I loved this. Every moment was great. Can we get more heartwarming titles like this, please?

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

I keep saying i don't like friends to lovers but the second one person starts acting possessive over their friends because they're in love i lose my mind.
It was the case this time around too, obsessed with Len and Henry, how they grew, how they probably still are.
Characters all felt very real, it felt like having a family in the hamlets + the boiyss for the length of this book<3

"Maybe it happened because you think nothing scares me , when really it's nothing but you."

I picked up this book to have something light and fun to read for the summer. But oh boy, was I wrong! This book was so much more.

Banter, lovely group of friends, best friends to lovers, identity crisis, highschool politics and eventually, well, love!

I loved Len and Henry, their chemistry but it was Henry who turned out to be my favourite (Who's even surprised at this point?) I loved the way this book was written in such a beautiful and heart-warming way. I had not gone into this book expecting to feel so many emotions so many times. So, when they appeared over the course of the story, it was gentle kick and a welcome surprise.

Would recommend this to anyone wanting to get a bit of adrenaline rush of chaotic highschool days, first love that seems to be impossible and summer blues done right! 🌈

Thank you @netgalley and @charlesbridgepublishing for an arc! All opinions are my own (🖤)

Unfortunately I had to DNF this book after the first five chapters. I felt that that was ample time for the author to hook and engage the reader. But there was nothing there but uninteresting conversations between uninteresting characters without a single sign of where this story was going. I became bored and frustrated and had to give up at the end of chapter five. I’m a firm believer that it is the duty of the author to draw the reader in within the first two chapters.

Spoilers ahead!!!

"Henry Hamlet with a crush. The world's not ready"

This was such a fun, light and entertaining read.
After kissing on a bet at a party, Henry Hamlet starts feeling things for his childhood best friend Len, having absolutely no idea if his feelings are reciprocated or not. At all. Things start to get dramatic and fun at the same time while they both figure themselves, their families and they as an "us" out.
I personally liked Len a lot feeling him like a very complex character, even more than Henry.
The only thing that kinda threw me off a bit was that I found their relationship quite toxic, and due to that I didn't completely feel the whole we've-been-friends-since-kids thing. The extreme condependency that Henry develops for Len after falling for him and the tradition of running-off-shutting-out of Len made things a bit heavy, but it's cool at the same time because it shows how different they both are. But still I found the reading quite light and relaxing. So easy to read anyone can pick it up.
I adores the literary references and the family interactions (the Hamlets and Lacey at least lol) and the Boyiis too.
Perfect for fans of Heartstopper :)

let's just start saying that Gran is a genius 😂😂 She, who is past her middle age, discovered her grandson's relationship with his best friend. And on top of that, he's about to get married. WITH A WOMAN.
Ham, (henry's brother), is such a funny kid, his jokes and the way he speaks... omg the best. Henry's parents is fine I guess, they are cool about Henry's relationship with Len.
Henry though is such a romantic, and sentimental teenager, Len in the another way is a complicated teenager with so much thoughts and felling that he keep it inside him, that I understand the way he acts sometimes, pushing people away, thinking they deserve better, or that there's no future in that. The relationship with his dad is awful, he is in grief and take all his sadness and frustration out on your son. I star this book laughing but I'm ending crying because these two just need to talk to work things out.

The bike joke was amazing 😂😂 ,me as a proud bike 😂😂😂😂love it.
I would truly recommend this book to my friends, congratulations to the autor.

This book was made specifically to cater to my tastes, I think. I was about seventeen when this story takes place and let me tell you, every reference HITS. Fall Out Boy, Dashboard Confessional, The National? Be still my little emo heart. It was perfect and it made me long for the days of Myspace.

Do you ever read something so lovely it makes your chest physically ache? I can't put a number on the amount of times this happened to me while reading this book, but it was a lot. It's such an authentic coming of age story and I can't wait to hold a copy in my hands and just hug it.

The friend group is just as idiotic (affectionate) as any group of teenage boys I ever knew. Henry is my son and I will protect him with my life. I've seen Len get some harsh criticism (and he is Extra not nice sometimes, for sure) but I don't agree- his home life is Not Great and he's terrified of losing people he loves and acts accordingly (also Very relatable). Also don't aske me why I love Martin Finch, but I do. I'm a sucker for good banter and Martin and Henry had it in spades.

The writing is also just really lovely. Several lines hit me right in the chest, and I had to breathe because I understood so clearly what the writer meant. I didn't ask to be called out by this book, but oh boy, was I.

My only complaint is that the book has several Harry Potter references and it really took me out of the story each time one popped up. The story itself is gorgeous and wonderful and beyond relatable, and those references were just not needed.

I wanted to love this book so much, especially after an Australian friend told me it's one of her favorites, but it just fell a little flat for me.

I adored Henry, I loved the coming of age / last year of high school / figuring things out aspect of the story. The dialogue & banter & general problems read like your average late high schooler. Everyone wanting to be confident but really just super self-conscious because being a teenager is weird and awkward. The side characters in Henry's family & the best friends were wonderful.

Where it fell flat for me:
- The writing, especially the transitions between scenes, felt awkward, stilted, and jumpy.
- Len's character just seemed all over the place - I get that he had family stuff going on, but he technically fell first but then was just generally weird / wouldn't have a conversation / etc about all of it when Henry started falling. There were moments when he was really sweet with Henry, but there were so many more that had me wanting so much better for Henry.

This is a very sweet book, and I was surprised at the strong writing; however, I think this book would be better served by a different, catchier title. Fans of Heartstopper will love it.

This book is set in Australia, specifically Queensland, but after Heartstopper, American audiences shouldn't be too confused by the different forms of matriculation. This is very much a "one fell first, but the other fell harder" best friends to lovers trope. What makes this book stand out is the strong characterization not only of the main characters, but the supporting cast. Wilde is very good with realistic dialogue, fun banter, and individual voices. It ends a bit abruptly, but it's a satisfying end.

This book was cute! It was full of disaster gays and awkward sweet moments. Henry Hamlet's Heart is a friends to lovers set in Australia and it was more than just romance it felt deeper and almost written like literary fiction mostly about the characters lives moving through high school and life rather than the romance between them.
I liked both characters and their personality's. I liked Hamlets friends and family. (We really needed more of his grandma and her wife.) The topics like grief and school stress were well written. Overall the book was good but not much to say about it a very good in between YA fiction.

*I received a ARC from NetGalley. Thank you PenguinRandomHouse.com!!

Reading Henry Hamlet’s Heart by Rhiannon Wilde felt like being given a warm hug. This book is overflowing with loveable characters, dynamic relationships and moments so heartfelt that I couldn’t help but smile. Henry’s relationship with not only Led but also his entire friend group, his grandmother, and his little brother made me so happy to read. The portrayal of the friends-to-lovers relationship between Henry and Led was done so incredibly authentically that it made me look back and examine my own relationships where I may have felt the same way as Henry did. I loved the way that Henry’s hesitance and fear was portrayed as he realized his feelings for his best friend and appreciated the development of Led and Henry’s relationship as they each came to terms with their feelings for each other. The only criticism I could possibly have of this book is that I would’ve liked to have seen more vulnerability from Led’s character. At times he felt very clipped and one-sided and I wish the “Tell him” that he wrote on the paper towards the beginning of the novel was addressed again later. However, I don’t think this really affected the quality of the book or my enjoyment of it.

Overall, I thought that Henry Hamlet’s Heart was an incredible book. I think that it will go down in history as one of my favorite young adult romances. Thank you to NetGalley and Charlesbridge Publishing for allowing me access to this ARC!

I’m not going to go into details about this but basically, this book was funny and heartfelt and sad and adorable at the same time. Also, it’s set in Australia, so that’s another reason.

Summary:
Henry Hamlet doesn’t know what he wants after school ends. It’s his last semester of high school, 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 Len is mysterious and Henry is clumsy, and Len is a heartthrob and Henry is a neurotic mess. Somehow it’s always worked.

That is, until Henry falls in love. Hard. How do you date your best friend?

Henry Hamlet is in his last year of high school, and he is unsure about his future, but he knows that he wants to get the most out of it. Also, he is starting to develop feelings towards his best friend, whom he has known since they were little kids, and it feels like his whole world is starting to tumble.

I have so many good things to say about this novel! For once, I think teenagers are very well represented in this novel. They are so good to each other and I just appreciate them a lot. Henry and Lennon’s relationship was so cute, as a friendship first and then when they started to become something more. I liked the friend group, but I think that except for Henry and Lennon the rest could have done with a bit more depth, since they fell into clichés and were not very developed.

Henry’s family was hilarious, I liked the younger brother very much and he had me actually laughing out loud a couple of times. Henry’s parents were also very supportive of him and respected his space and privacy when he needed it, which doesn’t always happen. Also I found it very cute that the grandmother remarried and her wedding scenes with Daisy were super cute! Which reminds me, a very LGBTQ-friendly book overall!

All in all, I recommend this book to everyone, but especially to teens or young adults who are figuring out their lives. Although, aren’t we all trying?

This was a really beautiful book. I was quite wary at the beginning as I did not feel as though the characters were presented to the reader with any depth - I struggled to picture them and consequently, for the first 60 pages, it was tough to get a sense of who they were. The book also didn't delve deeply into the friend-relationship between Henry and Len, which made understanding their conflict more challenging. Regardless, by 100 pages in, I was hooked and read the entire book in one sitting. Overall, the book is deeply personal and really captures the essence of what it means to love as a teenager. Thoroughly enjoyed this novel.

*3.5 stars*

Henry Hamlet's Heart is about Henry Hamlet... and his heart. It follows Henry and his group of friends "the Boiysss". It's about friendship, love, family, and growing up.

Henry himself is quite a relatable character. He's dramatic, anxious and doesn't quite know what do do with himself. His friends are pretty much the only reason hes surviving.

This story was a cute one. Henry and Len's relationship together is super cute.While I enjoyed their relationship it wasn't enough. I found myself getting bored quite easily despite liking the characters. The message was good and I found myself getting teary eyed quite a few times however it just wasn't enough to get more that a 3 star. This definitely has its audience and I think it's objectively good. Would recommend

'Henry Hamlet's Heart' by Rhiannon Wilde is a charming & warm, coming-of-age YA fiction that I read in a day. I finished reading this book days ago, but I'm still thinking about it.

Set in the year 2008, Henry Hamlet is about to graduate high school and what he hasn't figured out yet, is what to do after high school. The book follows Henry's journey discovering love, his identity and much more, himself. I loved this book and loved Henry and Len together (Henry's friend whom he has a crush on). And it's not only the relatable characters in this book that made me like it so much, it's the story that's heartwarming and unforgettable.

Honestly, I'm so glad I read 'Henry Hamlet's Heart' this June, the story and the characters will stay with me forever. Don't forget to grab a copy this book (publication date: 18th October, 2022)

Thanks soo much NetGalley for this beautifully written ARC.

Ooooof. This is an incredibly hard review to write. On the one side, I thought this was a lovely story. I love Henry with all my heart and the writing was phenomenal. I also loved all of the pop-punk references and I'd like to think, that I would have been friends with Henry at that time. However... Len was a bit tricky for me. We see him write "tell him" on his piece of paper before throwing it into the fire. I wish we would've been told that he meant tell Henry how it feels. At least that's what I assume he meant. But I couldn't tell for sure, because he wasn't really... nice... to Henry. He kept telling him to stop being so dramatic and yes, he had his own issues to deal with but I felt as though Henry tried his best to be there for him and got "don't be so dramatic" instead. So the Len that we saw for the first half of the book, who was a lovely, attentive friend, vs. the Len we saw in the second part of the book... it felt like I was suddenly reading a completely different story. Not a fan sadly. Henry deserved better.

Henry Hamlet is in his final year of high school. While dealing with his crazy family, stress of finals, and being school captain he has a lot going on, but what isn’t seen is causing the most turmoil. Henry is crushing on his bestfriend and he’s got it BAD!

Okay so this book was good, but the first half moves a little to slow for my liking. This could also be due to the fact that I’ve been reading shorter books lately. I liked the fact that this wasn’t just a coming-of-age, but there was a much deeper aspect. I really liked Len as a character and his back story. The scenes with his family were heartbreaking and infuriating all at one time. The “Boiyss” were a great group of characters. They were funny yet insightful. Henry’s family was hysterical, so supportive they’re kind of cringey. Now for Henry, he was my least favorite character. He was like the girl in a horror film that runs up the stairs when being chased by the killer. He just couldn’t get out of his own way. He was incredibly self-centered and only cared about others when it effected him. I guess he was a stereotypical teenager.

Over all a good solid book and I agree with the blurb, if you like Red,White, and Royal Blue, Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera you will like this book.

Book Review

Title: Henry Hamlet’s Heart
Author: Rhiannon Wilde
Genre: YA Contemporary
Publisher: Charlesbridge Teen
Publish Date: October 18, 2022
Rating: 3.5/5 stars

I enjoy a good coming-of-age story, and Henry Hamlet’s Heart is no exception to this.

Henry Hamlet’s Heart is the story of 18 year old Henry Hamlet who is in his final year of High school in Brisbane, Australia. Henry, his best friend, Len, and the Boiyss (the rest of their group of friends), navigate the stressful final terms of their secondary degree. The story navigates what seems like a predictable year for Henry as he tries to maximize final high school experiences alongside his friends. However, things become suddenly less predictable when, on a dare at a party, Len kisses Henry, and Henry realizes that he wants more than just that single kiss.

Overall, I found Henry Hamlet’s Heart a solid story. The characters were relatable. At the beginning, I found myself nodding along to Henry’s thoughts and reactions. When he expressed the wish for there to be a cat at a party, so he could hang out with it, I wanted to get to know him more. I also found that the writing successfully carried me along on Henry’s emotional rollercoaster.

Originally, I found the plot a bit slow, but I realized that this was purposeful. The inciting incident of the story doesn’t occur until nearly a third into the book, and, while studying in English class, Henry observes that “inciting incidents can bulldoze into everyday life” (94). I think the author mirrors this well with the slow build to Henry’s realization of his sexuality and consequently coming out.

If you have read and enjoyed, Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe or Simon Vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda, you should check out Henry Hamlet’s Heart when it comes out this fall.

Thank you to @charlesbridge and @netgalley for this ARC in return for my honest review.

4 Stars


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thank you to netgalley and charlesbridge for the e-arc

I thought this book was really wonderful. I love reading YA, especially LGBTQ+ YA that takes place in other countries than the US as I feel like we really lack in that for this genre.

Henry is such a relatable character to me. When I was the same age, I didn't know what I wanted either after I graduated. I was confused, clumsy and awkward. I am also always down for a nice friends to lovers trope as well, always warms my heart.

I will definitely be giving it a re-read when it's published in it's physical form.