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A review by jstilts
Nick and Charlie by Alice Oseman
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Short enough to read in one sitting, which is probably ideal as the chapters swap between Nick and Charlie's perspective (while remaining entirely linear); each chapter informs what was REALLY going on with the other person in the previous chapter, and maintaining this is vital to the flow of the narrative.
For fans of the series, this one has some shocks - but by the end you'll realise it's still good wholesome stuff that would be good to put in the hands of someone facing similar emotional experiences. It's almost a fictional handbook in illustrating how not everything is always the way it appears - especially when you are catastrophising!
This isn't a graphic novel like most of the Heartstopper series to date (although there are a few sweet panels), and at first it seems like it doesn't translate well to prose: Nick and Charlie's voice seems off, and Charlie sounds way too mature - until I realise, this is their inner monologue and not the way they present themselves to the outside world. Sure enough, when they talk or text - same old Nick and Charlie. While in no way a criticism of the excellent graphic novels, this book definitely enriches their characters in a way the graphic novels were never going to - and that's more down to the creative decision to have almost every thought in the graphic novel presented in a conversational way.
For fans of the series, this one has some shocks - but by the end you'll realise it's still good wholesome stuff that would be good to put in the hands of someone facing similar emotional experiences. It's almost a fictional handbook in illustrating how not everything is always the way it appears - especially when you are catastrophising!
This isn't a graphic novel like most of the Heartstopper series to date (although there are a few sweet panels), and at first it seems like it doesn't translate well to prose: Nick and Charlie's voice seems off, and Charlie sounds way too mature - until I realise, this is their inner monologue and not the way they present themselves to the outside world. Sure enough, when they talk or text - same old Nick and Charlie. While in no way a criticism of the excellent graphic novels, this book definitely enriches their characters in a way the graphic novels were never going to - and that's more down to the creative decision to have almost every thought in the graphic novel presented in a conversational way.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Eating disorder