10 books to read if you liked Netflix’s Heartstopper
Heartstopper just came to Netflix on Friday, April 22 and is Netflix’s latest foray into book adaptations. The book is based on the graphic novel series by Alice Oseman. The series tells the story of two teens, Nick and Charlie. What starts off as an unlikely friendship quickly turns into something more.
If you loved the new series, you probably are diving into the graphic but after that, you may be looking for more books that make the time until season 2 go by a little quicker. Luckily, there are lots of great books that have the same vibes as Heartstopper.
Mooncakes
If you haven’t read Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker and Wendy Xu, now is the time. It’s a graphic novel like Heartstopper but instead of two teen boys, it’s about two teens, one is a werewolf and the other is a witch and they fall in love while dealing with dark magic and their past.
And the art is just as cute and fun as the story. Wendy Xu’s art style perfectly shows the emotions of the characters. And it’s gorgeous which is never a bad thing.
It is one of the only books I’ve read that is on par with the cuteness of Heartstopper.
Felix Ever After
Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender is as heartwarming as Heartstopper and deals with some of the real darkness that lives in the world Felix is trying to figure out who he is, who is harassing him online, and who to love. It becomes especially difficult when someone posts old pictures of him with his dead name at school.
Trying to fight back, Felix makes it his mission to find out who is doing this to him, but while he does, he finds love and self-acceptance. While this definitely has some difficult moments, there are others that are super cute.
You Asked For Perfect
You Asked For Perfect by Laura Silverman is about high school senior Ariel Stone. He prides himself on being perfect when it comes to school, extracurriculars, and life in general. But when his grades start slipping, he feels like his world is crumbling around him.
This throws him into overdrive to try to fix things. But then he gets feelings for one of his classmates, Amir, and while he loves spending time with him, his stress also gets worse.
This book shows anxiety so well. You might even feel your heart beating faster at certain points. But the relationship between Amir and Ariel is just as sweet as Nick and Charlie in Heartstopper.
Loveless
If you’re looking for books like Heartstopper, why not read something by the same author? Loveless is a YA novel also by Alice Oseman and tells the story of Georgia who has never been in love, never been kissed and never had a crush, but she’s sure she’ll find someone someday.
As she starts college, her romance plans do not go well and she has to reexamine what she wants and who she is. Not to give too much away but Georgia discovers she’s asexual and aromantic. This is one of the few books that shows someone discovering they are asexual and aromantic.
The Prince and the Dressmaker
The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang follows Prince Sebastian as he lives a double life. During the day, he is a prince and at night, he puts on dresses and goes about town in Paris as Lady Crystallia.
The one person who does know his secret is his best friend, Frances, who is a brilliant dressmaker but his skills are only known to Sebastian. Together, they know that sometimes boys wear dresses and that’s totally okay.
But Frances wants a career that’s all his own and can’t remain a secret if he’s going to get the recognition he deserves. Together, they must deal with society’s expectations while trying to be true to themselves.
This is another graphic novel that could not have been cuter. Frances and Sebastian’s relationship is very sweet and accepting.
Bloom
Bloom by Kevin Panetta and Savanna Ganucheau tells the story of Ari and Hector. Ari is trying to get his dad to let him quit his bakery job so he can move to the big city and play with his band and Hector is a guy that loves baking and wants Ari’s job. A perfect match, right?
But as they bake together, they find that they might just have feelings for each other and maybe Ari doesn’t want to move after all. But will he move anyway?
If you love baking or just like illustrations of gorgeous food, this is definitely one you want to read. The baking scenes are as beautiful as they are cute.
Running with Lions
Looking for a novel that has the vibes of Heartstopper but that’s focused a little more on sports? Running with Lions by Julian Winters is definitely a book you want to check out. The book tells the story of Sebastian Hughes, the star goalie of the Bloomington High School Lions. And it’s his senior year so everything should be great, right?
Well, his former childhood best friend, Emir Shah, shows up for summer training and…it’s awkward, Sebastian doesn’t know if the team can win when someone who hates him is on the team.
But when Sebastian tries to bury the hatchet with Emir and they start hanging out…well, they might turn out to be much more than friends. The romance between these two is so sweet and overall, the story is incredibly heartwarming.
Lumberjanes
I started reading this series last year and have become obsessed with it ever since. The series follows a group of girls at “Miss Qiunzilla Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet’s camp for hard-core lady-types” as they realize the camp they are staying at and the grounds surrounding it are not what they seem. But by using what they learn at camp, they are able to get passed just about any obstacle that heads their way.
The Lumberjanes series is fun, silly, inclusive, and quite addictive. You can’t read just one.
The Tea Dragon Society
If you’re looking for a graphic novel series that is as heartwarming as Heartstopper but takes you to a fantastical world, you have to read the Tea Dragon series by Kay O’Neill. It’s worth it for the art alone. It’s absolutely gorgeous!
The first book, The Tea Dragon Society, tells the story of Greta who finds a lost tea dragon in the market. With the help of tea shop owners, Heskiel and Erik, she learns about the dying art of tea dragon care-taking. She also meets the owners’ ward, Minette, and together they learn how tea dragons can make their lives so much better.
If you feel overwhelmed by the darkness in the world, read these books. They will give you a little bit of hope.
You Should See Me In A Crown
You Should See Me In A Crown by Leah Johnson is one of the sweetest queer YA novels ever. Try not smiling while reading this book. I dare you! With how sweet Heartstopper is, fans of the show (or the books) are likely to love this novel.
It mainly focuses on Liz Lighty who decides she must win prom queen so she can win the scholarship that comes with it and pay to go to her dream school.
What she doesn’t plan on is falling for her competition. Mack is the new girl in school and running for prom queen too and Liz finds it very hard to stay away from her. Liz also has to deal with an overbearing best friend, her own self-doubt, and the pressures that come with high school.
There is a baking scene in this book that turns into a food fight and it’s the cutest thing ever!