Book: Heartstopper Volume 4 by Alice Oseman
Read On: 14th July 2021
Rating: 5/5 stars
Series Summary: Charlie, a highly-strung, openly gay over-thinker and Nick, a cheerful soft-hearted rugby player, meet at a British all-boys Grammar school. Friendship blooms quickly, but could there be something more?
This series has my whole heart! Seriously, the entirety of it. These books are SO stinking cute and I absolutely adore Nick and Charlie’s relationship, as well as their other relationships with their friends and families. Being a series of graphic novels, Oseman is really able to bring their extremely diverse cast of characters to life which allows you to become fully immersed in their lives, you just can’t help but love them!
The Heartstopper series really makes you realise that popular books are definitely popular for a reason. These are such well-loved graphic novels within the book community and they are so worthy of that. Not only do they warm your heart and make you feel fuzzy inside like any good romance story, there are also a lot of deeper and complex topics explored throughout - particularly as the series progresses. Whilst Oseman incorporates discussions of identity into the narrative, this is not all there is. On top of this, the books also sensitively show the impacts of mental illness, both directly and indirectly, and also bullying and homophobic abuse.
Whilst these books have the potential to be extremely triggering to some, it’s clear that the topics are handled with such care and compassion and this is something I appreciated. This series fills me with so much happiness and each read and re-read feels like the biggest warm hug. After all the (worthy) praise these books have received, I’m sure my recommendation won’t be needed... but you’re getting it anyway! If you haven’t already read this series, you NEED to! But of course, be mindful of the triggers before going in and ensure to check all content warnings - these can be found on Alice Oseman’s website.