⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(5/5)

Contains spoilers for Vol. 1

TW: homophobia, bullying, biphobia, eating disorder

Following on from volume 1, Charlie certainly has feelings for Nick, but how does Nick feel?

Although I read this volume straight after I finished volume 1, there is a diary entry at the beginning to provide a little recap and I think this is a clever device from Oseman.

I love the character of Nick and I liked that this volume looks at his story and gives us more insight into what he is going through. This involves figuring out one’s identity and all that comes with that. There were some tender moments with Nick’s story that I really liked, and I’m glad that we got to see more of his story.

Meanwhile, this volume also starts to look towards some of the struggles that Charlie is facing in his life. There are hints at what may be to come in the series and I’ll be interested to see which direction Oseman takes this narrative in. Whilst volume 1 felt like a lighter read, it seems that the narrative will look at some deeper issues and topics.

However, not only are the two facing their own issues, some of these overlap, such as the homophobia directed towards them.

Whilst the first volume focused on Nick and Charlie, this volume starts to introduce some of their friends and I really like the group and was pleased to get to know and love more Heartstopper characters. So far, I especially like Tara and Darcy and this volume includes a mini comic at the end with these characters which was a fun addition.

As with all of the Oseman work I have read so far, this volume deals with some difficult issues but does so in a way that I think is productive and would be beneficial for young people to read about (but do keep trigger warnings in mind).

I am loving the Heartstopper series, and this was actually the second time I have read the series, so I think I can safely say that I recommend it.