By Caitlin Hollywood Published: Aug 2, 2022
Heartstopper, by Alice Oseman, is a beautiful story about teenage boys coming to terms with their sexualities. Living up to the title, this novel is heart-stopping. The format of this story is laid out like a graphic novel, and it is an overall fun book to read. According to Rainbow Rowell, the author of Carry On, this story is "Absolutely delightful. Sweet, romantic, kind. Beautifully paced. I loved this book." I agree with Rowell 100%; I rated this book a 4/5 on Goodreads. The amazing author and artist, Alice Oseman, has written this story as the first of many, and I can't wait to read them all.
Heartstopper starts with our main character, shy and soft-hearted Charlie Spring, who sits next to rugby player Nick Nelson in a class one morning. A warm and intimate friendship follows, which soon develops into something more for Charlie, who doesn't think he has a chance. But Nick is struggling with feelings of his own, and as the two grow closer and take on the ups and downs of high school, they come to understand the surprising and delightful ways in which love works. I couldn’t help seeing myself in both characters; this story and the characters are all so relatable.
This story is worth the read, although the book was not my favorite. The Netflix adaptation was more enjoyable, in my opinion. The book was set up like a graphic novel, and I often felt I was missing information. But overall, I loved this heartwarming concept and will keep reading all of Alice Oseman's works. There are four volumes in the Heartstopper series, then Oseman writes more books that include the same feelings. Alice Oseman has many heavy topics in her books, like mental health, and she is not afraid to explore all sexualities. Oseman is known for her LGBTQ+ and Young Adult writing. Alice Oseman has grown to be my favorite author.
Heartstopper starts with our main character, shy and soft-hearted Charlie Spring, who sits next to rugby player Nick Nelson in a class one morning. A warm and intimate friendship follows, which soon develops into something more for Charlie, who doesn't think he has a chance. But Nick is struggling with feelings of his own, and as the two grow closer and take on the ups and downs of high school, they come to understand the surprising and delightful ways in which love works. I couldn’t help seeing myself in both characters; this story and the characters are all so relatable.
This story is worth the read, although the book was not my favorite. The Netflix adaptation was more enjoyable, in my opinion. The book was set up like a graphic novel, and I often felt I was missing information. But overall, I loved this heartwarming concept and will keep reading all of Alice Oseman's works. There are four volumes in the Heartstopper series, then Oseman writes more books that include the same feelings. Alice Oseman has many heavy topics in her books, like mental health, and she is not afraid to explore all sexualities. Oseman is known for her LGBTQ+ and Young Adult writing. Alice Oseman has grown to be my favorite author.