(TW : mention of depression)
My love and respect for Alice Oseman is actually very new as I only started reading her books in July 2019 (more than one year ago as I am writing this blog post).
At the time, I was a French exchange student in Birmingham, I was in a relationship for the first time and I was sharing a flat with my best friend. It all looks so perfect when I write it, but at the time, I was depressed. It was taking me all my strength to get out of bed every morning, to eat and shower. I kept pretending that I was fine. I would make jokes about depression to lighten the mood. The only two things that made me happy were sleeping and reading books. Those two activities allowed me to do one thing : escape.
I spent a lot of time going to Waterstones because just being around books made me feel better. As I am part of the LGBTQIA+ community, I always try to find books with that kind of representation. I was in luck, we were in July which meant Pride Month and Waterstones had a table full of LGBTQIA+ books. One of them was: Radio Silence by Alice Oseman. I added it on Goodreads and started looking at Alice's other books. The first one she wrote was Solitaire and there was one single copy in Waterstones. I remember having both Solitaire and Radio Silence in my hands, not knowing which one I should pick. I looked at the average rating of both books, thinking I should probably buy Radio Silence as it had a better rating. But my heart thought differently... I HAD to buy Solitaire. Maybe it was because there was only one copy or maybe it was because it was Alice Oseman's first book, truth is.. I do not know the reason but I ended up buying Solitaire.
I thought the cover was gorgeous and the name: Solitaire, meaning alone/lonely in French, was a perfect definition of how I felt. It took me less than four days to read it. It also took everything from me to read it. After reading it, I messaged Alice Oseman on Instagram to thank her, thinking that she would never respond and yet... she did. I felt understood and less alone .
After this, I decided to buy Radio Silence even though I had no space in my suitcase for one more book. It took me four days as well to read it. Radio Silence dealt with anxiety around school, grades and your future which was very relevant for me at the time. Again, the words of Alice made me feel seen. The characters from each book were friends that had the same problem as me. I related so much to them. Depression can make you feel so alone but in Alice's universe, I was surrended by people who were like me.
Then, it was time for I Was Born For This. I ordered the book to arrive in France, at my parents' house. I remember seeing the e-mails from BookDepository saying it was sent, the longing of not being able to read it. When I finally moved back to my parents' house, it was the first thing I did: I started reading it. It took me more time because at first, I though I did not like the book (oh boy was I wrong). I had been such a fangirl with bands and the plot of the book was calling me out so badly.
I also read her comic: Heartstopper and her e-books This Winter and Nick & Charlie (those two are getting re-published so go buy them !!!).
In the space of only two months, Alice Oseman became my favorite author and her books became my favorite stories. It felt crazy. I wish I could tell you that those books cured my depression... but only medical help could do that. However, these books helped me feel like I was not alone and the characters became in a strange way, my friends. Not long after, Alice Oseman announced her newest book: Loveless which I immediatly preordered. I knew for a fact that I was going to love it (and I did !).
I recently finished Loveless and it went straight into my favorite books list. Once again, Alice Oseman made me think about the world and about myself. I love her writing and the way she makes you love any characters she writes.
Loveless is very different from her other works because it mainly focalizes on Aromanticism and Asexuality and college experiences in general. However, Loveless is a book about love, about friendship and about being true to oneself.
I had the chance to meet Alice Oseman in France in 2019. She was the sweetest person and talked to my friend and I for hours while painting Nick and Charlie on a glass window. She always tries to answer her readers questions and interacts with them on social media. She continues to answer my DM on instagram and I hope I am not bothering her too much.
To answer the question: "Why is Alice Oseman my favorite author ?", it is because her stories have helped me understand myself and the world better. It gave me a space that felt a little bit like home. Alice Oseman tries to give representation to people who need it. She writes and draws cute love and friendship stories that are relatable and fun. My love for Alice Oseman started with a book chosing me more than me chosing a book. But now, it is my decision to pick up Alice’s books, to dive into the universes she creates, to understand and feel understood by these characters that feel like long-time friends. Each time, it’s a fun but comfy ride back home, and when it’s done, I can’t wait for the next.
Lastly, I'd like to declare my love to Tori Spring, Michael Holden, Lister Bird and Rooney Bach ♥
Have you read any books from Alice Oseman? If not, you should definitely try! If yes, comment below what you thought of the book(s)!
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