Nick and Charlie – Alice Oseman (she/they)

3.5 stars (objectively) 4.5 (for me)

It would shock anyone who knows me well that I would give a story about Nick and Charlie anything less than five stars, but I will explain why as this review goes on. 

About Nick and Charlie

The appropriately named book focuses on Nick Nelson and Charlie Spring, Alice Oseman’s most recognizable characters. This novella serves as a sequel of sorts for Oseman’s graphic novel series, Heartstopper, which has reached new levels of success with the Netflix series by the same name, starring Kit Conner and Joe Locke. Set 2 years after the two get together, this book follows their struggles being a year apart, with Nick about to go off to university, and Charlie being left behind. They planned to keep their relationship going, just long-distance, but with Nick leaving in only a few months, doubts about whether they’re going to last creep into their relationship. Will they be able to make it work, after all, they’re Nick and Charlie as everyone reminds them, or will this be the end of their relationship forever?

My Review

Like I said, it is shocking that I would give a story about Nick and Charlie anything less than 5 stars. But I have to say that this book does not live up to Alice Oseman’s abilities, as I know her writing.

Some Context

Now, it is important to give this book some context. It was released in 2015, but did not really have the same level of success as many of her other books, at least to my knowledge. Oseman has discussed publicly that she has been drawing and writing Nick and Charlie since she was a teenager, even if that work isn’t public now. This book was released prior to the graphic novel (first volume was released in 2019), so while many people reading the book now have a lot of knowledge of these characters, that was not the case when the book was released. Nick and Charlie were first introduced in Oseman’s first book Solitaire which tells the story of Tori Spring, Charlie’s sister, around the time of Heartstopper, but after the two have gotten together. It is important to note that I have read Heartstopper many times, and am very familiar with the characters.

 Nick and Charlie original release cover

The Writing

While this was not the worst writing in the world, it is not really what I would have expected from Alice Oseman. The writing is very childish, almost like she is writing the graphic novel, but using words instead of drawings. The writing is like a young middle grade novel, but is marketed to Young Adult audiences due to the content (mentions sex like 4 times) and god forbid middle schoolers see that. When reading through the book, it is easy to see why this book did not gain as much attention as her other books. There were a lot of lists, which happens in her graphic novels too, but it works very differently in the two mediums. It felt like reading when a middle schooler is writing a book and just starts listing off he did this, then this, then this, in that format.On top of that, there is a lot of just info dumping because of how short the book is, instead of letting it develop over time. Overall, the writing of the book does not match the plot. It is a story that would hit older high schoolers very well, and middle schoolers would have no real context for, but appears to be written the other way around. 

 Nick and Charlie page

most YA book Pages (Cress)

The Plot

The plot was really touching. The focus on both Nick and Charlie’s emotions as they grapple with the change that will inevitably occur when they go from seeing each other everyday to being 200 miles apart, hits really hard. As someone who lives almost 200 miles away from my family and most of my friends, and nearly 400 miles from my best friend, the feeling of being so ready to leave, but still being sad to go is something I can relate to a lot. There is a complex understanding of what it is truly like to prepare for uni, the good, the bad, and the ugly, that Oseman truly captures, just in 150 pages. I think it would be even better if she could have flushed it out even more, to really explore both sides, especially Nick’s feelings about university. 

“And they have all turned up to school either in red basketball outfits or cheerleader outfits. Disappointingly, Nick went for basketballer.”

 ~ Alice Oseman, Nick and Charlie, 5

The Romance and Representation 

As per usual, I love these two. They really are one of my favourite couples of all time. They are not a couple that is hard to read about, because they feel so real. There is never a huge fight, even in this book. Oseman does not need to rely on normal romance tropes to cause tension or make them more appealing to read about, because they bring in that attention for themselves. It is always refreshing to read (or watch) Heartstopper or anything else by Oseman because they write about happy queer stories. Something all too common about queer romances is that they tend to be written to be very intense and dramatic and stressful, and many overlook the appeal and necessity for genuine happy first love about queer people. We deserve to have our own happy love stories as well, and Oseman always delivers.

My Rating

I did include 2 ratings for this because there is what I would consider an “objective” rating and then my own rating for me personally. Personally, I loved it, and it brings me a lot of comfort. But in all honesty, if you are not that invested or in love with these two, I don’t think you would enjoy reading it all that much if I am being honest. It might be cute and fun, but it’s not a book that will really stick with you. I also chose not to include a full five stars, even for myself, because of the length. There is not a lot of actual depth to the story, which is something I look for in a book, and this did not deliver. I don’t mind when that is the point of the book, but this book could’ve gone deeper and didn’t. The book would have been better if it had. Bonus points for include a Pride and Prejudice quote at the beginning though.