Well, I haven't watched the Netflix adaptation show yet, but after speeding through this 4th installation in the Heartstopper series in one sitting (insert links to earlier blog posts/reviews here), I think that's going to be a "sooner rather than later" situation. This began as, and remains, one of the sweetest series I have ever read. And there is really never a time when I don't want that kind of vibe added to my life. 

 

This 4th book focuses, for the most part, on Charlie and his struggles with mental health, within the greater context of he and Nick's strengthening romantic relationship (and all the attendant drama of teen first love). We got a quick look at it in one of the earlier books, when Nick has worries about Charlie's eating habits and potential eating disorder, but things come to a head in this one, as Charlie faces a relapse of self harm and chooses to spend time as an inpatient at a psych ward to get help. There's also a sub-plot of Nick finally having the chance to come out to his (mostly absent) father, as well as cameos from many of Nick and Charlie's friends as they spend summer break together and head back to school. 

 

There is just something so "breath of fresh air" about these graphic novels. Oseman doesn't shy away from intense topics of young adulthood, like first love and mental health and sexuality/being outed/bullying and all levels of supportive (or not) family situations. It's real, necessarily so. And yet at the same time, there's a sweetness and tenderness to the stories that keep them, overall, as a sort of comfort read. It's a cozy feel that comes from the combination of being both authentic (re: anxiety and drama) and having an "I know there will be a happy ending" reassurance. 

 

I want to point out, specifically, that I loved the way Oseman dealt with the codependency that I remember so clearly from high school first love situations. There is a real learning curve to having room in your life for both romantic and platonic relationships, and there is a tendency for romance to win at the beginning (this is so recognizable when I think back on myself and my friends in high school). The way that mental health was dealt with was also nicely done - open and honest. The ups and down of Charlie's days and reactions to therapy are very real. And Nick's conversation with his mother was particularly heartwarming and wonderful, as she helped him see that he can wholeheartedly support and be there for Charlie, but he's only 16 and must also understand that Charlie needs more help, qualified/professional help, and it's not fair to either of them for Nick to shoulder so much of the burden himself. I also *so* appreciate the way that when Nick comes out to his father, Charlie is there for him, showing that while he may have his own mental health struggles, he is not useless or invalid and can still be a supportive partner. A really nice example of the fluidity, the ebb and flow, of the direction of support in relationships. 

 

Visually, this graphic novel series remains great. I love, as I have before, the level of expression in Nick and Charlie's features, in the panels where there are no words and yet their feelings come across so strongly. Oseman has a knack for those little details that add so much; the panels of Nick and Charlie's feet as they make out are so full of emotion! 

 

I do feel like, as the character list is growing and there are more and more side stories (the budding teacher romance, the many friends in relationships), there is a bit of jumpiness coming into the overall story. It's like Oseman is trying to at least mention everyone once and, unfortunately, that's causing there to be a bit of a trying too hard feel to some of the panels/mentions. I mean, I love them all and I'm not mad about getting the updates, but they did sometimes interrupt the flow.  

 

This was such a touching story within the greater series, really adding depth to Nick and Charlie's relationships with each other. There were cameos from many favorite side characters (I was particularly into Charlie's sister, Tori, in this installation). The nostalgia-tinted trip back to high school is strangely comforting, from my adult perspective, and I just have so many soft feelings towards these characters and am always happy to return to their world and the assured happiness, for the reader, within it. 

 

“Love can’t cure a mental illness.” 

 

“Standing by his side, even when things are hard - But also knowing that…sometimes people need more support than just one person can give. That’s love, darling.”