Two Boys meet, love is at the rendezvous! This is the basic premise of HeartStopper.
Ah adolescence… The thankless age, whether physically or psychologically. It is a period of life filled with doubts, stress and decisive choices. But, it is also a period when we begin to discover ourselves.
Nick is a nice, athletic and jovial third-grade student. Charlie is a fourth-grade introverted music student. At the beginning of the school year, the two find themselves in the same main class side by side. Soon, Charlie falls in love with Nick. "Small" flat: the latter is not homosexual. Charlie has no chance with him! It's obvious… Isn't it?
Thus begins a story of friendship mixed with love between the two young boys.
Originally, Heartstopper is a "webcomic" published three times a month for free on tapas and webtoons sites, which is now published in paper version by Hachette Romans. The adventures of the characters are separated into distinct "chapters", according to the rhythm of their school year.
SPOILER ALERT!
A year before the story began, Charlie had been forced to "come out" to school and was bullied at school because of it. Nick, as he spends more and more time with Charlie, begins to question himself as he begins to develop feelings for Charlie, going beyond simple friendship.
The drawing:
With a cute and light drawing, Alice Oseman depicts us two ordinary boys who fall in love and confront identity and friendship crises, as well as school bullying and eating disorders, while staying away from a graphic voyeurism in bad taste.
Oseman deals with difficult subjects with finesse and various hints of humor, without deceiving readers that "all is necessarily well that ends well". The drawing is so expressive that we can only be overwhelmed by the emotions of the characters, whether their joys or their anger.
Thematic:
Another positive point of these volumes is the representation and diversity of the characters, whether from a cultural point of view, or from the point of view of "sexuality". The LGBTQ+ community will probably identify with these ordinary high school students and we live the daily life of these endearing characters. Oseman does not elevate his protagonists to the status of mythical characters. They are "sir/madame" everybody. The author depicts a normal teenage life of the 21st century, with smartphone, computers and social networks…
On the other hand, although the sexual identity of the characters is an important theme in the books, the series is first and foremost a story of friendship that turns into a love story.
The story of our two heroes opens the conversation on many social topics. For example, the very real consequences of bullying and homophobia on Charlie's mind, who is anorexic and prone to depression. Isolation and confusion also pervade Nick when he begins to question his sexual identity, but doesn't know who to confide in or where to get information.
Alice Oseman manages very well to alternate between the sober moments of her series and the moments of humor of awkward and loving teenagers. For readers who are looking for a book with characters who look like them, they will be served.
Global printing:
HeartStopper is a delight and a great example of how to reflect the daily life of a teenager in love, let alone a gay teenager in love of the 21st century.
We can only recommend this series, whether for its illustrations, its modest and respectful treatment of the challenges faced by members of the LGBTQ+ community or just for its basic story.
With HeartStopper, Oseman reveals a cute, humorous and romantic graphic novel that everyone can enjoy whether they are members of the LGBTQ+ community or not. Alice Oseman will also be present at the 2020 Book Fair in Paris on Friday 19 and Saturday 20 March for signing sessions and on Sunday 21 March.
