Heartstopper's Greatest Strength Is Its Sense of Community, Not Its Romance

Summary Heartstopper's Paris Squad are what make it one of the best LGBTQ+ graphic novels of all time.

The group of friends realistically depict the idea of found family and its relevance to many queer readers.

While Nick and Charlie's romance is vital to the story, creator Alice Oseman makes sure never to forget the other characters.

While most fans know the series for its heartwarming romance, Heartstopper's greatest strength actually comes from its sense of community. The critically-acclaimed YA graphic novel series by Alice Oseman has become a worldwide phenomenon over the years since it was first published as a webcomic in 2016. Only last years, it set a new record as the fastest selling graphic novel in its native United Kingdom and has become a modern standard for LGBTQ+ stories thanks to well-written chemistry between its two leads, Nick and Charlie. However, the most enduring element of the story actually comes from the friends they've made on their journey.

Early in their relationship, Nick is introduced to Charlie's friends during his fifteenth birthday party at a bowling alley. From there, the friend group expands further when they go to Paris with Nick's friend Tara and her girlfriend Darcy. The group ultimately dub themselves the "Paris Squad" following their adventures in the city and become inseparable. This bond between the group is Heartstopper's greatest strength as they prop each other up as a queer found family. Tao is cisgender and straight, while Elle is a Trans woman and Aled is demisexual.

Whether they're taking a daytrip to the beach or simply making a card for Charlie, the support these friends have for one another is impeccably handled emotionally and brings out the best of what Heartstopper has to offer.

Related Heartstopper: 10 Big Things From The Graphic Novels The Show Gets Right The adaptation of Heartstopper is praised for its similarities to the comics. Here are some of the biggest things that were crucial to include.

Far from a two-character romance, Heartstopper is about how this group of friends support and love each other.

Heartstopper's Paris Squad Show the Importance of Found Family in the LGBTQ+ Community

"It's Okay - We're Your Family Now"

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Far from a two-character romance, Heartstopper is about how this group of friends support and love each other. Heartstopper is beloved for its wholesome approach, and this is embodied by the larger friend group. Whether they share their experiences with one another or poke fun at one another, their sympathy is what fleshes out the group to become a well-rounded and realistic example of how important relationships like this are to LGBTQ+ people in real life. Friend groups like the Paris Squad have a special significance in queer culture, providing a support system for those who may be targeted by larger society and/or have difficult relationships with family. This is why Heartstopper is one of the best YA LGBTQ+ graphic novels - it enmeshes the reader in a realistic, caring LGBTQ+ social circle.

Heartstopper Makes Everyone in the Paris Squad an Important Character

Nick and Charlie May Be the Focus, But the Series' Ensemble Are Its Heart

While Nick and Charlie are clearly the protagonists in Hearstopper's story, with their romance front and center in every volume, their friends also have a fairly large presence throughout. For example, in Volume 4 of the print edition, Charlie and Nick go to a New Year's Eve party where they share a midnight kiss. However, Oseman also shows Elle and Tara sharing their own kisses with Tao and Darcy respectively. It's an excellent way to show how unbreakable the social circle is since they've let each other into their lives. This allows Tao, Elle, Aled, Darcy, Tara and Sahar to not feel relegated to being side characters that only show up when Nick and Charlie are around. They have their own lives, and showing what they do when they're on their own makes for more endearing characters.

Of course, Nick and Charlie's romance can't be understated when talking about this series. This is their story after all, and their love for one another is ultimately a major draw for fans because of how well-handled their chemistry is. However, the Paris Squad and other queer characters in Alice Oseman's universe play an even greater part in the story. They bring out an important sense of community in the Heartstopper story that works just as well as the central romance.

Heartstopper Volumes 1-5 are available now in local bookstores from Hachette Children's Group Publishing.

Heartstopper Heartstopper is an LGBTQ+ coming-of-age teen romantic comedy based on the webcomic/graphic novel created by Alice Oseman. The show is viewed through the eyes of a young gay British teen named Charlie Spring, whose crush on a classmate grows into something more meaningful as they slowly get closer throughout the series. The show navigates the challenges of LGBTQ+ youth during tumultuous adolescent years.