In a departure from the web comics and graphic novels, Nick and Charlie face their first Christmas together, with Charlie facing his own mental health struggles this season.
Charlie faces a difficult Christmas, after starting his mental health journey and coming home. He struggles with an extended family (minus Tori and Oliver) who don’t understand or mock what he has gone through this year. He decides to go over to Nicks fun loving and supportive family for the evening, marking his first Christmas with his boyfriend, and Nick always shows Charlie that he is loved and not alone.
Heartstoppers’ creator Alice Oseman demonstrates extraordinary emotional intelligence and understanding of mental health in this festive themed novella from Nick and Charlie’s universe. Oseman creates a message that Christmas is not an easy time for everyone, some years are harder than others, but that the darkness doesn’t last forever. For Nick and Charlie, they have each other, it’s a connection that goes far beyond young love and growing steadily towards the path of forever, as their love truly does have power to be the light of each other eyes, hearts and minds.
There are some more light hearted moments between Nick and Charlie. One hilarious moment in this bittersweet but endearing novella is when Nick and Charlie kiss outside Nicks house and inadvertently draw the attention of his extended family. That’s one way for your family to find out but luckily for our favourite couple, the family seems to take well to the introduction of Charlie, much to his relief. We also see the introduction of Henry the Pug, now our beloved Nellies sister, and who takes a shine to Charlie straight away.
This Winter is the perfect novella for a shorter story to read this Christmas, giving our beloved Nick and Charlie a chance to show how deeply and sincerely they love each other this festive season. And sometimes that’s all you need, just one person who loves on, in good times and bad.
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