In the hit Netflix series Heartstopper, which is based on a graphic novel by Alice Oseman, our main characters Charlie Spring (an openly-gay boy played by Joe Locke) attends an all-British-boy school and is dating an abusive boy named Ben Hope. Charlie’s best friend Tao Xu (played by William Gao) hates Ben because Charlie is so wrapped up in the relationship and can’t see the truth. Being friends with “The gay boy” isn’t easy, but no matter what, Tao and Elle (Yasmin Finney) always stay by Charlie’s side.

When Charlie enters class on his first day of tenth grade, he sees Nick Nelson, the soft-hearted rugby team star who only knows Charlie because he was bullied so much for being gay. Nick sees past this and their friendship blossoms into something more. The plot of Heartstopper is truly relatable with its storyline of ongoing hate for the LGBTQ+ community, and our main character Charlie overcoming every obstacle. From one dramatic rain scene to another, this series is amazing. Alice Oseman really had a vision of her graphic characters transforming on screen. The costuming matched the characters well. It is overall the best book-to-movie adaptation. I give it a 5-star rating.