Heartstopper: Volume Four

4.5, but for Goodreads purposes I'll give it a five. I appreciate how well Alice Oseman wrote about Charlie's struggles and the reality of mental health issues in a serious, but lighthearted enough way that it got it's point across without being too triggering. Maybe it is just me, but reading about mental health struggles isn't my top choice in literature, which is why I can't give this book five stars. Also, I assume it was a byproduct of Charlie's deteriorating mental health coupled with Nick's anxiety about how to help him, but I did see signs of codependency early on that I did not enjoy too much. Maybe it was that, or something else, but there were parts that I felt lost the “Nick and Charlie magic”.

Either way, I loved how supportive everyone is, how Nick got the opportunity to tell off his dad and brother, and how Charlie and Nick realized that they can't only rely on each other and a network is essential when dealing with something like this.

Very well crafted.