Book Review: Heartstopper Volume #5

The world of Heartstopper has become an ever-expanding and self-sustaining entity at this point.  Between the Netflix TV adaptation and the array of expanded stories alongside the main graphic novel, the world of Heartstopper is reaching out to more and more people and that’s great! Despite being tied to so many projects, it’s really nice to see Alice Oseman still devoting a large chunk of her time to finishing off Charlie and Nick’s romantic story across the main line of graphic novels.  Serving as the penultimate entry in the 6-part saga, Volume 5 of Heartstopper devotes a lot of time to showcasing the more mature elements of the Nick and Charlie’s relationship as well as their own aspirations for the future.

The story of Volume 5 of Heartstopper follows Charlie Spring and Nick Nelson several months on from the climatic family dinner at Nick’s house.  Now he is fully out as Bisexual, Nick is trying to figure out what he wants to do with regards to pursuing a university degree and where to go to study.  This decision is made all the harder for Nick however as he is troubled with the idea of being so far apart from Charlie and what his absence might mean for their relationship.  While Nick is trying to figure his education out, Charlie is trying to figure a lot of things out himself. One key aspect Charlie is nervous but eager to explore is the sexual end of his relationship with Nick and whether he can overcome his own personal issues with how the Nick will perceive him at his most vulnerable.  On top of that, Charlie’s also facing more opportunities to push himself to be more confident with being a focal point of attention at school and in social events.  

I like the idea of Volume 5 not really trying to push events forward but simply exploring aspects of the two’s relationship further.  It’s a really smart take to focus on defining the two lads both individually and when they’re together; it reflects a lot of healthy points about most relationships in all honesty.  The reality of a truly grounded romance is learning to exist within your relationship but be able to define yourself individually alongside it.  Heartstopper really gets the idea that these two boys make each other happy when they’re together but they also need to figure out who they can be for themselves too.  Nick already had that confidence from prior entries, but it’s interesting to see him struggle to make choices that might impact his connection with Charlie.  Charlie on the other hand seems to flourish in his own separate moments in this novel as he overcomes the fear of being a focal point of attention based on his prior experiences in coming out and defining a relationship with Nick. I respect how mature this narrative chooses to be when tackling these elements and how appropriate the responses are from its characters. 

I really adore how unique and eloquent Alice Oseman’s art style is when it comes to these graphic novels.  I think it’s her illustrative style that really helps to give the series a really comfortable and uplifting vibe.  She gets character expressions down perfectly as well as visualizing emotional sections with some really creative concepts.  Her use of color is something I’ve picked up on lately as well.  I only just realized each volume utilizes a central color scheme which works in tandem with the core beats and themes at play, it’s remarkably clever and just continues to prove why Oseman is in a whole league of her own.

It's both sad and uplifting to know that Heartstopper’s story is coming to a close in the next entry.  If I’ve learned anything from reading the prior volumes is that Charlie and Nick’s story is a story anyone can take inspiration from.  Don’t get me wrong, I love how unashamedly queer this story is and that representation matters for the LGBTQ+ community.  What I mean though is anyone who understands romance and the joy it brings into our lives can relate to the story being told here. Volume 5 works as a more reflective lens into the mature elements of any relationship and I applaud Oseman for being brave enough to not shy away from talking about this stuff.