Heartstopper Netflix’s is adapted from a web-comic and graphic novel which spins characters off from Alice Oseman’s debut graphic novel Solitaire. 

Heartstopper is a faithful adaptation of Alice Oseman’s web comics, thanks to the fact that Oseman herself have adapted the series for screen. Comics fans are about a burgeoning gay romance between two British secondary school boys. Their most  favorite moments having been missed on TV. The important scenes from first two volumes, from the ink explosion to Charlie and Nick’s day in the snow, Harry’s party, the birthday bowling, the disastrous cinema outing, the school concert and more, there are on screen alongside new moments showcasing popular supporting characters Elle, Tao, Tara and Darcy.

Writer Alice, director Euros Lyn and the production team have created sincere version of the source material that if fans just watch the Netflix show, they’re not  going to miss out  any vast backstory or details. However some fans are inspired to go back into Alice’s original books and comics.

Currently there are four volumes of graphic novel Heartstopper, with the fifth and final volume due to be published in February 2023. Alice’s debut novel Solitaire is about Tori Spring, the older sister of Charlie who appears as a background character in Heartstopper, as played by Jenny Walser.

Heartstopper novel called Charlie and Nick was also published in 2020. There’s also a Heartstopper coloring book out, and a Yearbook containing bonus material coming out in hardback in October 2022.

Eight half-hour episodes in the Netflix series have covered events from the first two Heartstopper volumes.

Alice’s web-comics, as published in volumes by Hachette, are available to read on Webtoon, Tapas and Tumblr.

There is no need to read all of the books if you’re only interested in Heartstopper, but for completists, Solitaire was published years before Heartstopper but chronologically takes place in the middle of Heartstopper Volume Four, starting after the events of Solitaire novella This Winter.