5 STARS!!!!

This was easily my favorite read of the year! I read it so fast and if not for the construct of sleep, I would have finished it in one sitting. I loved everything about this book, and I don't think I have enough words to describe how impactful the characters and the story was <3

The concept of Universe City was inspired by Welcome to NightVale which is my favorite podcast of all time (I've been listening to Cecil since 2015), but it's still very different from NightVale. I loved the idea of a student trapped in a space university sending out distress calls. I wish it was a real thing.

The way Oseman presented the fandom culture and how toxic Twitter and Tumblr fandoms can be, was soo accurate! When Frances was saying how the fandom terrified her I couldn't help agreeing. (from kpop to book fandoms to tv show fandoms, I have experienced the same thing again and again) I also deeply related to the themes of grades and education, and school and university. And how fucking exhausting the whole process of school and getting into unis is. I've always been one of those over-achiever nerds like Frances (except my A-level grades sucked ass lmao), so her character resonated with me, and I also related to the characters like Raine and Carys who couldn't do well at school, no matter how hard they tried.

My favorite part of the book was the friendship between Aled and Frances. It was the sweetest, cutest, most wholesome thing ever. I was reminded of the concept of Kindred Spirits (from Anne of Green Gables), and some reviewers also aptly described it as 'platonic soulmates', and I absolutely adored it. It might be the author's own sexuality seeping into their work, but personally, YA is overflowing with the boy-meets-girl-and-they-fall-in-love montage. Oseman and her focus on the importance and value of friendship are refreshing, revitalizing the contemporary YA genre.
Pretty excited to read more of her work. THIS is what i always wanted from those John Green books.