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There’s this idea that if you’re not straight, you HAVE to tell all your family and friends immediately, like you owe it to them. But you don’t. You don’t have to do anything until you’re ready.
Heartstopper Vol. 3
Series Title: Heartstopper (Part of the Osemanverse)
Author: Alice Oseman
Publisher: Hodder Children’s Books
Intended Audience: Young Adult
Genre: Romance, Graphic Novel
Pacing: Fast
Moods: Emotional, Hopeful, Inspiring, Lighthearted
Content Warnings: Eating Disorder, Self-Harm, Assault, Coming Out
Title: Heartstopper Vol. 1
Published: February 7, 2019
Pages: 288
Rating: 5 teapots
Title: Heartstopper Vol. 2
Published: July 11, 2019
Pages: 320
Rating: 5 teapots
Title: Heartstopper Vol. 4
Published: May 13, 2021 (UK)
Pages: 353
Rating: 5 teapots
Vol. 1: Charlie, a highly-strung, openly gay over-thinker, and Nick, a cheerful, soft-hearted rugby player, meet at a British all-boys grammar school. Friendship blooms quickly, but could there be something more…?
Charlie Spring is in Year 10 at Truham Grammar School for Boys. The past year hasn’t been too great, but at least he’s not being bullied anymore. Nick Nelson is in Year 11 and on the school rugby team. He’s heard a little about Charlie – the kid who was outed last year and bullied for a few months – but he’s never had the opportunity to talk to him.
They quickly become friends, and soon Charlie is falling hard for Nick, even though he doesn’t think he has a chance. But love works in surprising ways, and sometimes good things are waiting just around the corner…
Vol. 2: Nick and Charlie are best friends. Nick knows Charlie’s gay, and Charlie is sure that Nick isn’t.
But love works in surprising ways, and Nick is discovering all kinds of things about his friends, his family … and himself.
Vol. 3: In this volume we’ll see the Heartstopper gang go on a school trip to Paris! Not only are Nick and Charlie navigating a new city, but also telling more people about their relationship AND learning more about the challenges each other are facing in private…
Meanwhile Tao and Elle will face their feelings for each other, Tara and Darcy share more about their relationship origin story, and the teachers supervising the trip seem… rather close…?
Vol. 4: Nick’s journal: I think I’m in love with Charlie. This summer with him and our friend has been amazing, and I want to say ‘I love you’, but… I guess I’ve had other things to worry about lately…
Warning: This review contains mild spoilers, but only to highlight some content that may be uncomfortable for some people to read.
I was never a big fan of comics or graphic novels growing up because I always found them hard to follow. But last year, I found Heartstopper via Tumblr and absolutely fell in love. Like, I honestly don’t think I have the words for how much this series has stolen my heart. I’ve read each of the volumes twice already since discovering it not even a full year ago, and I will probably end up reading it another few times before it’s completed. It’s just that good.
The four volumes that have been released so far follow the developing relationship between Charlie, a self-proclaimed high-strung and openly gay nerd, and Nick, a friendly, popular rugby player the year ahead of Charlie. They meet when they’re sat next to each other in homeroom/study hall, and from there, friendship forms. As they grow closer, their feelings for each other change and grow into a sweet and caring romantic relationship.
As I said above, this series has completely stolen my heart, and there are so many reasons for that. I absolutely adore the relationship between Nick and Charlie. It is one of the best examples of a friends-to-lovers relationship that I’ve read in a long time. They respect and support each other on a fundamental level, which shows in how well they communicate with each other, especially when they’re both going through some pretty major life events like Nick’s bisexual awakening and Charlie’s eating disorder.
I also really love the relationships between the other characters. As Nick and Charlie’s relationship develops, they also form a beautiful friendship with other lovable characters, like Tao, Elle, Darcy, Tara, and Aled. I love stories with strong friend groups, and Hearstopper does this particularly well. It also does a good job of portraying complex family dynamics.
But I think the thing that this series does the best is handle difficult topics. Nick’s coming out, and Charlie’s eating disorder are discussed in a mature, well-thought-out way that highlights their significance without overshadowing the sweet and soft nature of the story. Although the story isn’t over yet, Oseman has so far done a fantastic job at giving these storylines the time they need and deserve to play out in a satisfying way.
I am so excited to see how the rest of Nick and Charlie’s story plays out. The webcomic is on hold for now while Alice Oseman works on the rest of her expanded universe and the Netflix adaptation of Heartstopper, which I’m also over the moon excited for. If you haven’t read Heartstopper yet, I sincerely recommend it, especially if you’re looking for something soft, sweet, and easy to read.
What book or series is your comfort read?
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