Details

Length: 1259

Story Build: Quick 

Character development: Solid

Age Recommendation: 7th and up 

Reasoning: some language, brief sexual references; mental health topics (self-harm)  

Summary and Review

I’m going to keep this short and sweet because I don’t want to ruin the story of these two genuine characters for you. Plus, I am covering four (FOUR!!) volumes in this review, so it’s pretty easy to give away spoilers. 

Heartstoppers follows the journey of two teens from the UK – Charlie and Nick. They are paired up in the same form class, which results in a blossoming friendship and a crush for Charlie, who has been out to his school since the previous year. However, as Oseman showcases through Charlie’s memories, that was not really by Charlie’s choice nor did he experience kindness from the majority of his peers. 

Throughout the volumes, it is clear that Nick, too, develops feelings for Charlie and must come to terms with his own sexuality as well as how to navigate telling those closest to him. The boys also deal with typical high school situations (drinking on a school trip?!! Drama with friends!), but the crux of volumes 3 and 4 are actually Charlie’s mental health and how Nick can best support him through that journey with the knowledge that he can’t fix it. 

That’s all I’m really going to say… You can zoom through these texts really quickly because 1) they are graphic novels and 2) Oseman creates such a sweet world that you want to be immersed in it. 

Celebrations

Well, the obvious first celebration is that these graphic novels are about queer characters. I LOVE representation for our kiddos in texts. It’s so important for the growth of our world as well as for the mental health of our children to see themselves reflected in text. Speaking of mental health, Oseman does a really good job of highlighting the reality of mental illness and showcasing supportive relationships for Charlie through that (both romantic and platonic friendships). It was also refreshing to read a story of a HEALTHY relationship… you’ll see. It’s a great model for those teens… and even adults in your life! 

Hesitations

I wish it were in color haha… but that’s a personal preference! 🙂