Heartstopper: Volume Five
Ratings257
Average rating4.5
When I originally look at this book, I think it said this was the last of the series. I thought when I finally gave in and got the physical copy from my library instead of waiting for them to get the ebook, that I would be finishing this series. Alas...
Anyway, this is always interesting for me, because I usually watch the show before reading the books, so I can compare things and see what has changed. Once again with the books - just like the show - this is a return to the more soft, fluffy that I have come to expect. (Season two and volume four were both departures for me, for different reasons.)
As a whole, I tend to enjoy both the show and the books for different reasons. With the show I like how expanded everything is and how much more we get from the secondary characters. With the book, I love how tightly it stays focused on Nick and Charlie.
However, with this volume, there are two things that I think the book did significantly better than the show.
Tori's conversation with Charlie on the Ferris wheel and the ending conversation between Nick and Charlie. (I talk about my thoughts on these scenes further in the spoiler below, for those that have not seen the show/read the book.)
For Tori's conversation:
Things were really left hanging here in the show. Without the payoff of her saying that neither her nor Michael are straight, the whole series of scene's with him and her at the fair, really has no point. They don't play up a level of insecurity, they give absolutely no reason to have this conversation.While to a degree I can understand skipping the Michael bit - because Tori pretty much outed him and with us not knowing any conversations that they have had, that is seriously not a cool thing to do - but more could have been done with this scene.So, in the book, Charlie flashes back to Michael making a couple of casual comments to him and Nick indicating that he is attracted to men. They could have had those scenes actually in the show. It's already so casually queer that this would have been a non-entity and Charlie still could have had a light bulb moment of realization without Tori having to say anything. But we didn't get to see that in the show. (Though it is kind of (unintentionally, I'm sure) hilarious that Charlie (a gay kid) tends to assume straight.)For me, the Tori aspect is much, much murkier. So, we have Issac who is ace and aro - he does not exist in the books. (Aled being...somewhat vague about everything I don't know where he is on any of this.) While I'm not the biggest fan of Tori being ace (it feels like this is yet another case of the standoffish, cold person in media being the asexual person) I thought that this would have been a chance for the show to have a person that is ace and alloromantic - as this is very distinctly different than someone that is ace and aro, I feel.However, I did find out that the author states that Tori is ace and on the aromantic spectrum (which, granted, so is demiromantic, which would still be different than aromantic) so... I hope that the shows reasoning wasn't 'we already have Issac, we don't need Tori being ace too.'
About the Nick/Charlie conversation at the end:
It already upset me with the show that Nick didn't tell Charlie at the end of season three that he was interested in a different school. One that was much further away. I didn't like it on the show and I felt that it ended on somewhat of a sour note because of this.The book handles it so much better. Nick tells Charlie and Charlie deals with it rather well. And I'm hoping that the show - assuming it does come back for a season four, which is a pretty big assumption to make, I think - doesn't make a bigger thing out of this. Really, for how much Charlie struggles to have people see him as not fragile (to see himself as not fragile) it would be a huge disservice to his character if the show would turn it into a drama-filled meltdown.And if it doesn't come back for a season four, I just feel that this should have been added to the ending, so it wouldn't have felt quite so...much like a bomb waiting to drop.
Now, both these scenes could have been saved to be expanded upon for a season four - but as of me writing this, no such season has been confirmed by Netflix. So, if that was/is the plan, it smacks of poor decision making and counting your chickens before they are hatched, to me.
Rant over. Liked the book.
Tuntui, että tämä osa lähti käyntiin hieman muita hitaammin, mutta tykkäsin siitä silti lopulta aika lailla yhtä paljon kuin edellisistäkin. Jokaisessa osassa käsitellään jotain isoa teemaa, niin myös tässäkin. Nyt Charlie ja Nick ovat valmiita etenemään suhteessaan. Ensimmäinen kerta jännittää, eikä yhteistä aikaa ole aina helppo löytää. Myös Nickin tuleva yliopistovalinta jännittää molempia.
Pidin siitä, miten näissä käsitellään seksin, seksuaalisuuden sekä parisuhteen monimuotoisuutta. Rikotaan normeja ja vanhoja käsityksiä. Plussaa Torista ja niin sanotusta “ässä edustuksesta”, se oli hyvä lisä.
Talvez seja o meu favorito da saga até agora.
Trata sobre como nem tudo precisa ser perfeito e como a gente sempre imaginou pra ser bom.
A gente tem que saber o que funciona para cada um de nós.
I love this series, I really, really, do. But, this book just didn't feel right. The whole plot for me boils down to Nick leaving and him and Charlie having sex. It was so focused on, tainting the experience a bit.
read for finishing up series vlog
this is my least fav in the series but i still adored it. i can't believe the series is almost ending
¿Cómo es posible que un libro te deje lagrimeando todo el tiempo?
A veces eran de felicidad, otras de tristeza.
Pero sin duda este tomo es muy personal para mí, si lo hubiera leído en la época cuando iba a entrar en la universidad siento que me habría podido ayudar, pero ya qué jajaja.
Está clarísimo todo el desarrollo que tuvieron Nick y Charlie en la historia, y ese momento cuando Charlie se pone la camisa de manga corta me destruyó, sobretodo porque yo se lo que se siente que un ser amado pase por lo que pasó Charlie (incluso aún lo vivo) y fue como ver a esa persona y sentirme igual de orgullosa y feliz por él. Agradezco mucho a Alice Oseman por tocar todos estos temas tan bien, y en especial porque no sea el último tomo de la serie. Cuando esto acabe... ¿Cómo lo podré superar? Jajajja
También esa pequeña evolución que podemos leer con la mamá de Charlie me afectó, siento que ella está intentando ser una mejor madre y poder llevarse mejor con Charlie, pero me duele que esa relación no sea la misma con Tori (los que han leído Solitario sabrán de lo que les hablo) pero ojalá también su relación con Tori mejorara o se mostrara un poco más.
Not my favourite but it was still a comforting read! i don't really think any book can overtop 3
Characters: ★★★★★ Atmosphere: ★★★★ Writing Style: ★★★★ Plot: ★★★★ Intrigue: ★★★★★ Relationships: ★★★★★ Enjoyment: ★★★★★Overall Rating: ★★★★½A tender and wholesome high school love story tackles the age old college dilemma.As Nick and Charlie's relationship develops, they run into a classic high school couple's problem: do they go to the best college or the closest college? I really love how the minor characters are really starting to form their own storylines and building deeper connections with the main characters. Heartstopper has been a refreshing queer love story that's wholesome and inclusive and I hope it never ends.In conclusion, if I Nick and Charlie make their relationship long distance I'm going to be so sad.
This was sweet! I thought all the discussions around sex were handled really well and realistically. Love those sweet boys.
This felt wayyyy too short I want volume six right now sobs
I have so much love for Nick and Charlie and the entire cast of characters
This whole series is so cute it makes me feel miserably single but in the best way <3
Fue mi menos fav de todos los tomos, pero no quiere decir que no me gustó, Sinceramente esperaba más, aún así lo disfruté.
Still super cute but very much just setting up the final volume and everything went a little too perfectly
1.5/5 ⭐
A dumpster fire by all accounts. It was so hard to get my grubby hands on this book. And it really let me down. It felt like nothing really happened. The characters felt kind of hollow. I get that she was busy working on the show but it really showed in this book. The conflicts were built up for the whole book but got resolved way too easily at the end. It was anti-climactic. Examples include Charlie's eating disorder and not wanting to be intimate with Nick but then Nick says that he thinks Charlie's hot and suddenly he's ok. Also the whole long-distance college selection thing. Also I get that she's trying to push messages about safe sex, “virginity is a construct”, and consent but the way it was delivered just felt like a weird PSA, health class type of thing that I didn't like. Although I did love some ace rep.
As always: a delightful, gentle read that doesn't shy away from heavier topics. 4 university road trips out of 5.
it was just fine, like the previous volumes. this series is too corny for me but I'm 5 volumes deep so might as well finish