Book Review: Hearstopper Volume #1

After following recommendations to watch the Netflix adaption I was pleasantly surprised by how delightful I found Heartstopper to be. Anyone who know's me knows I'm an open supporter of all forms of identities and sexualities and to see a show designed for a younger LGBTQ+ audience was really nice to see. After enjoying the show I decided it would be a good idea to read the graphic novel that it was actually based off.

Illustrated and written by Alice Oseman, the Heartstopper series spans currently across four volumes, with a fifth and final one intended for release in early 2023. The series follows the developing relationship between a pair of British school boys called Charlie Spring and Nick Nelson. The first volume in the series specifically follows how the two end up meeting during their time at secondary school and how their relationship develops from there.

The biggest thing you notice about the graphic novel is the art style. Alice Oseman noted she spent years sketching out the story of Nick and Charlie in numerous sketchpads and you can easily see all those years of practise on show within the pages of this book. There's a really pleasant and endearing design behind all of the illustrations. Oseman has a keen sense of style in the character design and her ability to layer a ton of expressions within their designs is extremely noteworthy. It's a very pleasant and warm art style and it doesn't confirm to your standard comic book formatting which I feel adds to it's overall quality.

The story is really nice as well. If you've seen the TV show on Netflix then you will be VERY familiar with it, as the show did a fantastic job in adapting the story beat for beat. It's predominately focused on the blooming relationship between Charlie and Nick so their relationship plays a big part in the story. You see how they get acquainted and come to develop feelings for one another as they navigate the typical social occasions most teenage school boys would find themselves in at that age. There's a nice supporting cast of characters in the story that have a nice sense of interaction with the main duo across the duration of the story.

I'm looking forward to reading the remaining volumes of the series if the first volume is any indication. It's nice to see a love story from a different perspective and it the fact it's geared towards a much younger audience is incredible and I honestly feel more stories like this should exist!