Nick and Charlie is a novella written by Alice Oseman, which is a spin-off of her popular Heartstopper series. Teens Nick and Charlie are now in their final year of school, and they face challenges regarding their future as Nick is going off to university. Oseman’s beautiful artwork once again adds to her strong story-telling, with endearing and engaging characters as well.
Heartstopper Volume 4 continues the love story of Alice Oseman’s characters Charlie and Nick through her expressive graphic novel format. It is an inspiring, tender and engaging story of empathy, understanding, and friendship as the 2 teens navigate their relationship in the face of external pressures. As with prior Hearstopper novels, themes regarding the challenges of identity, mental health and LGBTQIA+ are explored.
Heartstopper Volume 3 by Alice Oseman is her third installment in this series. It is a captivating and emotionally-charged story of love, acceptance, and personal growth as it follows the main characters, teens Nick and Charlie. The characters are warm, appealing and relatable, with a rockier path to navigate in this story, but again with the telling more special through Oseman’s gorgeous artwork. This novel is another amazing read from Oseman, which left me excited to read the next chapter for Nick and Charlie.
Heartstopper Volume 2 is Oseman’s second graphic novel in this series, and continues to explore the developing relationship between teenagers Nick and Charlie. It is an well-paced, emotional, and engaging story of self-discovery, identify, family expectations and acceptance. Oseman’s artwork is fantastic, with her writing quite powerful and compelling. The LGBTQIA+ themes are again explored in thoughtful and meaningful ways.
Heartstopper Volume 1 is a touching and uplifting graphic novel from Alice Oseman that captures the joys and struggles of first love. It tells the story of Charlie, an openly gay and engaging character, and straight rugby player Nick, from their tentative friendship to blossoming romance with themes of self-discovery and self-identity. It offers an emotional look at what it’s like to be young, gay, and trying to find your place in the world.
Tara Sim's Chainbreaker is the second book in her "Timekeeper" series, and continues Danny Hart’s story as a clock mechanic in a world where time is controlled by clock towers. This novel delves deeper into the politics and time universe established in the word originally introduced in Timekeeper.
Timekeeper by Tara Sim is a young adult fiction novel that explores the concept of time and its impact upon the books’ characters. Set in an alternate Victorian London where time is literally controlled by clock towers, the story follows clock mechanic Danny who is struggling to come to terms with his father's death and the repercussions of a clock tower explosion that has thrown London's time out of sync.
Red, White & Royal Blue is a delightful LGBTQIA+ romance novel by Casey McQuiston that tells the story of Alex, the son of an American president, and Henry, the son of the British Prime Minister, as they navigate their respective identities and growing attraction. The book provides a unique take on identity and family, with the political settings of Washington, D.C. and London serving as the backdrop.
We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson is a moving sci-fi novel about identity, romance, and family. It follows unpopular high schooler Henry Denton struggling to cope after his boyfriend commits suicide. He has supposedly been abducted by aliens his whole life, and they give him an ultimatum: the world is going to end, and he can stop it if he presses a button. However, he can’t decide whether or not to.
Malinda Lo’s “A Scatter of Light” is a coming of age novel that sadly falls flat in comparison to its semi-companion piece: “Last Night at the Telegraph Club”. This novel centers Aria Tang West, a teenager sent to live with her grandmother in California as punishment for a scandal that she caused during her last week of senior year.
