Alice Oseman Quote
Heartstopper 1. Two guys together is the first volume in a saga of graphic novels and webcomics. This work belonging to youth literature was written and illustrated by the British author and cartoonist Alice Oseman. The book started in 2016 as an online comic. In 2018 it was self-published by the writer. Its graphic novel format was launched by the publisher Graphix, which he presented in five languages in 2019.
So far, the saga has five volumes. This material has received mostly positive reviews. Among other publications, The National praised it for: “Capturing attention through the little stories that make up life.” In addition, he stated that it was: "A cozy story with characters that seem like real-life friends."
Summary of heart stopper
The intolerance
Heartstopper 1. Two guys together tells the story of Charlie Spring, a 14-year-old teenager who has to endure bullying from his peers because of his sexual orientation., which confesses obligatorily. This fact causes the whole institute to find out about his tastes, and he receives more bullying by their peers. Meanwhile, she is in a secret relationship with Ben, who, in turn, has a fake girlfriend to hide the fact that he is gay.
Recognition
This illustrated book also talks about Nick, the co-star. Nicholas Nelson is a popular 16 year old rugby player who appears to be straight. He and Charlie meet frequently in the corridors of the school, and they feel connected to each other without really knowing why. The 14-year-old teenager thinks that his friend is very interesting, and he begins to notice a feeling that is more powerful than just friendship.
However, the young man is afraid of falling in love with a straight man. Even so, Nick invites Charlie to join the rugby team. after witnessing his abilities in athletics. The latter thinks carefully about his proposal, and, in the end, decides to accept it. All the members know that Charlie is homosexual, and his prejudice towards the matter makes them think that the boy will not measure up in the sport.
However, Nicholas advocates for him and helps him train and integrate into the group. One day, Ben, with whom Charlie is supposed to be secretly having an affair, demands to be intimate with him. In that context, Nick realizes and comes to his defense; likewise, she reaffirms that she can count on him whenever he needs it. Both young people leave for their respective houses, and have a telephone conversation where Nicolás asks his friend how he feels, with a concerned air.
The circumstances and their ties
Charlie realizes that Nick really cares about him, and his confused love feeling grows even more. At the same time, Nicolas senses that something is happening, which leads him to not understand his own feelings. In this way, day-to-day situations take place that increasingly unite the two friends.: both meet at Nick's house to play video games. On that occasion, Charlie gets wet, so his partner allows her to keep his sweatshirt.
Despite the chemistry and strong friendship they've formed, Charlie doesn't mean to get hurt, and his fear grows with each outing, conversation, or visit.. At some point, both boys attend the same party. In it, Nick's friends insist on hinting to a young girl that she liked him when he was 13; however, the girl is not attracted to him like she was at that time. Even so, the teenager has nothing to worry about, since the girl confesses that she is a lesbian, and that her girlfriend is close to her.
The long-awaited mutualism
Shortly after that event, Nicolas looks for Charlie among the party people. When they meet, the young people hide in a room, where, finally they kiss. To their surprise, Nick finds himself actually romantically interested in his friend.. This interest arose in him long before, for which he began to consider the idea that he could be homosexual, so he searched for information on the internet to understand his situation.
misunderstandings
At the party, as Charlie and Nicolas find each other and share their sentimental moment, a friend of nick's calls out his name, for which the young man, embarrassed, gets up and decides to leave. In the meantime, Charlie remains in the room, confused and heartbroken.. All these events reach the reader through few texts and beautiful illustrations in pastel tones.
Author's final details
At the end of the novel, the author leaves little notes that add details to the plot and characters. Among these elements are dates that indicate which Hogwarts house they belong to, a list of songs that Charlie has dedicated to Nick —which the reader can find on Spotify as Heartstropper—, plus sketches and explanations of how Alice Oseman makes her illustrations.
About the author, Alice May Oseman
Alice Osseman
Alice May Oseman was born in 1994, in Chatham, Kent. She is a screenwriter, illustrator and writer of youth literature. The British author is especially known internationally for the success of the saga heart stopper, which has received very good reviews from the press and readers. This book has received awards such as the United By Pop Awards and the Inky Awards.
Alice Oseman graduated in English Literature from Durham University in 2016. Most of the young writer's stories focus on the daily lives of teenagers in the UK. Surprising the publishing world, Oseman got his first contract at age 17, which helped him publish his first novel, Lonely (2014). Throughout her career, Alice's works have been applauded for their representation of different ethnicities, genders, and sexual orientations.
The company See Saw Films acquired the rights to produce heart stopper in television format in 2019. In addition, in 2021 it was revealed that the giant of the streaming, Netflix, called for a live-action adaptation based on the web comic in series format, with Alice Oseman writing the production, and Euros Lyn directing.
Other notable works by Alice Oseman
- radio silence (2016);
- I was born for this (2018);
- Loveless (2020)