Heartstopper Volume 01 The million-copy bestselling series, now on Netflix!

The entire Heartstopper graphic novel series tells the beautiful story of Nick, Charlie and their friends. Important topics are woven together in such an adorable, wholesome story. I cried, laughed, and blushed at their cute ways of showing their love for each other! I'm fascinated by how Alice Oseman has captured so many facets of mental health and queer identity in this story without making it overly sad. It's very representative, and I could see myself in almost every character!

Charlie's boyfriend keeps their relationship a secret. Then Charlie meets Nick and they immediately click. Nick gets between the pair during an argument and protects Charlie. Only then do the two slowly realize that they are becoming more than friends. But Charlie's friends are not so thrilled about her relationship. What if Nick ends up hurting Charlie? But he is different, right? The inspiration for the famous series, as a comic and even more beautiful.

I really enjoyed the story of Nick and Charlie. A delicate, gentle love story that conveys so many strong, yet shy emotions: insecurity, fear, and inner tornness. I smiled and cheered along with it passionately. The story between the two of them is deeper and more intense than I expected. So many important topics are addressed, including bullying, homophobia, sexual orientation phases, and boundary crossings. Especially in our modern society, it should be highlighted again and again. With Heartstopper, Alice Oseman has created something incredibly beautiful and sensitive that instantly captivated me. A story that deals with a sweet and gentle love story while weaving in so many profound moments between the lines.

What starts out as a coming-of-age story that predominantly focuses on a very cute love story proceeds to touch on many heavy topics in the following installments, without losing its comforting feeling. Oseman does a great job at handling topics like bullying, mental health, and recovery, and I especially loved their approach of showing the difficulties of both the person in recovery as well as their loved ones. Emotional, wholesome, and educating in a subtle way - this will forever be a comfort read!

The Heartstopper series is the ultimate comfort series for me. One of the main reasons is probably because "found family" is my favorite trope. I've never caught myself smiling so often while reading any other book. But I’ve also shed many tears—both happy and sad—while reading it. I've reread the books so many times, I’ve lost count. Whether I’m happy or sad, they always make me feel better.