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A review by readwithjodey
Henry Hamlet's Heart by Rhiannon Wilde
5.0
Henry Hamlet (has my) Heart
To put it simply, Henry Hamlet’s Heart lovingly bludgeoned me to death with nostalgia and queer yearning (in the best way possible). Set in the early-mid 2000’s with references to early days Paramore and other emo-punk bands, the front cover of this book felt like a door into my own brain. I immediately knew Henry, because I saw myself crystal clear in his shoes, the lowkey (okay yeah maybe highkey) nerd, closeted questioning queer school captain that wore glasses of a public school filled with boys that gave way to sexual tension and confusion, and girls that just managed to make it all worse. That was my high school experience, and Wilde perfectly captured those feelings and packaged them up into Henry Hamlet.
We follow our awkward and confused Henry throughout the final months of year 12 as he navigates his way through the classic and stereotypical final year of high school antics, all the while, we watch the unfolding and chaotic blossoming of his sexuality in the form of his attraction to Len. Oh Len… Len, Len, Len, how I love to hate him. And equally love to love him. Though some of his actions towards the end of the book were questionable (calling Henry a mistake and going ghost being a big one there), it is hard not to still feel some sympathy for him. Len, with the trials and tribulations of confused feelings for Hen, coupled with his troubled relationship with his father, comes together to create an unstable force that threatens to uproot Len at every turn. Unfortunately, Hen tends to cop the brunt of this, and though many of their arguments resolve with sometimes very little ‘proper’ reconciliation, their dynamic feels real and raw. It is rife with confusion and trepidation, but also joy, and excitement. It is the right amount of queer yearning and queer fear.
Wilde’s love of her hometown was evident and clear from the start, those pages practically oozed Brisbane. The essence of Brisbane is palpable, from the apt descriptions of its characteristic ‘Queenslander’ styled houses to Jacaranda trees, to our dearly beloved New Farm Park. Every corner that Henry and his friends turned there was something familiar, a reminder of home, a place where any Brisbanite would recognise.
Henry Hamlet’s Heart is a beautiful synthesis of queer adolescence in the melting pot that is high school (and especially grade 12) and is as cosy as it is raw and heartfelt. You can tell it was written with love and care, and I praise Wilde for capturing such a profound and almost indescribable cocktail of feelings and emotions.
Oh, and I forgot to mention, Gran is the queen of all queers, a mascot for the masses. She has my heart just as much as Henry does.
5/5 stars.
To put it simply, Henry Hamlet’s Heart lovingly bludgeoned me to death with nostalgia and queer yearning (in the best way possible). Set in the early-mid 2000’s with references to early days Paramore and other emo-punk bands, the front cover of this book felt like a door into my own brain. I immediately knew Henry, because I saw myself crystal clear in his shoes, the lowkey (okay yeah maybe highkey) nerd, closeted questioning queer school captain that wore glasses of a public school filled with boys that gave way to sexual tension and confusion, and girls that just managed to make it all worse. That was my high school experience, and Wilde perfectly captured those feelings and packaged them up into Henry Hamlet.
We follow our awkward and confused Henry throughout the final months of year 12 as he navigates his way through the classic and stereotypical final year of high school antics, all the while, we watch the unfolding and chaotic blossoming of his sexuality in the form of his attraction to Len. Oh Len… Len, Len, Len, how I love to hate him. And equally love to love him. Though some of his actions towards the end of the book were questionable (calling Henry a mistake and going ghost being a big one there), it is hard not to still feel some sympathy for him. Len, with the trials and tribulations of confused feelings for Hen, coupled with his troubled relationship with his father, comes together to create an unstable force that threatens to uproot Len at every turn. Unfortunately, Hen tends to cop the brunt of this, and though many of their arguments resolve with sometimes very little ‘proper’ reconciliation, their dynamic feels real and raw. It is rife with confusion and trepidation, but also joy, and excitement. It is the right amount of queer yearning and queer fear.
Wilde’s love of her hometown was evident and clear from the start, those pages practically oozed Brisbane. The essence of Brisbane is palpable, from the apt descriptions of its characteristic ‘Queenslander’ styled houses to Jacaranda trees, to our dearly beloved New Farm Park. Every corner that Henry and his friends turned there was something familiar, a reminder of home, a place where any Brisbanite would recognise.
Henry Hamlet’s Heart is a beautiful synthesis of queer adolescence in the melting pot that is high school (and especially grade 12) and is as cosy as it is raw and heartfelt. You can tell it was written with love and care, and I praise Wilde for capturing such a profound and almost indescribable cocktail of feelings and emotions.
Oh, and I forgot to mention, Gran is the queen of all queers, a mascot for the masses. She has my heart just as much as Henry does.
5/5 stars.