Cover of Heartstopper: Volume One by Alice Oseman

5 book recommendations

Books Like “Heartstopper: Volume One” by Alice Oseman

If you fell in love with the heartwarming queer romance and gentle coming-of-age charm of Heartstopper: Volume One, you are not alone. Readers adore Alice Oseman’s tender story for its wholesome celebration of first love, authentic friendships, and joyful identity. Explore our top recommendations below to find your next uplifting read.

  1. Cover of Bloom by Kevin Panetta

    Cover not available

    Bloom

    by Kevin Panetta

    Now that high school is over, Ari is dying to move to the big city with his ultra-hip band—if he can just persuade his dad to let him quit his job at their struggling family bakery. Though he loved working there as a kid, Ari cannot fathom a life wasting away over rising dough and hot ovens. But while interviewing candidates for his replacement, Ari meets Hector, an easygoing guy who loves baking as much as Ari wants to escape it. As they become closer over batches of bread, love is ready to bloom . . . that is, if Ari doesn’t ruin everything.

    Writer Kevin Panetta and artist Savanna Ganucheau concoct a delicious recipe of intricately illustrated baking scenes and blushing young love, in which the choices we make can have terrible consequences, but the people who love us can help us grow.

    Why it's similar

    Both are soft, contemporary YA graphic novels depicting a sweet, slow-burn romance between two teenage boys navigating personal growth and self-acceptance. They also share a gentle, warm tone rendered through expressive, two-tone illustration styles.

    What's different

    Bloom is set during a post-high school summer in a seaside Greek family bakery rather than an ongoing British secondary school, focusing more on culinary vocation and career anxieties.

  2. Cover of Check, Please! Book 1: #Hockey by Ngozi Ukazu

    Cover not available

    Check, Please! Book 1: #Hockey

    by Ngozi Ukazu

    New York Public Library’s Best Books - Top Ten Books for Teens
    The Boston Globe - Best YA of the Year
    Ignatz Award - Outstanding Comic
    William C Morris Award - Finalist

    Eric Bittle may be a former junior figure skating champion, vlogger extraordinaire, and verytalented amateur pâtissier, but being a freshman on the Samwell University hockey team is a whole new challenge. It is nothing like co-ed club hockey back in Georgia! First of all? There’s checking (anything that hinders the player with possession of the puck, ranging from a stick check all the way to a physical sweep). And then, there is Jack—his very attractive but moody captain.

    A collection of the first half, freshmen and sophomore year, of the mega-popular webcomic series of the same name, Check, Please!: #Hockey is the first book of a hilarious and stirring two-volume coming-of-age story about hockey, bros, and trying to find yourself during the best four years of your life. This book includes updated art and a hilarious, curated selection of Bitty's beloved tweets. This is perfect for fans of the hit series Heartstopper!

    Why it's similar

    Both books originated as beloved serialized webcomics exploring LGBTQ+ romance and friendship within high-energy school sports settings. Both stories center on an unexpected bond between a gentle protagonist and an athletic love interest.

    What's different

    Check, Please! is set at an American university and revolves around college hockey culture, featuring slightly older characters and broader comedic tropes than Heartstopper's tender adolescent drama.

  3. Cover of Fence, Vol. 1 by C.S. Pacat

    Cover not available

    Fence, Vol. 1

    by C.S. Pacat

    Nicholas, the illegitimate son of a retired fencing champion, is a scrappy fencing wunderkind, and dreams of getting the chance and the training to actually compete. After getting accepted to the prodigious Kings Row private school, Nicholas is thrust into a cut-throat world, and finds himself facing not only his golden-boy half-brother, but the unbeatable, mysterious Seiji Katayama...

    Through clashes, rivalries, and romance between teammates, Nicholas and the boys of Kings Row will discover there’s much more to fencing than just foils and lunges. From acclaimed writer C.S. Pacat (The Captive Prince) and fan-favorite artist Johanna the Mad.

    Why it's similar

    Like Heartstopper, this is an illustrated YA story centered on young men navigating budding queer dynamics, team camaraderie, and personal insecurities within a school sports program. Both explore the tension and vulnerability that arise between contrasting athletic personalities.

    What's different

    Fence is structured like a fast-paced, high-stakes sports manga focused intensely on competitive fencing tournaments rather than soft, slice-of-life domestic moments.

  4. Cover of The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen

    Cover not available

    The Magic Fish

    by Trung Le Nguyen

    NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR by New York Public Library • Kirkus Reviews • Booklist • Publishers Weekly

    In this gorgeous debut graphic novel, fairy tales are the only way one boy can communicate with his Vietnamese immigrant parents. But how will he find the words to tell them that he’s gay? A powerful read about family, identity and the enduring magic of stories.

    “One of the most astounding graphic novels of the year" –Entertainment Weekly

    Tien and his mother may come from different cultures—she’s an immigrant from Vietnam still struggling with English; he’s been raised in America—but through the fairy tales he checks out from the local library, those differences are erased.

    But as much as Tien’s mother’s English continues to improve as he reads her tales of love, loss, and travel across distant shores, there’s one conversation that still eludes him—how to come out to her and his father. Is there even a way to explain what he’s going through in Vietnamese? And without a way to reveal his hidden self, how will his parents ever accept him?

    This beautifully illustrated graphic novel speaks to the complexity of family and how stories can bring us together even when we don’t know the words.

    “A lyrical masterpiece.” –BuzzFeed

    Why it's similar

    Both are beautifully drawn YA graphic novels exploring the tender vulnerability of a young boy realizing his queer identity and contemplating coming out to loved ones. Each narrative treats adolescent queer experiences with deep empathy, emotional warmth, and visual storytelling.

    What's different

    The Magic Fish weaves classic fairy tale retellings into its narrative and focuses primarily on immigrant family ties and language barriers between a mother and son, rather than a high school romance.

  5. Cover of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

    Cover not available

    Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda

    by Becky Albertalli

    William C. Morris Award Winner: Best Young Adult Debut of the Year * National Book Award Longlist

    "A remarkable gift of a novel."—Andrew Smith, author of Grasshopper Jungle

    "I am so in love with this book."—Nina LaCour, author of Hold Still

    "Feels timelessly, effortlessly now."—Tim Federle, author of Better Nate Than Ever

    "The best kind of love story."—Alex Sanchez, Lambda Award-winning author of Rainbow Boys and Boyfriends with Girlfriends

    Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he's pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he's never met.

    Incredibly funny and poignant, this twenty-first-century coming-of-age, coming out story—wrapped in a geek romance—is a knockout of a debut novel by Becky Albertalli.

    Why it's similar

    Both are contemporary queer YA stories about a shy boy’s first romance, school life, and coming out, with a light, heartfelt tone and focus on everyday teen experiences.

    What's different

    Told in prose with emails and internal monologue, it has more emphasis on coming-out tension and mystery around the love interest’s identity.

Looking for something else?

Use our book recommendation tool to discover books similar to any of your favorites.

Find similar books with LibroMatch