Heartstopper (Volume 1)

Story and Art: Alice Oseman

Summary from Amazon:

Shy and softhearted Charlie Spring sits next to rugby player Nick Nelson in class one morning. A warm and intimate friendship follows, and that soon develops into something more for Charlie, who doesn’t think he has a chance.

But Nick is struggling with feelings of his own, and as the two grow closer and take on the ups and downs of high school, they come to understand the surprising and delightful ways in which love works.

So I blame the Netflix show for my latest addiction called Heartstopper. I’ve rewatched the series three times now, but I still couldn’t get enough of it. Since the second and third seasons are still in progress, I thought I’d use that time to catch up on the webcomic instead.

🍀Reasons to Bump This Up Your TBR

Fluffy Feels 

Heartstopper is about Charlie who develops a crush on his school’s most popular guy Nick. While the Netflix show mostly followed the webcomic, there were still some small differences. It’s understandable to do that, but the slow burn fitted the pacing of the webcomic. And I enjoyed that easy and laid-back vibe because it kept things light and optimistic. Yet, Heartstopper was not just about the fluffy moments. There were also some heavy themes tackled like Charlie’s toxic relationship with his ex, bullying, and figuring out one’s sexual identity which the readers could relate to.

Nick and Charlie

Right from the get-go, I liked Charlie. He’s the shy awkward gay guy at school who used to be bullied by his schoolmates. I couldn’t help but like him since he sort of reminded me of my teenage self – the insecurity and unrequited love. I wanted to cheer him on, while at the same time, protecting him from the inevitable pain. 

On the other hand, Nick was just a ball of sunshine. Like Charlie, Nick was impossible not to like. I’ve seen love interests like him who was just in the story as eye candy, just there to deliver the fluffy feels but short on character development. But nope, his confusion regarding his feelings for Charlie and his sexuality was a compelling read. 

I love how everyone, but these two knew that they liked each other. They’re oblivious but also very cute together. 

More than words

Every panel was neatly separated which made the comic easier to read. My favorite panels got to be the ones without any dialogue other than their expressions and actions. The images alone were enough to capture the feelings and the tension within the scene. 

I just noticed while writing this that the green color of the panels matched the green cover of the book. Got to love that added detail. 

Volume 1 delivered all the sweet, fuzzy, and fluffy feels, but it ended in a cliffhanger so I’m looking forward to volume 2 for more of the love story between Charlie and Nick.

Have you read this book? If not, do you plan on reading this? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

Check out [Graphic Novel] Heartstopper (Volume 2) too.