*spoilers ahead*
Volume 4 is the penultimate volume in the Heartstopper series that has been published and it is just as great as the other volumes. This volume does take a darker turn however focusing a lot more on serious mental health issues like eating disorders, but still has the classic warm Heartstopper feel.
This volume is finally where Nick and Charlie declare their love for one another and it was a long time coming but so worth the wait. Despite being a young couple, their compassion and trust for each other is so strong. However, this gets tested when Charlie starts to experience mental health issues and Nick looks for ways to support him. Volume 4 closely follows Charlie’s turbulent mental health journey where he is diagnosed with OCD and anorexia.
Despite the heavier tone, Oseman tackles discussing these issues well making them realistic but not too graphic or difficult to read. As Oseman’s books usually attract a younger audience it is important that these topics are covered as they can often be taboo or even ignored in certain types of media.
Throughout this volume, it was interesting to see what scenes have been taken from this book and where they were put into the Netflix show. For example, in this volume we see Nick coming out to his Dad in a dramatic way at a family dinner, but in this show, this happened a lot earlier in Nick and Charlie’s relationship.
Volume 4 is one of the bigger volumes in the Heartstopper series, but I was still able to fly through it, ready for volume 5. This was another easy 5-star volume and I can’t wait to finish the rest of the series.
5/5 stars
Soph's Library 