Charlie, a highly-strung, openly gay over-thinker, and Nick, a cheerful, soft-hearted rugby player, meet at a British all-boys grammar school. Friendship blooms quickly, but could there be something more...?
Charlie Spring is in Year 10 at Truham Grammar School for Boys. The past year hasn't been too great, but at least he's not being bullied anymore. Nick Nelson is in Year 11 and on the school rugby team. He's heard a little about Charlie - the kid who was outed last year and bullied for a few months - but he's never had the opportunity to talk to him.
They quickly become friends, and soon Charlie is falling hard for Nick, even though he doesn't think he has a chance. But love works in surprising ways, and sometimes good things are waiting just around the corner...
Review:
Sometimes you just need a super sweet, YA romance to fill you up with positive vibes. This is that book. I know I’m kind of slow to jump on this train. I guess this was on a lot of Library Best Books, in 2020, and since then has gotten also sorts of praise/positive reviews. I know it’s a Netflix series now too. I haven’t watched it yet. I think I want to read them all first. I know I must read them all.
I basically started this before bed one night, thinking I’d read a few pages before falling asleep (like I do with most books in the summer because my job exhausts me too much to read like I normally would for most of July), but I read the whole book in one go. I don’t do that often any more, even with graphic novels. I certainly don’t do that in July (busiest season for Cape Cod Children’s Librarians). But this book, just took me over, in a good way.
The artwork is just so charming, and simple in the best of ways. The panels are all big and easy to follow -no over complicated moments where you have to re-read something. The facial expressions of the teens are just so purely teenager. I have literally felt like I have seen teens making these faces. And everything they do is just so believable -from playing video games, to going to practice, to how they text each other. Nothing seemed too forced from the adult perspective.
And of course it’s one of my two favorite types of romance tropes: the friends to love trope. The two become best friends first. And you don’t get to see this kind of trope often with two guys in stories. It was all just so endearing and charming. I was sad when the book ended because I wanted more. I will have to get the next installment soon, so I can find out what happens next, and also so I can let myself watch the series too.
All in all, this un-put-down-able graphic novel was the sweet, fluffy romance I needed to read right now. I get the hype for it completely. I give it a 10/10.
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