REVIEW: Heartstopper (graphic novel, vol. 5) by Alice Oseman

Heartstopper is a YA high school romance graphic novel series. I bought my copy of this volume new.

Review:

In this volume, Charlie and Nick are having to confront upcoming changes in their lives. Nick is considering university options and the possibility of a long distance relationship with Charlie. Charlie is still working on his body image issues and his eating disorder, although he's doing much better. As he adjusts to the idea of school life without Nick around everyday, he also finds himself thinking about his and Nick's relationship. He thinks he's ready to take things to the next level, but is Nick?

REVIEW: Heartstopper (graphic novel, vol. 4) by Alice Oseman

Heartstopper is a high school romance graphic novel series. I bought my copy of this volume brand new.

Review:

While Charlie stresses over whether, when, and how to tell Nick he loves him, Nick is reading up on eating disorders because he believes Charlie has one and he's trying to figure out how to help.

This volume spent quite a bit of time on Charlie's mental health - his anxiety and problems eating. Things get a lot worse for him before they get better, but I felt like the whole thing was dealt with in a sensitive way and put more of the focus on Charlie's efforts to get better. That said, although I've dealt with anxiety for years, I don't have any personal experience dealing with eating disorders. You can take my opinion with a grain of salt.

If you've ever tried to help someone deal with mental illness or other issues, Nick's struggles will likely feel familiar. He desperately wanted to help Charlie but didn't know how. In this volume, part of his journey involved learning that he couldn't do and be everything for Charlie, and that it wasn't healthy to expect himself to. He was supportive, and he helped Charlie understand that he needed help, but "the power of love" wasn't some fix-all that could take care of everything.

Have I mentioned that I really love Nick's mom, by the way? She's great.

Anyway, I think I liked this volume the most out of all the ones in the series so far. It sounds like the next volume is the last. I'm interested in seeing how Oseman wraps this up.

Extras:

A bunch of "firsts" pages for Mr. Ajayi and Mr. Farouk (even though they're minor characters, I love that this adult couple gets to be adorable too), character profiles, Charlie and Tao's Instagram photos, a list of mental health resources, and an author's note.

REVIEW: Heartstopper (graphic novel, vol. 3) by Alice Oseman

Heartstopper is a high school romance graphic novel series. I bought my copy of this volume brand new.

This review includes slight spoilers.

Review:

Nick has now come out to his mom, which went well. However, coming out isn't a "one and done" thing. What will happen when other people in his life find out? Charlie, for his part, is still scarred from the bullying he suffered after he was outed to the whole school, and he's worried that Nick might experience something similar.

Charlie, Nick, several of their classmates, and students they know at Higgs (Truham's counterpart for girls) all go on a Paris trip together in this volume. It turns into a giant relationship turning point for several people - not only does Charlie and Nick's relationship deepen, but things finally progress between Elle and Tao. Even the teachers overseeing the trip have a few moments together.

REVIEW: Heartstopper (graphic novel, vol. 2) by Alice Oseman

Heartstopper is a high school romance graphic novel series. Although the primary relationship is between two boys, there are several other relationships in the background that occasionally get some page-time and might feature more prominently later on, such as one involving a lesbian couple and a potential relationship between a boy and a trans girl.

This review includes slight spoilers.

Review:

This picks up a little after the events of volume 1. Charlie is convinced that he has now ruined the friendship between him and Nick by kissing Nick. Nick, meanwhile, instantly regretted bailing on Charlie but is also still overwhelmed by a confusing jumble of feelings. He decides to go to Charlie's and talk to him, only for the two of them to admit that they really like each other and kiss again. They decide to become a couple but keep it between themselves for now, because Nick isn't really comfortable with the idea of coming out yet and hasn't even settled on what label applies to him, although "bisexual" sounds more appropriate than "gay."

The rest of the volume is devoted to Nick and Charlie spending time with each other and just generally being really bad at hiding their feelings for each other. As it turns out, however, there are people blind enough to see them making heart eyes at each other and not realize that they're in a relationship. Tao, one of Charlie's friends, is worried that Nick will end up hurting Charlie the way Ben did. Charlie, meanwhile, doesn't mind keeping his and Nick's relationship private, but he's not wild about spending time with some of Nick's friends.

REVIEW: Heartstopper (graphic novel, vol. 1) by Alice Oseman

Heartstopper is a coming-of-age/gay romance graphic novel series. I bought my copy of the first volume brand new.

Review:

Charlie and Nick both attend the Truham Grammar School for Boys. Charlie was outed as being gay last year and had to deal with a lot of bullying, but that has since tapered off. Now he has a secret sort-of relationship (kissing in out of the way places) with Ben, who's still in the closet. Meanwhile, assigned seating has placed Charlie and Nick next to each other in class. Nick is a rugby player, but despite jock stereotypes, he's actually a really nice guy. He invites Charlie to come play rugby, and as the two boys get to know each other better, Charlie realizes to his horror that he's starting to fall for the almost certainly straight Nick. However, Nick is coming to some realizations of his own...