Heartstopper by Alice Oseman

Published on October 12, 2021

Heartstopper-book-cover

Reviewed by Kerrin Graul

Heartstopper is a graphic novel about two British boys and a first boy crush. The one protagonist Charlie is an openly gay boy in an all-boys school. Nick is a rugby player who is seated next to Charlie in one of their classes. This story covers what happens when two people connect in a way they never expected.

I found this graphic novel refreshing and colorful. The pictures really caught my eye and it was an easy, enjoyable, and quick read. The majority of the novel is expressed through pictures with thought bubbles of text. The author loves to use images more than text, the book plays out like a movie before your eyes. When the characters need to express themselves, the author uses text messages and instant messenger as a way to communicate a lot of information in a short time frame. This book does mention bullying and abusive relationships, but does not delve too deeply into the matter.

This graphic novel is connected with the authors first published novel, Solitaire. Charlie appears as the protagonists younger brother with his protective boyfriend Nick. This is the story of how the two of them first met.

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