The library came through! Cause I wasn’t lying when I said that after reading the first Heartstopper a few weeks ago that I was not ready for the unexpected romantic cliffhanger and needed more immediately. Thankfully, I may not have been alone in my needs/requests, because the second and third volumes just got added to our catalog (a pretty quick turnaround). Yay! 

This second volume of the Heartstopper graphic novel series starts immediately where the last one left off – the night after the party where Nick and Charlie first kissed. And while Charlie is freaking out that he pushed Nick too far and is going to lose him as a friend, Nick is freaking out because…he super liked kissing Charlie and still isn’t sure what that means (plus, of course, he sort of ran off afterwards and left Charlie alone…). The rest of this installation covers, basically, Charlie and Nick’s developing feelings for each other, as each realizes that the other does, in fact, like them back. In addition, it focuses on the major self-discoveries, for Nick, about his sexuality, and Charlie’s deeply wonderful support as he works through it and comes out at his own pace/in his own way. 

UGH MY HEART. It fluttered. It fire-worked. It sighed great sighs of contentment. Nick and Charlie are just freaking adorable. And their earnest little touches and looks and the shy kissing that slowly got more and more sure and steady (but remained totally sweet) – I couldn’t get enough. Oseman’s illustrations of those moments are still perfect as well. As I said with the first one, there is so much movement in the panels she draws, and fantastic facial expressions (even as illustrated characters) and it just brings them to life so well. Plus, I loved the small (but many) additional panels that zoom in on their feet and hands, there was just something so intimate about them.  

Moving outside of our main two characters for just a moment, Oseman also addressed a few really difficult realities of friend groups and high school in general. The way she brings attention to being outed before you’re ready, due to rumors and talk, as well as the realizations that some people you thought were your friends just aren’t who you thought they were (or were always exactly who you thought they were, but now you have reasons to be upset about it/call it out), is so real. And she lets her characters respond in ways both high road and low road, which is so authentic to high schoolers.  

This second volume was just as cozy and great-big-hug-like as the first. It was a fulfillment of a relationship cliffhanger that was worth the wait. I sped through this in one sitting (I had to force myself to turn pages a little slower) and am left so full of the aftermath feelings of wonderful and warm unconditional support and young love. Mmmmmmm.