Heartstopper is an ongoing LGBTQ+young adult graphic novel and webcomic series written and illustrated by British author Alice Oseman. It follows the lives of Nick Nelson and Charlie Spring as they meet and fall in love. The series is an expanded adaptation of Oseman's 2015 novella, Nick and Charlie, although the characters originally appeared in their 2014 novel, Solitaire.
Heartstopper tells the story of Charlie Spring and Nick Nelson – two British schoolboys who attend the fictional Truham Grammar School – as they meet and fall in love. The series also follows the lives and relationships of their friends, many of whom are LGBTQ+.
Characters
Main
Nick Nelson, a popular Year 11 rugby player at Truham Grammar School seated next to Charlie in form class
The characters of Nick Nelson and Charlie Spring first appeared in supporting roles in Oseman's 2014 novel, Solitaire, which features Charlie's sister, Tori, as the protagonist.[2] Oseman "fell in love" with the couple while writing the novel and decided that she needed to tell their story.[3] She initially released the e-book novellas Nick and Charlie and This Winter featuring the characters in 2015, but eventually realised that their story needed an episodic structure that was more suited to a webcomic or graphic novel format.[3][4]
Oseman started publishing Heartstopper as a webcomic on Tumblr and Tapas in September 2016 and on Webtoon in August 2019.[5] New panels are posted three times a month and illustrated by Oseman herself. The webcomic gained a significant following, leading Oseman to launch a Kickstarter campaign to help fund the publication of a limited run of graphic novels covering the first two chapters of the series (retroactively now Volume 1) on 20 June 2018. The targeted pledge was reached within two hours.[6]
In October 2018, Hachette Children's Group (HCG) acquired the rights to physical publishing of the first two volumes of Heartstopper,[7] and by January 2019, the third and fourth volumes.[8] They were released on 7 February and 11 July 2019,[8] 6 February 2020 and 6 May 2021, respectively.[9][10]Volume 5 was later released on 7 December 2023 while a sixth and final volume has been announced.[11] Additionally, a Heartstopper-themed colouring book was published on 11 June 2020, followed by The Heartstopper Yearbook on 13 October 2022.[12]
Writing for The National, Gemma McLaughlin praised the novels for being able to "capture the attention" through "the small stories that make up life" rather than plot twists and heavy drama. She called the story "infinitely welcoming with characters that seem like real life friends", singling out Charlie as "extremely likeable" and praising the novels' treatment of his mental health.[13]Publishers Weekly said that the novels' "leisurely pace and focus on everyday events ... allows the characters' relationship to develop in a natural, relatable way" and stated that the art style complemented the tone of the story.[14] Imogen Russell Williams in The Times Literary Supplement called Oseman's illustration style "loose and flowing" and said of the novels that they "[engage] directly with shame, fear and anxiety, bringing them sweetly into the light".[15]The A.V. Club included the webcomic on its list of "The best comics of 2018", with Caitlin Rosberg saying that it is "best defined by its kindness both to the characters and the reader".[16]Metaphrog also included the comic on The Herald's 2019 list of "The best comics and graphic novels of the year as chosen by comic creators".[17]
Terri Schlichenmeyer of the Washington Blade described Volume One of the novels as "one really sweet book" and praised the understanding treatment of characters struggling with their sexuality. She also felt that the realism of the novel was strengthened by the inclusion of bully characters.[18]Kirkus Reviews stated that the placement of panels and their bordering in Volume One "prevent the visual graphics from going aesthetically stale" and that the hand-written lettering reinforced the story's human tone. They summarised the novel as "An adorable diary of love's gut punches".[19] Summer Hayes reviewed Volume One in Booklist and praised Oseman's use of wordless panels to portray characters' emotions, although she felt that the illustrations were inconsistent. Overall, she concludes that "the romance and realistic fiction will draw readers into this sweet story".[20] Kelley Gile reviewed Volume One in the School Library Journal, praising the dialogue, detailed facial expressions in the art, and "a font that mimics handwriting [that adds] to the adorkability [sic] factor".[21]
Alaine Martaus also reviewed Volume One in The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books in which she praised the "simple drawings" which she says "keep much of the focus on faces and phones, reinforcing a deeply interpersonal connection at the heart of the story". She described the story as being composed of "a series of charming vignettes".[22] In a further review of Volume Two, Martaus reiterated her previous comments and said that the storytelling of the second volume "moves effortlessly from tearful poignance to laugh-worthy moments to stirring romance".[23]Kirkus Reviews said of Volume Two that it retained the "distinctive style" of illustrations present in the first volume and that its transitions between panels were "creative" and "add creative flair". It praised the characters and described the story as "Incredibly lovable from start to finish".[24] Sarah Rice reviewed Volume Two in Booklist and felt that Nick and Charlie's relationship was presented in a "heartfelt, gentle way" and praised the "loose art style [that] is full of lovely details, such as embarrassment and romantic blush lines".[25]
In a review of Volume Two, Tiffany Babb of The A.V. Club praised the book's reproduction of the webcomic's art, its use of white space, and Oseman's handwritten lettering, which she says is "expressive ... in a way that feels both unique to her style and organic to the pacing of the comic". She felt that the treatment of Charlie and Nick's characters displayed "a level of understanding and care that elevates the story" and argued that the story "never devalued or ignored" the characters' other relationships with friends and family.[26] Sarah Hughes of i included Volume Three in the newspaper's list of "Young Adult fiction: 25 of the best new books for 2020".[27] Prudence Wade rated Volume Four 8/10 for The Independent and called it "a touching tale of teen love and accepting who you are".[28] Fiona Noble also included Volume Four in The Guardian's list of "The best children's books of 2021", describing it as a "joyful, tender look at first love and relationships with an inclusive cast".[29]
The webcomic series received more than 52 million views and the novel had sold more than one million copies worldwide.[30]
Restrictions and book banning controversies
In September 2021, Turkey's Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Services labeled the publication "harmful" concluding that "some elements in the books might have harmful effects on the morality of the those aged below 18."[31] Following this decision, copies of the books are only allowed to be sold inside of sealed envelopes with the label "Harmful for children" in Turkey.[32]
In 2023, the Heartstopper novels increasingly became subject of a wave of U.S. restrictions against books featuring POC, racism, gender identity and/or queer individuals. The books were pulled from shelves in at least two school districts, Clay County, Florida[33] and Canby, Oregon.[34]
In July 2023, a Hungarian bookstore was fined 12 million forints (then approximately US$35,900) for displaying the book without packaging.
Hungary had passed a law in 2021 requiring books containing any homosexual or transgender content to be sold in closed packaging only.[35]
In August 2023, the novels were temporarily pulled from shelves in the Marion County, Mississippi library system pending review by its board of supervisors following complaints of their LGBT nature and inclusion of boys kissing.[36]
A television adaptation of Heartstopper entered development after See-Saw Films acquired the rights in July 2019.[37] Production was greenlit in January 2021 by the streaming service Netflix as an eight-episode series written by Oseman and starring Kit Connor and Joe Locke as Nick and Charlie, respectively.[38] The first season was released on 22 April 2022 and the second on 3 August 2023. A third is currently in development. Since its premiere, the series has received high viewership, critical acclaim and numerous accolades.
As a tie-in to the series' premiere, the first volume of the graphic novel was re-released on 28 April 2022 with an excerpt of the show's script and new cover art featuring Connor and Locke as Nick and Charlie recreating the original illustrated cover.[39] The graphic novel became the top-selling children's book in the UK following the popularity of the Netflix series.[40]
