Through beloved characters like Tori, Georgia and Frances—and who could forget about Nick and Charlie?—Alice Oseman has been crafting relatable and heartwarming YA books for years that have built up her fan base and made her an auto-buy author for many. Today, we’ve assembled our top five reasons why we love Alice Oseman. But if we’re being honest, this list could be so much longer if we really wanted to get into the roller coaster of emotions that each of her books have put us through…
#1. She writes about all kinds of love—including platonic love!
One of the many reasons we love Alice Oseman is that with each new novel, she balances conversations about different types of love with hilarious hijinks and nostalgic teen experiences. The intimate moments between her characters of all genders and sexualities could make even the Grinch’s heart grow 100x bigger.
In Loveless (and some of her other books as well!), Alice emphasizes that platonic love is just as important as romantic love. Georgia’s coming out journey to accepting herself as aromantic and asexual is one of the central aspects to Loveless. This heartwarming novel is a beautiful addition to the queer YA contemporary space. It also gives voice to individuals in the LGBTQIA+ community who are not often represented in queer media.
Loveless by Alice Oseman
Georgia’s never been in love, never kissed anyone, never even had a crush. But as a fanfic-obsessed romantic, she’s sure she’ll find her person one day. As she starts university with her besties, Georgia’s ready to find romance. But when her romance plan wreaks havoc amongst her friends, she starts to question why love seems so easy for everyone else but her. With new terms thrown at her – asexual, aromantic – Georgia is more uncertain about her feelings than ever. Is she destined to remain loveless? Or has she been looking for the wrong thing all along?
#2. Her characters are just as involved in fandoms as we are.
Whether you’re into music, books, or sports, many of us know what it feels like to make something we love a good chunk of our personality. In I Was Born For This, Alice Oseman taps into that feeling, and it’s one of the many reasons we love her. Follow a fangirl and the lead singer of her favourite band as they (unfortunately) learn that real life isn’t the same as what’s online. And, that obsessing over celebrities definitely has its pros and cons.
I was Born for This by Alice Oseman
For Angel Rahimi life is about one thing: The Ark – a pop-rock trio of teenage boys who are taking the world by storm. Being part of The Ark’s fandom has given her everything she loves – her friend Juliet, her dreams, her place in the world. Jimmy Kaga-Ricci owes everything to The Ark. He’s their frontman – and playing in a band with his mates is all he ever dreamed of doing. But dreams don’t always turn out the way you think. When Jimmy and Angel are unexpectedly thrust together, they find out how strange and surprising facing up to reality can be.
#3. She never fails to remind us that we’re more than enough, just the way we are.
The third reason why we love Alice Oseman is that she uses her books – like Radio Silence! – to say what SO many teens are thinking: the education system can make us believe that if we don’t get good grades, we’re destined for failure. As adults we learn that that isn’t true. But as teens, this message is as a much-needed reminder of how valuable they are just for being themselves.
Radio Silence by Alice Oseman
What if everything you set yourself up to be was wrong?
Frances has always been a study machine with one goal: elite university. Nothing will stand in her way. Not friends, not a guilty secret—not even the person she is on the inside. But when Frances meets Aled, the shy genius behind her favorite podcast, she discovers a new freedom. He unlocks the door to Real Frances, and for the first time she experiences true friendship, unafraid to be herself. Then the podcast goes viral and the fragile trust between them is broken. Caught between who she was and who she longs to be, Frances’s dreams come crashing down. And Frances is going to need every bit of courage she has to confront her past, face her fears, and become her true self—by speaking up, not staying silent.
#4. She writes books for the YA readers who feel like they don’t have a voice.
From her very first novel, Alice Oseman was not afraid to shine a light on the tougher parts of being a teenager; especially a teenager living with undiagnosed depression. In Tori, Charlie Spring’s older sister, we see someone struggling to find joy and leaning on self-deprecating jokes to cover up the big emotions she’s feeling. But what makes us love Alice Oseman is her ability to show that there is always hope to be found in new friendships and we are never truly alone, even in our darkest moments.
Solitaire by Alice Oseman
My name is Tori Spring. I like to sleep and I like to blog. Last year – before all that stuff with Charlie and before I had to face the harsh realities of A-Levels and university applications and the fact that one day I really will have to start talking to people – I had friends. Things were very different, I guess, but that’s all over now. Now there’s Solitaire. And Michael Holden. I don’t know what Solitaire are trying to do, and I don’t care about Michael Holden. I really don’t. This incredible debut novel by outstanding young author Alice Oseman is perfect for fans of John Green, Rainbow Rowell and all unflinchingly honest writers.
#5. Her Nick and Charlie content NEVER. MISSES.
Hands up if you’re just as obsessed with Heartstopper as we are! 🙋♀️
Regardless of whether you’ve come to Alice’s books from Netflix’s Heartstopper adaptation or you’ve been here since the release of her very first novel Solitaire, there’s one thing we all have in common: we all love Nick and Charlie! For fans looking for more of their love story, don’t forget to pick up the Nick and Charlie novella which follows the couple as they come to terms with how to make their relationship work long distance when Nick leaves for university.
Nick and Charlie by Alice Oseman
Absence makes the heart grow fonder, right? Everyone knows that Nick and Charlie are the perfect couple – that they’re inseparable. But now Nick is leaving for university, and Charlie will be left behind at Sixth Form. Everyone’s asking if they’re staying together, which is a stupid question – they’re ‘Nick and Charlie’ for God’s sake! But as the time to say goodbye gets inevitably closer, both Nick and Charlie question whether their love is strong enough to survive being apart. Or are they delaying the inevitable? Because everyone knows that first loves rarely last forever…
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