Sweet and joyous with a pinch of teen drama, this Osemanverse novella is the perfect pick-me-up for any reader between books. Nick and Charlie are facing the start of university and the uncertainty that comes with it. Even with countless new hurdles, and two-hundred miles, between them, they manage to prove that some people are just meant to be.
Everyone knows that Nick and Charlie are the perfect couple – that they’re inseparable. But now Nick is leaving for university, and Charlie will be left behind at Sixth Form. Everyone’s asking if they’re staying together, which is a stupid question – they’re ‘Nick and Charlie’ for God’s sake! But as the time to say goodbye gets inevitably closer, both Nick and Charlie question whether their love is strong enough to survive being apart. Or are they delaying the inevitable? Because everyone knows that first loves rarely last forever.
You might know this novella from its iconic audiobook lines—“do you love me more than your dogs?” and “I’ve been dating Nick Nelson since I was fourteen”—so I have to start this review off by saying that it’s so much more than that. If you’re a fan of the graphic novels, the TV show, or both, then you’re in for a ride, because in this book, the perfect couple Nick and Charlie go through what’s arguably one of their roughest patches since the events of Solitaire. And in this case, we get to see both Charlie and Nick’s POVs, alternating throughout the entirety of the novella. It’s a new perspective to what we see in the other variations of their story, and honestly gave me a deeper understanding of their characters than I got even in the original graphic novels.
The main plot centers itself around a nasty fight between Nick and Charlie, and while I’m generally not a fan of the miscommunication trope, this argument manages to do it well. It’s not hearsay, but instead a face-to-face miscommunication fueled by drunkenness and each of their insecurities. So it’s realistic, basically, which is an Alice Oseman staple.
The emphasis on communication and trying in the boys’ relationship was a great touch—also an Oseman staple—and all tensions were handled in such a healthy way that it made me giddy. Nick and Charlie may seem perfect, like soulmates—Aled’s line about this was an absolute banger, my favorite part of the book—but even they have issues to work through. There’s nothing better than seeing a couple deal with things properly. There are times for messy characters and relationships—my love of Sophie Gonzales and Casey McQuistion is proof—but when you sit down with an Alice Oseman book, be prepared to feel wrapped in a comforting blanket of the realization that things can and will be alright.
Nick and Charlie is meant to be light and fun, relying on investment in the characters garnered from other media, so for anyone who’s yet to read or watch Heartstopper, or even Solitaire, I’d maybe suggest going through those first, or trying one of Oseman’s other novels. But for fans who need something to curb a reading slump, or who want a break from all the stress of the world right now, this book is a great option.
Alice Oseman is an award-winning author, illustrator, and screenwriter, and was born in 1994 in Kent, England. She has written four YA contemporary novels about teenage disasters: SOLITAIRE, RADIO SILENCE, I WAS BORN FOR THIS, and LOVELESS. She is the creator of LGBTQ+ YA romance webcomic HEARTSTOPPER, which is now published in physical form by Hachette Children's Books, and she is the writer, creator, and executive producer for the television adaptation of HEARTSTOPPER.
You can find more about Alice Oseman at their website, https://aliceoseman.com/.
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