Would you want to read one of the cutest romance stories of all time about two boys that end up falling in love with each other in high school? Then Heartstopper is a graphic novel that I would highly recommend if you want to smile at a book from beginning to end. The book follows Charlie Spring and Nick Nelson as they meet at the beginning of the school year. The two of them couldn’t be more different, Charlie is a quiet spoken boy who plays the drums in his spare time and Nick is a jock who plays rugby after school with a bunch of his friends. Nonetheless Charlie is immediately smitten with him and they become fast friends after Nick helps Charlie when he (Charlie) is breaking up with his secret boyfriend after finding out his was cheating on him. Soon he boys are almost Inseparable as Nick convinces Charlie to join the rugby team with him and constantly defends Charlie when people are being homophobic towards him since he is openly gay. Slowly but surely, Nick begins to have a crush on Charlie too and they end try to figure out their relationship after sharing a kiss at a birthday party.
This story is a very nice and touching story about coming out, great friendships, and touches briefly on an eating disorder throughout the book. There are good lessons about how homophobia can affect people and make them nervous to be true about who they are or even like. Nick and Charlie’s relationship hit a few bumps, but they always seem to work through it with good Communication and slow build of trust between the two. a 10/10 if you ask me.
The show’s adaptation has won many awards including Outstanding Writing for a Young Teen Program and Outstanding Young Teen series at the Children and Family’s Emmy Awards in 2022.
Oseman, Alice. Heartstopper. Graphix, an Imprint of Scholastic, 2020.
The book is also a show now on Netflix! A trailer is posted above, there are currently two seasons and a third is on the way.
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