• Author / Artist: Alice Oseman
• Publisher: Hodder Children’s Books / Hodder Books
• Publishing year: 2018
• Pages: 282
• Cover: Alice Oseman
• ISBN: 978-1444951387

https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/alice-oseman/heartstopper-volume-1/9781444951387/

Review:

Boy meets boy

Charlie Spring is a silent, overthinking fourteen year old kid who has become the subject of bullying by some of the boys in the Truham Grammar School for Boys, because he was outed as being gay. He has only one true friend, Tao Xu, who was the only one there to comfort and support Charlie when he was met with homophobia.

When Charlie starts year 10 he is paired with Nick Nelson for a class. Nick is in year 11, a rugby-player and the soft gentle giant of the school. Both become close friends, Nick even convinces Charlie to start playing rugby with him, and they spend a lot of time together, also out of school. Nick invites Charlie at his place where they have a wonderful time playing video games and spending time with Nellie, Nick’s dog. Before he even realizes what’s happening, Charlie starts to fall for Nick, but he knows nothing can ever become between both of them because Nick is straight. Right?

Nick is feeling confused. He loves spending time with Charlie, even starts to have feelings for him. But he loves girls, doesn’t he? Then why does he feel this way for a boy? Love does work in mysterious ways sometimes and pops up in the most unexpected moments. Sometimes, despite the bad things happening, good things await around the corner.

Six years ago, when I started my bookblog on Instagram, I was introduced to ‘Heartstopper’, thé queer revelation of the time. Originally started as an online comic, the fandom grew and a lot of people wanted to read more about Nick and Charlie, Tao and Elle and the entire Heartstopper crew. The comic became so popular that Alice Oseman created an entire universe with a few connected books and in 2022 the first season of the Netflix tv-serie based on the comics, an instant hit that got a second and a third season! Now, in 2026, the final Volume (number 6) was published and almost simultaneous the movie ‘Heartstopper Forever’ was released on Netflix.

The story of two boys falling in love and sharing the best and also the worst moments of each other’s lives is very recognizable and very wholesome. What Alice created is a love story, not only of Nick and Charlie, but of so many people in the comics (and series) and beyond even. What Alice has done is given a forum to so many young people struggling or questioning their gender, their sexuality and growing up in a world where not everyone is taken for granted and this is of such utter importance for them. And let’s not forget the importance of showing everyone the normality of being who you are. This comic created a brighter world for everyone.

Be more like Alice, and a lot less like J.K. Rowling!