Heartstopper Volume 1

HEARTSTOPPER is the beginning of a boy-meets-boy romance graphic novel series from Alice Oseman. Charlie is an openly gay drum player and Nick is a cheerful rugby player. They attend the same all-boy British grammar school and develop a strong friendship after they are seated next to each other in class. However, their friendship blossoms into something more as they continue to get to know each other.

This story actually started out as a free webcomic online, but it became so popular and had so many readers that it was picked up and published by a major publisher. Charlie and Nick’s story has touched a lot of people, and you’ll see why as soon as you start reading. To put it simply, it’s adorable. Charlie is serious, shy, and guarded from a past of heavy bullying, while Nick is upbeat, athletic, and overly-friendly. On paper, it doesn’t seem like they could be friends in high school, and yet it works so well.

In addition to the cute story and characters, the illustrations in this graphic novel are captivating. They are soft and don’t have too many details, but they get the message across perfectly. If you read it online, the illustrations are in black and white. However, the printed editions of this comic are in color and they are stunning to look at. If possible, it’s definitely worth checking out the colored version because the aesthetic is breathtaking.

The graphic novel is short, but it’s one that is sure to make you feel good. Some books make us feel warm and fuzzy inside and are thus perfect for days when we just need a pick-me-up. This is a book you can pick up whenever you have a free 45 minutes, just to make you smile. So yes, if you’re looking for more books to make you smile, don’t skip out on HEARTSTOPPER.