing💛
I’m on my way of reading all of Alice Oseman’s books as well and also in chronological order and I came across your video. I really enjoyed the way you talk and I agree with you in so many levels so I had to subscribe. Thanks for your work! And loved the matching a outfits 😌
loved ur thoughts on these books! i remember reading the unedited version of solitaire years ago and adoring it in a lot of ways, especially because of how much of myself i saw in tori. i can definitely see why alice oseman's attitude to the mental health rep has changed since she wrote it, but back then i appreciated how blunt it was. i remember a scene with charlie being quite dark but i wouldn't call it sensationalised? i haven't read the edited version but either way i'm glad she got the chance to revisit it and remould it! also EASY AGREE on michael being neurodivergent. king. oh and radio silence holds a place in my heart for all the reasons you said :') francis and aled both SAW INTO MY SOUL and i will be thinking about That Line You Mentioned forever. anyway tysm for another vid i always love your commentary!
I'm so so glad you made this video!!! Oseman's works have affected me so much throughout time - Radio Silence made me feel more comfortable about being somewhere on the ace spectrum and IWBFT made me realize I'm trans :') your commentary on all of them was just *chefs kiss*
as someone who is aroace i got kinda disappointed after reading Loveless in the people who rated it lower just because they thought Oseman's point with the representation was to represent sex-repulsion as the only way for someone to be asexual, when that definitely wasn't it at all. I feel like people put too much pressure on queer books now to accurately represent ALL the ways someone can be trans, bi, ace, aro, etc. when that really shouldn't be how it works. Everyone has different ways of experiencing gender, sexuality, and romantic attraction, so why does ONE single piece of queer representation have to represent ALL of it.
Besides I personally think Georgia being sex-repulsed was perfect for the point Oseman was making in how relationships that don't involve sex or romance are just as important as those that do.
you definitely make a good point about this! there’s definitely a lot more pressure on queer books to be more accommodating when we should really be focusing on what they actually bring instead! I also definitely agree that Georgia’s sex repulsion was perfect for the novel’s message - but also thank you for sharing your perspective!! 💜
@@fictionalfates Ahh, thank you for listening
yes. queer books have so much pressure to represent all LGBTQ+ people wich is really toxic.
I'm 100% with you on that - we are so many different people who experience our aro- and/or aceness in so many different ways. For me, Loveless was so close to being accurate in all aspects, just some story elements differ from Georgia to me (mainly me never having dated anyone and me not living in the UK)
Yes! That's exactly why we need more aroace rep. I want married, single, qpr, poliamorous aros and/or aces, I want it all!
as a closeted 16 year old rugby player i fell in love with heartstopper
Is your name actually nick becausethat would be so funny 😭
Hope you find your Charli soon 💅😌
@@sommerpoole4828 lmaoo I'd love that ahha
Really ?? Nickk, i hope u find your Charr🥺
Get a fountain pen. Do it. Now. Please. Get your Charlie.
alice just announced she's going on a break so thankfully they can rest
yesss i saw whilst i was editing - i’m so glad for them!
What Pronouns do they use? Just wanna double check :)
@@sillyqueerbastard she/they
Okay thanks :) I figured but I just wanted to be sure
What do you mean she's going on a break does that mean there's no chance of a season 2!!!!
i highly disagree about there needing to be more sex positivity in loveless. as a sex repulsed aroace i can’t describe how important loveless is to me and i really see myself in georgia. loveless is such an important book. society is already so sexualised and being sex repulsed in a world like this is so isolating and it’s a struggle to even just be comfortable with yourself. georgia being a sex repulsed aroace like me is so refreshing and to finally read someone i can relate to was such an amazing feeling. i feel like there’s already so much sex positivity in this world that loveless focusing on sex repulsion is so crucial, especially to aroaces. of course, not all aroaces are sex repulsed, so there might be a book about a sex positive asexual, but i doubt it. there’s already so little about us aroaces in books, in movies, in the media, etc, that finally seeing myself represented in this book made me so happy /nm
first and foremost, i’m so glad that you’re happy to see yourself represented in loveless, it’s something that i love to see happen for people!
i definitely agree about the fact that georgia’s viewpoint of being sexually repulsed is something that’s needed and that sex negativity is an important thing that should be represented in stories - and perhaps it was remiss of me to say that i wanted to see more sex positivity, but i guess i just wanted the book to highlight at least some positivity about sex from another character whilst mainly focusing on georgia’s sexual repulsion - again i completely agree with what you’ve said, and you’ve definitely reminded me that not everything needs to highlight or mention sex positivity as there’s already a lot of it in the world! skdkskdkc thank you friend!
@@fictionalfates thank you!!
I really agree with you!! I don't have any sex repulsed people in my life other than myself. it's very hard to exist in this world where it seems like everything is about that. books are my safe space and the fact that more books are including spicy scenes that have great concepts/are otherwise enjoyable feels like I'm running out of spaces to feel safe? turning the page on that content/just not reading it is a viable option sure but I'd really rather not have it there to begin with ://
@@jamedwards1419 !!!! you actually highlight such a good point - the fact that books are concentrating more on spice can be really alienating to readers who don’t like that particular thing! it’s definitely something that should be addressed
@@fictionalfates yes! I am happy for sex positive people having it normalised in their favourite books because it is normal and it shouldn't be shied away from :) it would just be cool if all groups could take away good experiences
why is no one in these comments talking about Solitaire? it was by far the best book, maybe ive ever read. i LOVED it. the way they wrote Tori was so well done. so raw. so human. so relatable and lovely. the way she tackles the topics of mental health was extraordinary. as someone who suffers from a lot of the same things her charecters do in the book (an0rexia, $elf-harm, su1cidal thoughts, depression, ect.) i felt so represented and seen throughout this whole book. i related so dearly to these charecters struggles, and even though the book didnt end with a ton of hope and everyones problems being solved, it showed me that -as tori says in the very last line of the book- Im not alone. which is so powerful.
and not only that, but the plot was very well written and entertaining. i was kept on my toes the whole time. i seriously couldnt put this book down.
and their side charecters were very fleshed out. they have so much life as well.
i cant get over how well written this whole book was. every chapter truly made me feel something. i typically dont react strongly to books but this one had me laughing out loud so many times. it made my blood boil with anger. it made me cry tears of sadness and immense happiness. it was so good. i cant reccomend it enough.
that being said however, it deifnetly was not a light read. there were some really heavy parts so check TWs and proceed with caution :)
I’m reading it rn :D
i love how he casually coordinates his clothes with the bookl he is talking abt
Aaaaahhhhh same
Someone give him a turquoise shirt pls!
This account has no business being that comfort
skdkskdkkd 🥺🥺🥺
As someone who identifies as asexual, reading Loveless was WILD because I had never identified so much with someone's experience of the world, even though my journey with asexuality has been completely different and without the anger or confusion Georgia has in the book. But the way she writes about sexuality and the way they do and don't understand it is SO recognizable, it's mindblowing. And also the focus on friendship and deeply investing in it and fleshing those relationships out as well: incredible, like so recognizable and real. Never read a book that reflected on relationships and friendship in such a real and recognizable way.
I absolutely adore the way Alice Oseman builds their characters. They’re just so… human? So deep? She truly is a model when it comes to writing realistic and complex characters!! Also Radio Silence has been haunting me for years now, especially regarding my relationship with Academia….. dang, it hit bullseye
i know right? like theyre not exaggerated and you can actually relate to a character.
LITERALLYYYYY they seem sm more real than most characters to me
About loveless, while I haven't read it, I am ace and from talking with other ace people, a lot of ace people go through a phase of being hypersexual and using sex as a coping mechanism, not for pleasure, especially before they knew about or accepted asexuality. From that perspective it can be hard to imagine that other people actually like sex, especially when it seems so repulsive personally. When you were just playing a role, it's hard to imagine that not everyone was.
that definitely makes a lot of sense, thank you so much for sharing - i do appreciate it! 💜
@@fictionalfates np! I loved the video!
alice oseman is one of my favorite authors!! my goal is to get their other books for my birthday. great video as always :)
oooh yes!!! i hope you’ll be able to get them for your birthday!
i relate to angel in such a personal level i actually felt attacked reading i was born for this 😭 also, about what you said about that one radio silence quote - i don't comment a lot on your videos but i just wanted to say they do resonate with me and probably do to your other viewers too, i love the commentary you give while also making it fun and enjoyable. so yeah!! don't worry we are listening
🥺🥺🥺 thank you so much, i really appreciate that!!
My rankings:
1. Loveless
2. Heartstopper
3. I was born for this
4. Solitaire
5. Radio Silence
6. Nick and Charlie
7. This Winter (and i still rated this a 4.5/5)
do nick and charlie stay together in nick and charlie? please i need to know (if they dont i wont be able to read it)
@@viscerasys yes they do!
@@simranruparelia8176 GAHH YES THANK YOU! NOW I CAN FINALLY READ IT
alright mine are
1. Heartstopper
2. Solitaire
3. This Winter
4. Loveless
5. Nick and Charlie
6. I was born for this
7. Radio Silence which is still good
Obviously I like anything with Nick and Charlie
Mine are
1. Radio Silence
2. Heartstopper
3. Loveless
4. Solitaire
5. Nick and Charlie
6. I was born for this
7. This winter
:)
Carol Last from Radio Silent makes characters like Harry and David from heartstopper look like saints
Please yes I hated her so much for what she did to Aled
EXAAAAACTLY
SERIOUSLY I AM A PROUD MEMBER OF HER HATE CLUB 😊
@@Rainydayz4141WERE THE NUMBER ONE FANSS
i'm joining her hate club with you guys
Omg, slightly unrelated but you and Jack Edward's (another booktuber) should totally do a collab!!!! Your vibes are so similar and cool and omgggg that would be the collab of a lifetime 😍
alice is my comfort author and i hope she does get her well deserved rest, especially when ur british and a LGBTQIA+ british author is amazing
Loveless is literally my favourite book of all time! Georgia was so relatable and made me realise that I'm on the aro and ace spectrums.
Ahh same! loveless was my first books from Alice
Soiltaire is my favorite book, the thing is i dont really think about the plot, the reason i love it is because of Tori and how i relate to her. I love all of Alices book, but Solitaire is something that makes me feel seen, not that their other books dont do that but. Alice is defently my favoritt author
I'm gonna *try* to remember to post my ranking after I finish reading all of their books, but I have to say: I highly doubt anything will take Radio Silence's place as my favorite. It's just so beautiful.
JWJSJAHSHS OMG THIS ISN'T HAPPENING AAAAAAAAA!
As an Alice Oseman fan this is a blessing. "Radio Silence" is obviously one of my favorite books and the "Heartstopper" series is my comfort read for whenever I feel down.
I am so happy to see a queer author get so much hype and recognition, my biromantic asexual ass is SHAKING in cuffed jeans.
Thanks again for providing STUNNING content and for being your amazing self. ✌️
LITERALLY I was thinking of you whilst I was editing this, i’m so excited to see you enjoy this!!! THANK YOU for watching and commenting as always!!
rankings for the oseman verse :)
1. radio silence + heartstopper (I can't choose just one)
2. this winter
3. loveless
4. solitaire
5. nick and charlie
6. I was born for this
I read Solitaire when i was in a major crisis of mental health and even though it didn’t make my situation better I teally felt like i wasnt alone which meant a lot to me at that point. After an autism diagnosis i thought about what a psychologist said to me about some autistic people being asexual and i really try figuring this out because i got the feeling of being aroace so now i really look forward to read loveless
As someone who is probably both ace and aro spec (and tbh I wouldn’t be surprised if I was also neurodiverse in some way too), Loveless is such a wonderful book, it is one of my favourite books of all time and it cemented Alice as one of my favourite authors of all time - it’s fantastic and I love it dearly, and I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did 😊
I was born for this and heartstopper are my faves! And I’m forever grateful for Loveless for helping me realise I’m ace💜
Love how you match your shirt colour to the books 😍 Oseman is such a good author for teen/YA readers. Loveless was brilliant!
justice for ‘nick & charlie’, one of my favorites thats so looked over 😭♥️
OMG THIS IS WHAT I'VE BEEN WAITING FROM YOU!!!
AH IM GLAD!
consuming heartstopper content before the show comes out>>>>
Ooo I didn't even realize there was gonna be a show! And looking now... It's coming out so soon wow!
yesss!!! it’s so exciting!
yo the outfits matching the covers!!!!
alice is literally my comfort author
loved this video!! i literally love every single one of alice’s books but if i had to rank them:
1.) I Was Born For This
2/3.) Radio Silence/Loveless (can’t choose haha)
4.) Heartstopper
5.) Solitaire
6.) The Novellas
Your review of these books was so amazing , it was especially amazing because I read all of Alice lawmen’s books at around fourteen, so I basically grew up with Nick and Charlie( I’m 17 now) so seeing someone else love all her books as much as I do brought a smile to my face
not me just realizing you matched each book cover haha- great video!
I loved how you commented specifically regarding the showcase of good and bad parenting in Alice's books, because I also noticed it and wrote about it when I was doing my journal review...it's so important that she was able to note that not all parents are going to be a big part of a person's support system, but that you can still find it in friends, siblings, getting professional help...it sucks that Charlie and Aled didn't get it from their parents specifically, but they were able to find support in others instead
yess, oh my word i've been waiting for this one!! here are my ratings:
1) radio silence
2) i was born for this
3) this winter
4) loveless
5) nick and charlie
6) solitaire
i literally can't choose where to put the heartstopper series, because it really depends on which volume and part lol
edit: forgot to say that even though solitaire is my least favourite, michael holden is still one of my favourite characters
I AGREE. aled is my comfort character i relate to him way too much. i felt so touched by radio silence.
Time to reread everything Alice Oseman now, so glad this video exists!
i know I'm super late - but I felt that jimmy being mixed race in "I was born for this" added no complexities to his character. I mean we didn't get any perspective of him being half Indian- and I get that he wasn't close to his parents - but it would have been nice to see it.
luckily Alice added a lot more "Indian" perspective to Sunil Jha's character in loveless.
anyways, rn Alice is one of my favourite authors -so clearly they're doing something right!!
can we appreciate how you are matching your clothes to the covers.
I LOVE that you matched your outfits with the books! 😍🤩
Ngl, I was born for this always intimidated me because I have read so many books by white authors who wrote poc main characters and just did an awful job at capturing the experience. But after your review I feel ready to give it a try ! I really hope it won’t disappoint me haha :D thank you for this amazing video joel!!
just jumping in as another person to let you know that Alice oseman's books, in my experience, definitely have that awkward 'poc written by yt person' issue. I've read 4 or 5 of their books and they all kind of felt that way to me, I was born for this especially. don't let that stop you from reading them! just wanted to let you know that you may not want to expect too much from them :) happy reading!
Im ace and i have an unpopular opinion not liking loveless, i couldnt relate to georgia at all, but that got me thinking about the privileges and experiencies that i had
but what i really appreciate is that books like this help to open discussion about orientations that are often not so talked about
i love your shirt omg
also heartstopper is just the purest thing i've ever read
I’ve only read the Heartstopper volumes! I need to read the rest of her books too 😩
yesss definitely do it!
I've had this video in my Watch Later for such a long time, because I wanted to rewatch it when I'd finally read all the books. And now I can take it off that list, so this is rather exciting.
They are KILLING the outfit changes in these themed videos wtf I LOVE this 💚❤💖💛💙🧡💜
I loved Loveless as an aro-ace myself 💜 I felt for Georgia, understood her actions without judging.
My rating would probably be;
7; Solitaire (I didn't really like any of the characters but Tori lol)
6; Nick and Charlie (It's feels unnecessarily angsty)
5; This Winter (I've only read the original but it's bit sensationized I felt)
4: Radio Silence (I loved all of it but the end felt a bit rushed)
3; Heartstopper ( The most wholesome piece of media ever)
2; Loveless (As an Asexual , this was the first time I found myself in a book and I loved that sm)
1; I Was Born for This (Literally incredible. Would not change a thing)
do nick and charlie stay together in nick and charlie? i need to know please
@@viscerasys they have a mini breakup but it’s all good by the end xx
I personally liked Michael and Charlie in Solitaire
@@Tyrantstorm same
the way your fits match each book cover is just so pleasing
A+ for the effort of changing your clothes to match the books
I love Alice so much, I was reading Solitaire the other day and stopped mid-sentence to go order the two books by them I didn‘t have yet and I‘m so excited for them to arrive
Okokok BUT HOW THEY GOT THE FRICKIN HAIRSTYLES IN THE SHOW RIGHT!!!?! amazinggg
ITS SO GOOD
i watched this video in full before i had read any of alice's books and now as i'm reading through them one by one i keep coming back to hear your opinions of each one hehe
My rankings lol ik this is probably controversial but honestly I love them all so much 💕
1. Heartstopper
2. I was born for this
3. Nick and Charlie
4. Solitaire
5. Radio silence
6. Loveless
7. This winter
When your shirt matches the book that you are holding, that brings me sooooo much joy lol.
My favorite book of Alice HAS to be solitaire. I relate so much to tori on a very personal level. And the fact that it’s her first book is so surprising. It started everything and all the character are just so human. I love tori and Michaels dynamic so much and I just literally couldn’t put the book down
Just finished binging the Netflix show. All I can say is wow.
Oh my gosh how much I love your personality! You really gave me motivation to start reading books more and also getting a bookshelf for my ordered books that might come in few weeks! Thank you really! This video really is like a comfy chat with someone who has the same interests as me!:)
May, I just say, Sunil is also my favorite character in Loveless, I am in love with that person, and that is coming from a very much romance-repulsed aroace. Personally, I loved Loveless. It felt so good getting some representation for once. I actually did not relate to Georgia very much. Which had mixed feelings from me, because it is nice to see myself reflected in a work, and Georgia wasn't that for me for the most part. But I also loved that her experience was so different from mine, it gave me a view into how discovering yourself was for other people in the arospec and aspec communities. But there were also experiences Georgia went through that struck home perfectly, like thinking I just had high expectations.
Loved this video. Loveless is the most important book for my sister and I need to read it soon 💕
You should do a video of only reading the books Issac is seen reading in heart stopper x
i haven't read any of their work yet, but i did watch the first season of heartstopper and it was so lovely and wholesome! this video made me want to read radio silence and loveless, and maybe some of the others too but idk, i have such a long tbr already aaaaaa
My ranking:
1. Heartstopper
2. I was born for this
3. Radio Silence
4. This winter
5. Solitaire
6. Loveless
7. Nick and Charlie
I love all these books so it feels weird to rank loveless near the bottom. It’s a weird thing of preference because I do think loveless is better written than solitaire, but I just like solitaire better. Loveless gave me a bit too much second hand embarrassment to handle.
Ohh I’m so happy the interview is available on YT now 😭 I missed it originally. You and Alice in convo? Iconic 💛💛💛
Also so excited for you that you get to read Volume 4 for the first time!! 🍂
Never heard of the author, but seen the books around the younger people. Seemed like something I may question them about later on. Good review regardless 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
I’ve just read the heart stopper series on webtoon, so good!
My ranking:
Radiosilence
Loveless
Heartstopper
I was born for this
Solitaire
This video came at the right moment because I've been reading everything she's written in the last two weeks!! :d
My rankings:
1.Solitaire (I love Tori)
2.Heartstopper
3. Radio Silence
4.IWBFT
5.This Winter
6.Nick and Charlie
7.Loveless (I still really liked it I just liked some of the others more)
My ranking:
1. Radio Silence/heartstopper (can't decide)
2. I was born for this
3. Loveless
4. This Winter/Nick and Charlie
5. Solitaire
ive spent the last 4hrs watching your vids?????it felt like only 30mins??in love with your voice atm tyvm
and i added 9 new books tomy list because of you :')
My one problem with Loveless (as an arosce person who also identifies as loveless - a separate label that Oseman doesn't seem to know of) my biggest problem is that it really pushes the narrative that it's okay to be aroace because at least we can have friends and platonic love. That sounds great, until you realize that some people are also aplatonic and /or loveless and this excludes them. It's seen so often by allos justifying our existence in this way, and it hurts that they feel our existence needs to be justified, especially by something that isn't actually universally experienced. We shouldn't have to justify our existence with the ability to feel platonic love.
Physical releases of Heartstopper are SO HARD TO FIND RIGHT NOW! 😭
Alice Oseman is literally my favourite author. The way she portrays LGBTQIA+ youth and mental health is just amazing and she in general is just such a talented writer and artist ! Plus the community surrounding the oseman books is just amazing too AND ON TOP OF THAT she produced one of the best Netflix series EVER [ no i will not be taking debates ! ] She's so talented and such a great person
i read the books without a particular order and it's okay because we understand pretty well. She is an amazing author who know how to put representation in her books.
Also thank you for this amazing video
I love the fact all of your outfits matched the books🥰 loved the video, thank you for this❤
My ranking:
1. solitaire
2. heartstopper
3. this winter
4. loveless
5. radio silence
6. n&c
7. iwbft
keep in mind that all these get no less than a 4 stars and it’s genuinely hard to rank them after solitaire lol
Can we appreciate how he matched his shirt to the colour of the book
I'm so happy you liked all of Alice Oseman's work! I've also been working through their catalog and just have Solitaire left to go - I know it's most people's least favorite, but we've gotta see where she started.
Loveless meant sooooo much to me, but I don't think anything could top Heartstopper - it's simply too wholesome and good 🥰
Loved the outfit matches! Every time I read an Alice Oseman book it's my new favourite. But since I've read them all now, I'd say:
1) Hearstopper, because it's such a comfort
2) Loveless, because I'm ace and I've never seen myself in media before, it was incredible to find a character's reactions be relatable instead of unfathomable
3) Maybe Radio Silence, it was just so good
4) Honestly tied for third, I Was Born For This, as someone who has been in fandom for a long time but everyone in real life assumes it's a fetish thing, it was so nice to have someone explain that it's about comfort - they're just your little guys that you think about all the time
5) Solitaire, a fantastic mystery complicated by a mental unravelling. I kind of wanted it to be a coming-of-diagnosis story though
6) Nick & Charlie/This Winter, I liked the Christmas drama because I like complicated family stories, and I love the way the Spring siblings support each other. Nick & Charlie does feel a little out-of-character if you look back from where we are now - which can't be helped
i love how you matched your outfits with the books :)
loved your commentary!! i love heartstopper so much i was scared that i wouldnt love the other stories in the osemanverse but now im excited to read radio silence!
You’re definitely now one of my favourite booktubers!
omg! i love your cute outfit changes that match the coverrrr
Thanks for making this really thoughtful video. I've only read Radio Silence (so far) and I really enjoyed your take on it. Have got the box set and will be working my way through the rest but looking forward to it even more now. Happy Reading!
my rankings
1. i was born for this. just finished it and it's been a rollercoaster of emotions.
2. solitaire/radio silence (they're too different and I love them both too much so I can't decide which is better)
2. heartstopper
to be continued, haven't read the rest
So, im intrested in reading I was born for this, as a black muslim into bands and fandom myself i definitely could relate to the protagonist a lot however, I'm definitely gonna need to find couple reviews that do discuss how well the representation is handled because i've seen waaay too much terrible hijabi rep to go into anything blind ever again.
Writing visibly muslim charecters is different and something I've rarely seen done well at all, especially when done by non muslims, so if anyone knows any reviews i could check out or has read it themselves and could let me know that'd be great x
Anyways loved the video as usual, gonna try and read the rest when student finance comes in 🙃
I've read the book and I found the muslim representation really well done. Religion is a big part of Angel's (the mc) life, but she's not reduced to it. Her relationship with Islam is really refreshing to see since it's not portrayed in a bad way at all. Her religion means stability and reassurance for her, and it's just a normal part of her life (I've seen quite a lot of books that only talk about religious trauma, and while I have no problem with that I also like the way IWBFT just portrays religion as such a positive thing) Alice Oseman also worked together with Muslims to write about Angel's experiences accurately. The book has many scenes where Angel is just existing with a hijab, or talking about what it means to her, and it was just some proper and nice representation.
A little off topic but if you want good muslim representation I can recommend season 4 of the tv show Skam (don't know how much you will understand if you only watch that season on it's own without having watched the others but I think it's fine).
@@jossposs3400 i think that one's really good :) I've never actually seen skam but I've seen the german version druck and I think the muslim rep was really well done!
I'm a black Muslim and o though it was so so good
Fantastic book review of Alice's body of work. I can't believe how fast you speak, yet I understand every word and value your thoughts! I'm part-way through reading through the Osemanverse and agree Heartstopper is my favourite so far. Although I admired Tori's journey in Solitaire :)
your fashion game it’s strong, my friend.
I skipped to Radio Silence's review first because that's the only one i read... I love your review so much! Btw in case you didn't realize... 23:34 you read out loud "employment" but the word on screen is "enjoyment". I'm not sure which one was originally correct but I'll assume the written one?
oh my gosh im ALDKAKDKKSKX yes pls it’s “enjoyment”- the way i didn’t notice i- im going to cry ✨
@@fictionalfates aw it's a small slip of the tongue. No big deal! I'm gray-aro sex-averse asexual and planning to read Loveless soon, I've been planning to for years now lol and so excited to.
Solitaire is my first book i Read in english
(i'm dutch)
I LOVED Radio Silence, and the references to Solitaire. As a huge fan of Welcome to Nightvale and a Alice Oseman super fan, I think it was my favorite! It was one of my favorites of the novels they’ve written. I LOVED THE CHARACTERS, and they all had their flaws. Praying for an adaption of it!!!!!
my ranking would be
-solitaire as last place
-radio silence
- heartstopper (i haven't read this winter and nick and charlie)
- loveless and i was born for this tied for first place
My rankings of the books I've read ♡
1) Radio Silence
2) Loveless
3) Heartstopper volume 1
4) I Was Born For This
5) Solitaire
if you enjoyed radio silence i must recommend checking out honey girl by morgan rogers, it is VASTLY different in tone and writing but explores some of my favorite things from radio silence ie. academic burnout, mental health, friendships, etc. it also had a neat podcast/radio show element, too! do beware of how poorly and misleading the marketing/blurb is though, i'd just go into it not expecting all the random plot points it chose for the book description
omg yes honey girl gave me everything I wanted from radio silence!
I love this video so much honestly. You put SO MUCH into this video and it hasn’t gone unnoticed or unappreciated! I have only ever read the first heart stopper comic and now I want to read EVERYTHING Alice Oseman! They seem like such a great author and I can’t wait to read her works. I would love to see this type of video with other authors like Taylor Jenkins Reid etc because this is amazing💛
the show comes out on my birthday 😼
Today marks the day that solitaire FINALLY GOT A HARD COVER RELEASE IN THE US !!
I’m on my way of reading all of Alice Oseman’s books as well and also in chronological order and I came across your video. I really enjoyed the way you talk and I agree with you in so many levels so I had to subscribe. Thanks for your work! And loved the matching a outfits 😌
Omg i loved this video sm it makes me wanna read tons of books again! so excited for the netflix series!!!
My friends and I are having a sleepover to binge Heartstopper season 1 on April 22
loved ur thoughts on these books! i remember reading the unedited version of solitaire years ago and adoring it in a lot of ways, especially because of how much of myself i saw in tori. i can definitely see why alice oseman's attitude to the mental health rep has changed since she wrote it, but back then i appreciated how blunt it was. i remember a scene with charlie being quite dark but i wouldn't call it sensationalised? i haven't read the edited version but either way i'm glad she got the chance to revisit it and remould it! also EASY AGREE on michael being neurodivergent. king. oh and radio silence holds a place in my heart for all the reasons you said :') francis and aled both SAW INTO MY SOUL and i will be thinking about That Line You Mentioned forever. anyway tysm for another vid i always love your commentary!
I'm so so glad you made this video!!! Oseman's works have affected me so much throughout time - Radio Silence made me feel more comfortable about being somewhere on the ace spectrum and IWBFT made me realize I'm trans :') your commentary on all of them was just *chefs kiss*