Heartstopper #4 {spoiler free}

This book review contains spoilers for Heartstopper #3!

Author: Alice Oseman

Series: Heartstopper

Audience: YA

Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 

Synopsis

Charlie didn’t think Nick could ever like him back, but now they’re officially boyfriends. Charlie’s beginning to feel ready to say those three little words: I love you.

Nick’s been feeling the same, but he’s got a lot on his mind – not least coming out to his dad, and the fact that Charlie might have an eating disorder.

As summer turns to autumn and a new school year begins, Charlie and Nick are about to learn a lot about what love means.

– Goodreads

 

Writing Style

This is a graphic novel. That means that the book contains a lot of pictures and not so much text. This makes it a quick read.

Characters

Charlie

Charlie is the main character. He came out last year. He is now a couple with Nick.

Nick

Nick is a rugby player and Charlie’s classmate. He recently found out that he is bisexual. He is now a couple with Charlie.

Romance

The blurb already betrays it. Love plays the leading role here.

What I liked the most

I have respect for the way that Alice Oseman deals with mental health and the disorders that can accompany it. It doesn’t feel forced and it’s very educational. Problems with your mental health do not just affect you, but also the people around you the moment they realize that something is wrong.

Conclusion

Best of YA books was kind enough to send me a review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Heartstopper volume 4 tackles some heavier subjects just like volume 3. Things aren’t going very well for Charlie in this volume. He struggles with his mental health. Nick sees this too and realises that he doesn’t know what’s the best way to help Charlie. I like that Alice Oseman highlights both sides. Problems with your mental health do not just affect you, but also the people around you the moment they realize that something is wrong.

I have respect for the way Alice Oseman describes mental health and the things around it. This is a difficult topic and still very taboo unfortunately. The way this is handled in Heartstopper doesn’t feel forced and it’s very educational.

Warning: this book contains heavy topics such as homophobia, mental illnesses, eating disorder and self harm