Heartstopper: Volume 1

Today I read volume one of Heartstopper, the young adult graphic novel by Alice Oseman. I haven’t watched the Netflix series so this was my first introduction to the story of the budding love between Charlie and Nick.

This is such an endearing, heartwarming story, drawn in a rather elementary style without much background, focusing on the facial expressions of its characters instead. And that’s where Oseman excels. With a few simple lines she expresses a wide range of emotions that are totally believable and drag you into the story.

What a treat this must be for young gay adolescents! But it left this 60 year old reader not unmoved as well. I will definitely read the other three volumes in this series.

Charlie and Nick don't seem like they'd be a pair. Charlie was outed last year at their all-boys school, seems fairly quiet, and meets up with another boy to make out in secret. Nick is a year older, on the rugby team, and Charlie assumes he's straight. But the two hit it off when they're in the same homeroom together, tentatively become friends and potentially something more.

This was the book I chose to read for Banned Books Week this year. It's a sweet story of young love that started out as a web comic because the author decided she wanted to explore the beginnings of a relationship that's already established in her earlier novel, Solitaire. The side characters are very much in the background, and I wondered if that was why. But I show more enjoyed it, I thought it was sweet and captured the feelings of uncertainty and tension of being a teen starting a relationship without overwhelming with angst. I will definitely be continuing the series. show less

swoon. this is utterly charming and sweet and adorable, and also much more than that. it's not complicated art, but you see exactly what these two are feeling, and it's rendered so perfectly. you see charlie as he realizes that the boy he's been meeting for before-school kisses has just been using him, and you see nick as he starts to question his feelings for charlie and what that might mean. it's sweet and true to life and it makes my heart sing. this is exactly what i needed after reading some harder things lately. it's the cutest fucking thing and more.

Fourteen-year-old Charlie was unintentionally outed at school a year ago, and as the only recognized gay student at school he's since been at the center of bullying and other cruel manifestations of the school's collective homophobia. Charlie's new seatmate in advisory, Nick, seems a nice enough guy, despite being on the rugby team and whose teammates have been some of the worst offenders. Though Charlie's friends implore him not to fall for the straight guy, Charlie begins to fall...and starts to wonder if Nick may not be as straight as he seems.

Brilliant! Clever illustrations, a sweet story, and healthy, honest relationships. In this book, guys have feelings! And talk about them! (Amazing!) The dialogue, emotions expressed, reactions, show more everything — it feels real. And OMG Nellie, I wanted to reach through the pages and squeeze her. Highly recommend this and the whole rest of the series. show less

Mismatched British schoolboys fumble their way toward romance.

Charlie is a waifish year 10 (equivalent to ninth grade) who is popular despite some taunting and social backlash for coming out at Truham Grammar School for Boys. Year 11 schoolmate Nick is a red-blooded rugby player with a warm demeanor and hunky exterior. When the two are paired in a vertical classroom experiment, Charlie develops an immediate crush on presumably straight Nick, and Nick craves more and more time with Charlie both on campus and off. As the two veer toward a mutual romance, they individually struggle through wondering how to make it come to fruition, questioning if it’s even possible, and deciding whether a first boy-boy crush is a definite proclamation of show more gayness. Organic frame borders and fragmented panels underscore the respective action on the spreads (sweet and tender moments, run-ins with homophobic jerks) and prevent the visual graphics from going aesthetically stale. Handwritten text reinforces the lens of humanity through which Oseman spins this to-be-continued story. Crisp, clear-cut font is reserved for tech moments when back-and-forth texting is the storytelling vehicle. Charlie and Nick appear white, and there is ethnic diversity in the supporting cast. Fans of Oseman’s debut, Solitaire(2015), will enjoy this story that centers on protagonist Tori’s younger brother, Charlie; however, this volume stands alone and will engage readers new to her work.

An adorable diary of love’s gut punches. (Graphic novel. 12-16)

-Kirkus Review show less

Charlie is a quiet high school sophomore, who was bullied last year for being gay. He’s assigned to sit next to rugby star Nick Nelson in homeroom, and the two of them develop a friendship. Or is it something more?

Sweet and cute, as expected. I’m not sure how much I would have gotten out of it if I hadn’t seen the TV show first. It’s all very simple and most of the other characters and background and nuance aren’t there (yet? I’ll keep reading).

Si bien este no es el tipo de libros que suelo reseñar (lo digo porque es un webcómic y novela gráfica juvenil) la verdad es que me pareció demasiado gratificante ya que no se necesitó de una complicada trama para obtener un resultado excelente.

Groso modo, la historia aborda temas como la aceptación, el descubrimiento de la sexualidad, problemas alimenticios y las consecuencias que puede causar el bullying. Aunque muchos libros tocan estas temáticas, pocos han podido tratarlos con la delicadeza con la que lo hizo este. Me encantó la manera en la que se van dando las cosas, nada es atropellado y tampoco hay giros bruscos en la trama. El libro carece de escenas para adultos y es algo que se agradece enormemente ya que se escribe show more sobre adolescentes menores de edad.

Hablemos de los personajes: han sido pocos los libros en lo que, ni por un segundo, he odiado a alguno de los protagonistas. Heartstopper es el caso. Nick y Charlie son encantadores en todo momento y la forma que tienen de conectar hizo que no pudiera dejar el libro a pesar de estar en exámenes finales. Los personajes negativos, en cambio, contribuían a la trama ya que la ayudaban a avanzar y, en algún grado, en ellos se reflejan los prejuicios que aún existen en la sociedad.

La traducción que leí fue fenomenal, no me encontré con ningún error ortográfico y dentro de poco leeré los originales en inglés.

Sé que todavía el libro está saliendo y me alegra muchísimo que así sea porque cada uno de los volúmenes me dejaba más enganchada que el anterior. La autora verdaderamente hace un trabajo increíble con el final puesto que cierra el conflicto que dió origen antes y crea uno nuevo. show less