The graphic novel series “Heartstopper”, written by Alice Oseman, is a charming and deeply approachable set of works that has gained significant popularity throughout its life.
Oseman first began sketching the main characters, Nick and Charlie, in 2013. By 2016, she started posting “Heartstopper” comics to her Tumblr page, where they quickly accumulated a massive following.
In 2018, she ran a Kickstarter campaign to get the first full novel of “Heartstopper” self-published. Following this, she accepted a deal with French publisher Hachette Livre, who published the “Heartstopper” series in the UK. In 2022, Netflix began releasing their live-action series based on the novels with Oseman aiding the project.
The series excels is in its characters and its soul. “Heartstopper” approaches topics such as body image, bullying, toxic relationships, eating disorders and family conflict through the eyes of students who are 15 to 18 years old. It never talks down to its audience, but it similarly strays from discussing these topics in ways that could be triggering.
The series maintains a lightheartedness throughout while never feeling too disconnected or out of touch with the messages it conveys.
Its ensemble of characters provides countless spaces for readers to see and understand themselves and the people around them. Each person in Nick and Charlie’s lives feels real; they are faces and voices from all walks of life.
One of the major concepts that drew people to “Heartstopper” was the way it approached LGBTQ+ individuals and relationships. Nick and Charlie fall in love, and both try to navigate the landscape of coming out and acceptance throughout the books, a concept which is handled with an incredible level of respect.
The series takes great care in showing the responses of the characters’ friends, families and acquaintances and how individuals approach things through unique and personal ways.
“Heartstopper” left an immediate impact on early readers and evolved into an emotionally resonant, compelling and uplifting series capable of speaking to any young adult facing struggles. Discussing heavy topics through a relatable lens, the books offer a distinctive representation of the complexities of young adult life without feeling over- or under-whelming. Readers are given an abundance of characters filled with life, color, uniqueness and individuality, and Oseman writes in a way that ensures her readers can feel safe connecting with the characters of this series.
The “Heartstopper” Netflix series currently has two seasons up for viewing, and Oseman has stated that the sixth installment of the novels will be the story’s conclusion.
