Heartstopper, Volume 1
2018
- young adult fiction, comics & graphic novels, lgbt
- young adult fiction, comics & graphic novels, lgbtq+
- high schools
- comic books, strips
- boys
- gays
- love in adolescence
- friendship
- mental illness
- nyt:graphic-books-and-manga=2022-05-08
The story
Boy meets boy. Boys become friends. Boys fall in love. Charlie and Nick are at the same school, but they've never met ... until one day when they're made to sit together. They quickly become friends, and soon Charlie is falling hard for Nick, even though he doesn't think he has a chance. But love works in surprising ways, and Nick is more interested in Charlie than either of them realise.
What it’s like
Soft, round-cornered panels in pastel watercolour tones, with lots of white space and simple line work that makes ordinary school days feel light and airy. Classroom scenes, lunch tables and walks home are drawn with cheerful, uncluttered warmth, and speech bubbles often carry the emotional weight, with small doodles and sticker-like illustrations in the margins. The prose-free rhythm moves quickly, one page of giggles and blushes after another, and the overall vibe is sweet, gentle and hopeful, the kind of book you read in one sitting on a rainy Sunday or under a blanket with tea. Feelings are tender and awkward rather than dramatic: a shy boy slowly realising he is cared for, a friendship deepening into first crushes and first uncertainties. Intensity is very low, with no violence, no sexual content, and only mild, non-graphic mentions of anxiety and bullying. It suits readers who want a comforting queer teen romance, fans of cozy coming-of-age comics, and anyone looking for something sincere and kind.
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