I am appalled that I haven’t heard any buzz about this book on social media yet because this queer YA romance gave me ALL the Becky Albertalli meets Alice Oseman vibes and if that doesn’t tell you that you need to pre-order this beauty right now, then I don’t know what will.
But I digress.
Henry Hamlet’s Heart follows Henry Hamlet in his last semester of year twelve in Brisbane. Henry has no idea what he wants to do once he’s done with school (we’ve all been there) but luckily, he can always count on his best friend, Len. Where Len is outgoing and charismatic, Henry is awkward, and so not made for large groups of people—and yet, somehow they fit together perfectly. That is, until a truth or dare game turns Henry’s world completely upside down and he suddenly finds himself in love with the one person he’d never thought he’d fall for—his best friend.
This book has all the elements I love to see in queer YA contemporaries: the gay confusion, the awkward pining, the unexpected heartbreak, and the moments that make it all worth it. Wilde has such a talent of creating a narrative that completely sucks you in. Once I started Henry’s story, I couldn’t put it down. From his funny and weird group of friends who all deserve their own book because boy oh boy do they get in trouble sometimes, to the slow unravelling of Henry’s feelings for his best friend, this narrative kept me on the edge of my seat. The humour is also so seamlessly interweaved that at any moment, you can find yourself close to tears only to be cracking up a few sentences later.
Following Henry as he slowly questions his girlfriendless youth and realises that there might be more to his friendship with Lennon made my heart ache, especially as we go through the will-they-won’t-they stages of first love. Watching Henry get what he wants only to be left heartbroken and shattered felt like getting my own heart ripped out only to have it stitched back together by the end of the book. All in all, this is just an incredible wholesome and passionate story about growing up, figuring out what you want and need in relationships, and what it means to be a reliable friend.
On top of that, the side characters in this novel also were incredibly fleshed-out. Beyond Henry’s group of school friends, Lennon has a tragic backstory that I loved exploring throughout the novel.
This story also takes place in the early 2000s and the vibes were just so impeccably nostalgic that I kind of wanted to scour my room for my old MP3 player just to relive that era of my youth. From the musical artists mentioned to the pop culture references of that time, Henry Hamlet’s Heart really tugged at my heartstrings with that aspect.
All in all, Henry Hamlet’s Heart is a riveting YA queer romance debut, filled with best friend shenanigans, gay confusion, first loves, and first heartbreaks, perfect for fans of Alice Oseman and Becky Albertalli!
Henry Hamlet’s Heart is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of July 2nd 2021.
Will you be picking up Henry Hamlet’s Heart? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
A sparkling queer YA romance set in Brisbane, Henry Hamlet’s Heart follows one guy and his sometimes hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking journey to love.
Henry Hamlet doesn’t know what he wants after school ends. It’s his last semester of year twelve and all he’s sure of is his uncanny ability to make situations awkward. Luckily, he can always hide behind his enigmatic best friend, Len. They’ve been friends since forever, but where Len is mysterious, Henry is clumsy; where Len is a heart-throb, Henry is a neurotic mess. Somehow it’s always worked.
That is, until Henry falls. Hard. For the last person he imagined.
From an exciting debut author comes this passionate story of growing up, letting go, and learning how to love.
This is the first time I’m hearing of this and I’m definitely adding this to my TBR!