Reviews with content warning for Self harm - Heartstopper Volume 1

Alice May Oseman is a British author of young adult fiction. She secured her first publishing deal at 17 and had her first novel Solitaire published in 2014. They are also the author of the books "Radio Silence", "I Was Born for This", and "Loveless". The webcomic "Heartstopper", published as multiple graphic novels and adapted into a TV series, was also written by Oseman. Her books focus on contemporary teenage life in the UK and have received several awards, including Inky Awards and United By Pop Awards.

Charlie, a highly-strung, openly gay over-thinker, and Nick, a joyful, soft-hearted rugby player, meet at an English all-boys grammar school. Companionship blooms quickly, but could there be something more...?

Charlie Spring is in Year 10 at Truham Grammar School for Boys. The past year has not been too great, but he is not being mocked anymore. Nick Nelson is in Year 11 and on the academy rugby team. He is heard a little about Charlie - the kid who was outed last year and mocked for a few months - but he has never had the chance to talk to him.

They quickly become friends, and soon Charlie falls hard for Nick, even though he doesn't think he has a chance. But love works surprisingly, and sometimes good things are waiting just around the corner...

It was my first time reading a graphic novel, and I am confident it will not be my last one. I did not think that I would enjoy this book as much as I did since I am usually a person who wants a thick and long box with a lot of words. We all know graphic novels are like that, but I did not mind. I found the writing style quite cute, and all the little details of the little sketches and drawings were perfectly executed. I can see how much work the author has put into the results, which certainly did pay off.

When I think about the story, I think about such a reality-based story that could happen in real life. I'm not part of the LGBTQIA+ community. However, I believe this book has excellent representation. It has a lot of depth and discusses topics like coming out or sexual assault. I know this book might not be for everyone; however, I encourage you to pick it up and see it for yourself because before I had this book in my hands, I didn't think I would like it as much.

Overall I would recommend the book, and I am going to read the next part of the series and cannot wait to see how everything goes with Nick and Charlie. I appreciate the hard work behind the book, and I can get that. I would encourage everyone to pick it up and read it and hopefully enjoy it as much as I did.

TW: Abusive Relationship, Homophobia, Homophobic Slurs, Bullying, Eating Disorder, Self-Harm

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aimeenotpond's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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xavienne's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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minervacerridwen's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful relaxing fast-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

A very nice reread after following the updates for several years (I can't quite remember how far the story had gotten when I first picked it up). Even though the series tackles very serious topics, it'll always make you feel good in the end.

Content Warnings