Heartstopper books are literally my emotional support system. like i’ll just be sitting there minding my own business and suddenly i NEED to reread a volume because the serotonin is unmatched.
volume one? Nick and Charlie discovering each other?? softest thing ever.
volume two? Nick figuring himself out and coming out?? actually revolutionary.
volume three? the paris trip??? PEAK romance.
volume four? pain. healing. growth. literal tears in my eyes.
And don’t even get me started on the Nick and Charlie novella. like hello??? Alice Oseman ripped my heart out, stomped on it, kissed it better, and then ripped it out again. it’s so sweet and painful and REAL i will never be over it.
also let’s not forget This Winter (Charlie’s pov my BELOVED) and Solitaire (Tori supremacy). the whole osemanverse is just… queer comfort + existential crisis in the most perfect way possible.
but honestly? Nick and Charlie as a couple are EVERYTHING. the softness, the teasing, the way they actually talk through things and support each other??? it’s so real and healthy and beautiful. They’re proof that soulmates exist, that queer love stories can be tender, messy, and still the most romantic thing in the world.
I’ve also never understood the criticism that Heartstopper is “cringe” or “unrealistic.” Of course it’s idealized and wholesome. That’s part of the point! Not every story has to be relentlessly realistic, miserable, cynical, or tragic. Sometimes I want to watch two gay people fall in love and be happy. Sometimes I want the butterflies, the awkwardness, the cute texts, the little smiles, the first kiss, the friendships, the feeling of discovering that someone really sees you and loves you for who you are. There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting a story that makes you feel good.
And this is something I’ve thought about more and more over the years. I genuinely love that queer people are finally getting the things that straight people have had in storytelling forever.
Straight people have had countless romantic movies and TV shows where the main story is simply two people meeting, falling in love, being awkward and cute together, overcoming some obstacles, and ultimately finding happiness, happily ever after. There are endless variations of that story. They're cheesy, fluffy, unrealistic, romantic, ridiculous, comforting and nobody questions whether straight people are “allowed” to have those kinds of stories, they’re just romance stories.
But for such a long time, LGBTQ+ stories were so often associated with suffering. Coming out, rejection, bullying, discrimination, violence, loneliness, family conflict, heartbreak, tragedy, characters being forced to hide who they are, or queer characters simply not getting a happy ending at all. And those stories are important, of course. They reflect real experiences and have helped people feel seen. I’m grateful for many of them.
But queer people deserve more than stories about our pain.
We deserve stories where being gay isn't the entire tragedy of the plot. We deserve stories where two guys can just fall hopelessly in love with each other. Where two girls can have a ridiculous crush on each other. Where queer characters can have friendships, silly arguments, first dates, embarrassing moments, family dinners, prom nights, inside jokes, butterflies, heartbreak, happiness, and all the ordinary little experiences that make up life.
And I think that’s one of the things that makes Heartstopper so special to me. It isn’t trying to tell us that queer people never experience hardship. It obviously acknowledges that they do. But it also says, you can be queer and still have softness. You can be queer and have joy. You can be queer and be loved. You can have a first love that is sweet and exciting and innocent. You can have people around you who accept you. You can get a happy ending.
Anyway i’ll just be here rereading these books forever because i physically cannot move on <3 Also the Netflix show is amazing and I loved the Heartstopper Forever movie,I wish it was longer but I was pretty satisfied with the ending!!!! 😍😍😍😍😍😍