"Do you ever feel like you're not who you're supposed to be? Like, people have this idea of you, but it's so different from the truth you can't correct them?"
If you are into Becky Albertalli's books and Heartstopper, it is highly likely you will enjoy reading Henry Hamlet's heart, a beautifully written story by Rhiannon Wilde that explores the themes of acceptance, family fears and social roles.
The plot revolves around Henry, an Aussie teen-ager who is in his last semester of high school and embarks on a journey of self discovery after having his first kiss.
What lifts this novel above others of its type is how the author combines the psychological background of most of the characters with accurate descriptions of reaching adulthood. Moreover, both the platonic and romantic relationships are so realistic. As a consequence, the reader can empathize with the story way too easily.
Another point that is worth mentioning is how the climax is reached by the author throughout the story: even though some avid readers may guess the book's key themes at a glance, the author makes sure to reintroduce them explicitly.
Were I to change some elements of the novel, I would change the way in which the first part was written since it seems the plot does not develop that much. Moreover, I would include an epilogue due to the fact that some readers might have finished the book with the need of reading more of this story.
To sum up, I would strongly recommend this book. It's totally convincing for youngsters and adults, enabling them to become one with the narrative.
TW: internalised homophobia, a scene of violence.

This book has been a blast to read. I would recommend this to literally everyone. The writing, the character-building. I couldn’t let go of this book until I finished it. Absolutely beautiful. The angst. I was feeling every emotion Henry was feeling, the whole time. I cried a little too. I almost never pick ip a book with the Friends-To-Lovers trope, but I am so glad I picked this up.
So, this book is about Henry, who slowly falls in love with his best friend Len, who was dared to kiss Henry at a party. After that kiss, Henry’s all confused and a teenage mess. Very relatable. This book follows their last year of high school, their friend group , and their growing romance.
You just have to read it, really. Great book.

This was just simply amazing. Perfectly relatable from its rich characters to the simple yet complex coming-of-age story being told. Changing tones from wildly funny to heartbreaking it kept its pace perfectly as it seamlessly navigated us through Henry's friends, family, and life. I'm not ashamed to say that for the last act of the book my eyes did not remain dry, alternating from sorrow to happiness as the book reached it's finale.

There were some formatting issues in the Kindle version I received but honestly, they all fell away as I became more and more invested in this beautiful novel. I definitely will be purchasing a physical edition of this as soon as it is available, as well as goading everyone I know into reading it.

I really loved this book, it was a love story that I wouldn’t have expected that gave me the same vibes as some mlm bestsellers. The relationship between the main characters grows with their personality and it made me laugh as much as I cried. I really enjoyed the writing aswell, it was easy to read and grammatically correct.
Thank you

It was a cute YA queer rom com set in Australia. It was a bit dated and the main character was not my favorite. I did like the portrayal of a close knit group of guy friends

thank you netgalley for giving me an EARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

4 stars!

it took me around 12% to get into this, but once i did, i never wanted to put it down. this was simply a joy to read. this is what ya contemporary is all about, and why it remains one of my favorite genres. this book was heartfelt, relatable, masterfully crafted, filled with feelings and love and it was simply an honor to be able to read and enjoy it.

henry as a main character is incredible, and also way too relatable. his family was EVERYTHING, and his friends were too. THE BI GRANDMA? THE HIGH STRUNG BUT COOL MOM? THE MENACE LITTLE BROTHER? THE ART AND CHILL AND INCREDIBLE DAD? HIS EMO FRIEND? HIS GIRL OBSESSED FRIEND? HIS GIRL FRIEND WHO I ADORE?

the way the love story develops is so real as well. i love how Henry slowly figures himself out through out the book, and i love how it truly feels like these two are meant to be. friends to lovers is incredible when well done, and god was it well done here.

the only reason this isn't a higher rating is because it did take me a while to get into it, but besides that i loved every second.

Hi! Henry Hamlet’s Heart by Rhiannon Wilde is a standalone queer YA romance.

I want to say it was a great read but well, it was not my favorite. There were moments I loved but for the majority part, it kind of fell flat for me.

Book Review-

Now, disclaimer- it isn’t that the book is bad. Because it isn’t. It’s just that I wasn’t able to connect with the characters much, especially the supporting characters who often felt superficial. At times the story (and the character’s decisions) frustrated me and at times I just wanted to cringe really hard. I mean… the old running away because you’re afraid to commit? Oh, come on. The protagonists literally spent the last one-third of the book with no interaction.

That brings me to another thing I didn’t like- the abrupt ending. The characters don’t talk for weeks, reconcile within minutes and within the next twenty pages- we’re done with the book?! That just took away the happiness I expected to feel and left me feeling unsatisfied with the story. Even a two page epilogue at the end would have helped.

There were other things in the story that I didn’t enjoy (the slow pacing of the story at the start and how his friend group called themselves the boiyssss mainly. It IRKED me and I don’t even know why). Here’s what I DID like about the story though-

It’s a sweet and cute romance. I really liked that Henry’s grandmother was bisexual- it’s just a little detail that adds a wholesome feel. I also loved Harry and Len’s dynamic, as best friends, yes, but more so as a couple- they just clicked together.

I am confused as to whether I would recommend this book though. Maybe if it sounds like something you would enjoy based on the book description and my review?

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my free e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. This book publishes next month.

purchase this read: https://amzn.to/3cS7PHs [this is an associate link]

I loved this book so much! What a true YA coming of age novel. I really enjoyed Henry’s pov and found myself relating to him so much. This is the kind of book I wish I had growing up. From Henry’s existential crisis’ to his queer awakening. This book has something for everyone.

A bit slow starting off and I wasn't really buying the connection between the main characters, but once I shifted my perspective and thought of them as two seemingly straight boys struggling to deny their feelings for each other, I accepted their actions as realistic and the book really came together for me. By the end I was smiling every few pages and was totally in love with their love.

Henry hamlet

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙚𝙧 𝙔𝘼 𝙧𝙤𝙢-𝙘𝙤𝙢 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙬𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙛𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝘼𝙙𝙖𝙢 𝙎𝙞𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙖 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘽𝙚𝙘𝙠𝙮 𝘼𝙡𝙗𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙞.

This is a heartfelt story about two best friends who end up falling for each other in Australia. I had an enjoyable time reading this and following these characters.

There were some humorous moments with laughs here and there, and let’s not even get started with the amount of banter between the characters. While we have Henry who is extremely nerdy, we also have his best friend Len who is very shy and hides his feelings (afraid of getting hurt.)

While this book is intended for a younger audience, I didn’t have an issue with the number of teenage shenanigans going on.

I was a big fan of Henry’s family, especially his little brother. I found them to be so funny and full of life. They very some very interesting side characters! Len, on the other hand, has dealt with so much in his life, especially after losing his mother and having to stay with his horrible father.

My only issue with the book was the lack of description. The third part suffered severely from putting something out there without enough details. For example, we know grief has an effect but it doesn’t explore it as much as it should. Also, miscommunication is another thing that bothered me. I would’ve loved Len’s POV as well.

Overall, this was an enjoyable YA romance. The characters were great themselves and I enjoyed the funny comments. The ending was a sweet finale. I also enjoyed how the author wrote this story, and how it’s set in Australia in the 00s. If you’re looking for a light-hearted YA romance full of sweetness and banter, this may just be for you!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy, all thoughts are my own!

"Henry Hamlet's Heart" is a queer, slow burn, friends to lovers romance that you won't be able to put down.

unfortunately I found this extremely monotone. our mc Henry didn't sound like a teenager, for one thing, and I found reading his POV only made me annoyed. the story itself could've been really cute, and our love interest is interesting, but I couldn't get past the style at all.

Henry Hamlet’s Heart is exactly the type of book I would recommend to any queer literature-loving teenager looking for something to relate to. It is filled with literary references that I truly enjoyed as an English literature enthusiast. And with a solid friends to lovers trope, there’s a lot to adore.

In the first part of the book, I particularly liked Henry and Len’s dynamic and I could hardly put the book down. The whole friends to lovers was written in a very relatable way which made it all the more enjoyable. Sadly, the second part let me down quite a bit. The main conflict in the story is definitely a hit-or-miss, and it didn’t hit as well for me. Still, I think it was a pretty fun YA romance that is (and will be) enjoyed by plenty of people.

The other characters in the story aren’t always as memorable to me, aside from the iconic bisexual grandma, but I liked the way the interactions with one another were written. I also fairly enjoyed Henry as the protagonist, mainly because of his relatability. The story takes place in 2008 and even though I wasn’t the same age as the main group in that year, the references still feel relevant up to today, with things from Shakespeare to Twilight.

Despite the fact that the second part fell through for me, it was an enjoyable and nostalgic ride that brought me quite a bit of laughter from time to time. It’s certainly worth the read if you’re looking for a queer young adult romance (and it is worth picking up just for the title alone).

Olha, no geral, foi fofo. Foi divertido e é uma história simpática sobre amadurecer. Existem diversas semelhanças com a maioria dos livros LGBTQIA+ mais populares sobre descobrimento e amadurecimento e essas semelhanças fazem o livro ser um conforto para quem já gosta dessas histórias. Porém, lembre-se, ao pegar esse livro, que é uma literatura básica para momentos simples. Não procure profundidade nos assuntos, definitivamente não vai encontrar aqui.

Obrigado, NetGallery pelo arc./Thanks, NetGalley for the arc.

I'm an absolute sucker for a Brisbane story and this one hit the spot beautifully. Set in the final months of high school back in the 'old days' of 2008, it's a sweet story of friendship, love, being yourself, family and growing up. It was definitely one of those stories which I didn't want to finish

“I love you, I think, louder than I’ve ever thought anything.”

Henry Hamlet’s Heart is a perfectly bingeable, sweet and messy friends-to-lovers romance that kept me gripped the entire way through. It was one of those books that made me feel everything the characters were feeling right along with them. When Henry was miserable, my stomach was in knots, but when he had those special moments with Len or his friends or family, I couldn’t hold back my smile.

Henry Hamlet’s Heart follows Henry Hamlet (obviously) in his last semester in high school, who by some odd chance (or not) is best friends with Len, their school’s resident Broody Sweetheart™. But when they attend a party and discover some unexpected chemistry, Henry and Len have to navigate their friendship, and the possibility of something more.

Henry is such a messy character. He’s clumsy and awkward, doesn’t always think everything all the way through, but at the same time is a huge overthinker. He reminded me a lot of myself, which made me doubly invested. Len is also messy, just in pretty much the exact opposite way (opposites attract let’s goooo). Len is confident, but hesitant to let people in and see the real him — including Henry. He’s guarded, but cares so much about the people he loves and he’s really gone through it.

Sometimes with friends-to-lovers, the MC and LI have a strong relationship, but it’s hard to see where their romantic and platonic feelings begin and end. In HHH, Henry and Len’s relationship has a clear shift that really marks their realization of their feelings for each other. Neither take on friends-to-lovers is necessarily better than the other, but I will say that the way it was written in this novel worked very well at heightening the tension.

I really wasn’t a huge fan of Henry and Len’s general friend group. They had a lot of toxic masculinity, and made some homophobic microaggressions at times, especially concerning Henry’s coming out. They made me uncomfortable, but I do see how it made sense to include them to add a bit of humor to the mix, and to give Henry and Len’s relationship some more context and complications.

This book is a train wreck and a half, but in a way that’s dear to my heart. It made me feel all the feels, and I really enjoyed seeing how Henry and Len were able to grow into themselves, understanding their own needs and self-worth. COMING OUT IN THE U.S. October 18th!!

Content Warnings: death of a parent (cancer), grief, homophobia, emotional and verbal abuse by a parent, underage alcohol consumption

1.5 stars.
I think this book was not for me, i really disliked how it was written and found it boring, awkward and dry espesially. The start was somewhat funny and interesting, but it went downhill from there... i did not like the MC or the one he was romantically interested in.

Pub Date: 10/18/22
CW: brief mention of cancer, off-page parental death, alcohol, homophobia

As always, thank you NetGalley and Charlesbridge for approving my request and granting me an eARC.

I absolutely LOVED the whole bit with The Great Gatsby and Hamlet and co. talking about how Nick had a thing for Gatsby. The first time I read the book a few months ago, I thought the SAME THING and even wrote a 2000+ word essay on why I thought so just for shits and giggles.

I had so much fun with that essay. I loved the book too.

I will say I wasn’t exactly a fan of all the H*rry P*tter references considering the absolute mess that is that book’s unfortunate author. There’s no way that Rhiannon Wilde didn’t know about all that shit unless she’s been living under a literal rock.

I’ve seen a few complaints about the pacing but honestly I don’t have an issue with it. And I love how we see Len’s side of the whole thing through Henry’s eyes. We see Len falling first. Henry isn’t oblivious to the fact that SOMETHING is happening with his best friend, even before the infamous dare that changed everything. Henry KNOWS something is up and Len isn’t fooling him. I love it.

Friends to lovers is a favorite sub genre of mine and this book did that so well. Most romances I read are enemies to lovers so seeing a friends to lovers and loving it was a nice change of pace.

This book was just ridiculously cute and I loved the little parenthetical thoughts of Henry’s. They made him that much more real. Len was such a relatable character and it was sooooo frickin obvious how much he cared for Henry.

I know I’ve said this in all my reviews, but do yourself a favor and buy this book in October.

Henry Hamlet’s Heart is a sweet and funny YA coming of age story following Henry in his final year of high school as he contemplates his future, his friendships, and a new feeling for his best friend. Henry and Len have been friends forever, but after some drunk party shenanigans Henry starts to develop a crush on Len. And here in lies the downward spiral of any good YA romance: to date or not to date your best friend.

This story is sweet and funny, and it really captures what it feels like to be a teen on the brink of many new things. Henry is both insightful and oblivious in turns - in a realistic way. He has a wonderful group of supportive friends who stand by him through it all, giving him space and setting him straight when he needs it. He also has a supportive family, which is an aspect of queer stories that I love! I’m all about positive family and friend relationships. Plus Henry has a badass queer grandma whose story I would love to here more of! This is a great, lighthearted romance for anyone who likes the friends to lovers trope.

Henry Hamlet's Heart is an adorable queer friends to lovers romance with lovable, relatable characters who you will be rooting for the entire time! Beyond the romance, it is also a story of self discovery during one of the most difficult transitions in the life of a teenager, the jump from high school to university. Henry Hamlet's Heart is sweet, funny, heartfelt, and raw.

My favorite aspect of this book was the characters. Henry and Len were both well developed and real. I felt like I was there with them navigating their feelings and struggles!

I didn't dislike anything in this book, however I do feel I would have liked to see a little more insight/development in some places. But this was very minor and didn't take away from the story at all!

Overall, Henry Hamlet's Heart was a super sweet YA romance. I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a quick feel good read!