Heartstopper is a book & series that holds young queer love at the centre of its story. The main character, Charlie Spring is a gay, year 10 boy who spends most of his secondary school life being bullied by the year 11 rugby team. However, Charlie finds himself falling for the star of the rugby team, Nick Nelson.

 

It’s a story that enacapsulates what it's like to be young and also highlights the experience of being young and queer. It shows how bullying affects Charlie but how the people he loves, his friends rally around to protect him. The innocence of this story has captured viewers' hearts and leaves watchers with a strong sense of nostalgia. 

 

The eight episode series gives people a sense of what it's like to be part of teh LGBTQ+ community as producers go into depth about each character's experiences. The relatbility of the series is one of the main reasons for its popularity as it allows for a connection with the characters. One review that has stuck with me, reads “Heartstopper is charming, sweet, and brings back emotions and hurts from a distant past I thought I had long buried. I found everything about it incredibly relatable. For me it was cathartic in the best way, and if this show helps even just one teenager with the struggle of coming to terms with their own identity, then it's worth every minute.” Subsequently, this series holds such importance to viewers and I highly recommend Heartstopper.