AUTHOR: Alice Oseman GENRE: LGBTQ+ Graphic Novel PAGES: 384 RELEASED: 6 May 2021 SERIES: Heartstopper #4 SYNOPSIS: Charlie didn't think Nick could ever like him back, but now they're officially boyfriends. Charlie's beginning to feel ready to say those three little words: I love you. Nick's been feeling the same, but he's got a lot on his mind - not least coming out to his dad, and the fact that Charlie might have an eating disorder. As summer turns to autumn and a new school year begins, Charlie and Nick are about to learn a lot about what love means. A super cute coming-of-age graphic novel about falling in love and finding the strength to ask for help.
The summer is finally here, but there’s still some stress for Charlie and Nick, even while spending time at the beach. Charlie is mustering up the courage to say ‘I Love You’, but is worried that Nick is going to feel like he has to say it back, or maybe not say it at all. Meanwhile Nick is trying to figure out how to help Charlie with his eating disorder, but doesn’t know how he’s going to broach the subject with him, or even how he can actually help. When the school year kicks off, it’s clear that Charlie needs more help than Nick can provide and that it’s going to take more than loving one another to get Charlie on the road to recovery. My gosh this series just keeps going from strength to strength! Alice did such a great job at tackling mental health issues, in particular eating disorders, OCD and self harm, showing the highs and the lows along the path to recovery and management. I really enjoyed how she used flashback recaps in order to tell a portion of the story, rather than getting bogged down in actually following it as it happened. It made for a nice change to how the rest of the story has been told. Once again, Alice’s art style is just so great, and it was really cool to see how Charlie’s appearance subtly changed throughout the past two books as his mental health both got worse but also improved – it was nice to see that attention to detail. The art style is simple, yet also detailed, and as I’ve said before, a really great introduction to the graphic novel genre. As I’ve said with the previous books, every interaction and conversation between these characters feel so organic and real. This book in particular was a rollercoaster of emotions as we not only follow Charlie and Nick’s relationship and the hurdles they have to tackle, but also the relationships of Tao & Elle, Tara & Darcy, and even the teachers we were introduced to in the previous book (their mini-comic was super cute!). I’m excited to see where all their stories go in the final instalment (omg I don’t want to it be over!). If you’re a sucker for a cute coming-of-age romance, love graphic novels, and can’t get enough of LGBTQIA+ reads, Heartstopper needs to be near the top of your TBR! This series is an absolute must-read, especially before you dive into the Netflix series! |
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