Open, Heaven is an incredibly immersive and poetic novel that follows sixteen year old James as he struggles through understanding himself and his queerness. The strongest part of this novel is the prose - I constantly found myself highlighting and rereading lines. The writing is just absolutely beautiful, begs to be devoured, and emotional without being overbearing or complicated.

Our main character James is the focus of this character study, and while there is definitely plot in this novel as well, it comes second to James's over-analyzation of everything happening around him. I found his internal monologuing to feel redundant at times, but it absolutely brought me back to my own adolescence and how easy it was to think about one thing (or one person) again and again and again and again (and again).

As others have said, this novel reminded me of 'Call Me by Your Name' and 'Swimming in the Dark'. If you liked either of those novels then I would highly recommend this book. Or, if you want to be thrown back into adolescent obsession, I would also highly recommend this book. If you want a fast-moving, swoon worthy romance, then I would look for something else.

Thank you to Netgalley for the eARC!

This post contains spoilers. Feel free to skip them and come back when you’ve experienced the book for yourself. I’ve marked where the spoilers begin and end with this symbol: *.

Comparisons are going to be made that this book is like Call Me By Your Name, Lie With Me, Swimming in the Dark, and other queer books that like to wade around in those murky, gray areas. Don’t get me wrong, I resist binary thinking, and as a queer person see it as genuinely harmful to the future of our community, but I don’t really like those books much for the same reason I’m having a hard time liking this one.

My feelings around books about unfulfilled queer desire, books that end with a return to heteronormativity, or books about the death of a queer person, are, to say the least, complex. While I do believe queer stories of all kinds should be told and allowed to exist, I think it’s also important to turn a critical eye toward what exactly is being perpetuated by these types of stories we tell.

Real stress and trauma is experienced by queers because of their loneliness, their longings, and their unmet desires. It is held in their minds and bodies, it is a real reality that will forever shape how they relate to others and to the world. It seems to be a common experience among queer people that we have less freedom as cis and straight people do to act out our desires because everything in our lives is shaped by the compulsory ideal of creating the perfect family unit, of finding that one person, of getting married and living happily-ever-after, despite the fact that there are other potentially more liberating ways of existing in the world.

*Here’s where the spoilers start.*

I struggle most with the ending of this book, its last two sections in particular. By the end, James does not seem like an individual with a strong sense of his own identity, he has no community or collective sense of belonging, and instead of returning to the clearing where he and Luke camped for the night after they ran away, he “reluctantly” merges and disappears driving among the other cars on the freeway and we are left wondering what exactly to make of what has just happened.

And that’s just it, he disappears. It’s as if queerness and all its complexities, its nuances, its different ways of being, once again leads to conformity, to assimilation, to this constant state of forever driving toward something we are not allowed to truly have fulfilled: desire. It is loneliness as an inevitable ending, and I refuse to believe that this is true for queer people. He does not take a different route, a different road, he has nothing left but to do what everyone else is doing, and that is to follow along.

While this isn’t where the book actually ends, it’s where it ends for James as an adult. The book switches back one final time to him as a teenager, saying goodbye to Luke at the end of the summer, longing for the impression Luke has just pressed into his hand, listening to church bells ring out into the sky.

And I think that says a lot about what this book is about: the institutions we as queer people are surrounded by, influenced by, and ultimately, I would argue, need to question and to resist.

This is not to say that I think that in order for this book to be “good” that James as a character must end up in a romantic relationship with Luke, that Luke must be something he is not, but rather to say that if this book was trying to offer an alternative to traditional structures of desire and longing (marriage, heteronormativity, an institution), it doesn’t seem to achieve that. James is not even friends with Luke as an adult, he is overwhelmed by his lasting desire for him, his longing for him still largely unfulfilled. An alternative relationship that could have fulfilled in some ways those unmet queer desires, perhaps a queerplatonic friendship, does not endure into adulthood.

*Here’s where the spoilers end.*

Reading is subjective, though, and I feel a lot of people will like this book. I just hope they think about its implications.

This book was really good at creating that tension of will-they-won’t-they, and the writing was full of momentum and gorgeous, poetic descriptions. It captures a great deal of the complexity of queer desire, longing, and sexual awakening but I would argue it doesn’t offer alternatives to heteronormative relationships.

Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book really sinks into your cushioned heart and pulls out the nearly forgotten bits of youthful pain and hope and longing. Open, Heaven is beautifully lyrical as it dives into the vivid emotional life of a young man experiencing his first love. I felt the book mirrored, in some ways, Virginia Woolf's languid stream of consciousness style of evoking both place and feeling. Sean Hewitt's brightly descriptive sense of place enhances the imaginative emotions expressed by the young protagonist. Since it's not yet published, I won't quote from it, but if I did, it would be so hard to choose from the many images that stung my heart.

Seán Hewitt’s Open, Heaven is a lyrical and emotionally resonant coming-of-age novel set in a remote village in northern England. It tells the story of James, a shy sixteen-year-old boy grappling with his newly discovered sexuality and a deep yearning for a life beyond the boundaries of his insular community. Through a poetic and reflective narrative, Hewitt delves into themes of identity, desire, and the complexities of first love.

James is an introspective and sheltered character, whose internal journey of self-discovery forms the heart of the novel. Hewitt beautifully captures James’s struggle as he begins to understand his desires and how they threaten to separate him from the family and rural community he’s grown up in. His longing for tenderness, intimacy, and a life beyond the confines of his small world is palpable. James’s emotional turmoil feels raw and authentic, making him a relatable and sympathetic protagonist.

When James meets Luke, an older boy with a reputation for danger, the novel shifts into an exploration of the transformative power of first love. Luke, handsome and impulsive, is an enigmatic character with his own emotional wounds. Abandoned by his parents and sent to live with his aunt and uncle, Luke’s bravado masks a deep longing for love and stability, particularly from his imprisoned father. The chemistry between James and Luke is immediate and electric, drawing James into an intense relationship that transforms them both.

Hewitt’s writing is deeply atmospheric, using the natural beauty and isolation of the rural setting to mirror the emotional lives of the characters. The changing seasons—particularly the autumn of 2002 when James and Luke first meet—serve as a backdrop to the unfolding romance, adding layers of meaning and symbolism to their connection. The rural setting enhances the sense of isolation, both physical and emotional, that James feels as he grapples with his identity.

The relationship between James and Luke is filled with tenderness and tension, as both boys navigate their desires and fears. Hewitt skillfully portrays the fragility of first love, the fear of discovery, and the intensity of youthful passion. Their bond is both beautiful and precarious, fraught with the weight of their personal struggles. The novel doesn’t shy away from the darker aspects of their relationship, touching on issues of abandonment, longing, and the emotional toll of trying to find one’s place in a world that feels alien.

One of the novel’s strengths is its exploration of how both boys’ backgrounds shape their relationship. Luke’s turbulent family life and his attempts to hide his vulnerability from James add complexity to his character, while James’s sheltered upbringing makes him both deeply curious and fearful of the world Luke represents. Their relationship is a delicate balance of desire, emotional need, and self-discovery.

If there’s a critique to be made, it’s that the novel’s pacing can sometimes feel slow, particularly as it delves deeply into James’s introspection. For readers who enjoy character-driven stories and poetic prose, this will likely enhance the experience, but others may find the plot progression a bit too languid. The focus is primarily on the inner lives of the characters, with external events taking a backseat to the emotional development of the story.

Final Thoughts:
Open, Heaven is a beautifully written, introspective novel that captures the intensity of first love and the painful process of self-discovery. Seán Hewitt’s evocative prose and his nuanced portrayal of James and Luke’s relationship make this a deeply moving and emotionally rich story. While the pacing may feel slow at times, the novel’s atmosphere and emotional depth

I went into *Open, Heaven* not knowing what to expect, and I came out completely moved. Seán Hewitt’s writing is stunning, effortlessly poetic without ever losing the raw emotion behind the story. I was drawn in from the first page and found myself unable to put the book down. James, the protagonist, is so vividly portrayed that you can’t help but feel everything he’s going through—the yearning, the heartbreak, the confusion of being young and in love. It’s rare to find a book that captures the intensity of first love with such tenderness and honesty.

Hewitt does a phenomenal job exploring themes of identity, desire, and the painful journey of growing up, especially within a small, restrictive environment. The writing itself is nothing short of beautiful, but it never overshadows the emotional depth of the characters. It reminded me of why I love reading in the first place—when a story makes you feel like you’re not just reading about a character, but living their experience.

This book left a mark on me, and I know it’s going to stick with me for a long time. Absolutely a must-read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for providing this ARC!

I loved this book. It is so beautifully written, I liked the prose. Very evocative. A heart-wrenching portrait of young love and sexual awakening. Unlike what I usually read but I’m glad I gave it a shot. I would highly recommend this book and it will stick with me. The characters are very vivid and due to the first person narration you feel like you are experiencing it all with James.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this e-arc. All opinions are my own!

Not my favorite, but I think this will be a popular pick for some of our patrons. Very poetic, lovely writing style. Will be getting a copy.

I'm almost not sure how to review this novel, except to say that I have just finished something extraordinary. Hewitt's poetry is bold, inventive and personal, his memoir, 'All Down Darkness Wide' was an incredibly moving and spectacular piece of writing. 'Open, Heaven', somehow exceeds all expectations as Hewitt delivers one of the most agonisingly beautiful novel's I have ever read.

Open, Heaven is the debut novel of Seán Hewitt. It follows James, a teenage boy growing up in a small village in England, through the year in which he meets Luke, the rebellious nephew of a local farmer and James' first love.

This is a small but mighty little novel, which somehow manages to pack so much into its pages. It deals with love, sexuality, grief, desire, and everything else that comes along with growing up. It is really a moving slice of life novel, with a hint of nostalgia woven throughout. And while James is truly the heart of this book, his connections with the other characters are what truly made my heart ache and swell as the story unfolded.

Hewitt's prose is decidedly unmatched, and at this point I would read his grocery list just to see how he'd make me feel about produce and dairy.

Thank you to the publisher Knopf and NetGalley for the eArc of this book!

This was so unexpectedly beautiful and heartbreaking. I want to start by saying the prose is very good and quite gorgeous. My main hang-up when reading novels written by poets is that the writing can sometimes be too flowery for my taste, but I found that <i>Open, Heaven</i> was rich without being overwrought.

James, as a character, is also very well written. We start the novel with him talking a bit about Luke and divulging some information about his current life. These little morsels of info made me curious to read on and see how this year with Luke affected James as a teen and an adult. Sixteen year-old James is shy and lonely, the only openly gay kid in his village. He has no friends at school, and jumps at the chance to spend more time with Luke. The slow development of James' unrequited love for Luke and how it affected the rest of his life (namely, how he interacted with his parents and younger brother) was very well done.

This being a first person POV, we get a very clear look at what James is thinking and feeling. I think Hewitt wrote James' perspective very realistically. I could understand why James was acting the way he was. I also saw a lot of my teenage self in James too, with all that loneliness and isolation. Hewitt does a beautiful job capturing the pain and longing that comes along with being outcast from your peers.

I definitely enjoyed portions of this, especially the beginning. The writing is lyrical and beautiful, but at times it felt a bit much. I found myself really drawn to James’s character as an adult and wish we had a bit more of his perspective throughout the story.

But overall, this is a tender slice of life story about first love.

If you’re a fan of Call Me By Your Name or Swimming in the Dark, this one is definitely worth checking out.

(Thank you to the publisher for the ARC)

A poignant and poetic coming of age story about James, a gay teenager who becomes fascinated, then falls in love with Luke, his charismatic neighbor and best friend. The writing is lyrical and the descriptions of the narrator’s small village and surrounding nature are visual and vivid. The turmoil, pain, and beauty of first love was also very well rendered here, and the MC’s thoughts were realistic for his age.

Heartfelt but never overly sweet, Open, Heaven has all the confusion and butterflies that come with adolescent desire. Although, James finds his desires complicated, more serious than a normal crush. While the novel occupies much of the time having a beautiful medley of Hewitt's prose, it never distracts from the important mission James finds himself in: figuring out where desire comes from. While James desires someone close to him, he thinks about how other models of masculinity exists in his life, whether through his father, brother, or even someone else's father, or the absence thereof. Hewitt strings together a novel that is always on the cusp of hopefulness, always within arms reach, but it's up to us to want to embrace it if we dare to, even in the security and authority of remembering one's past.

i did not intend on loving this book as much as i did.

open, heaven is very reminiscent of douglas stuart’s works (gorgeous writing of a sad gay teenager Going Through It™️) and that is exactly up my alley. it also captures queer yearning in a similar way to sunburn by chloe michelle howarth which, by the way, is one of my favorite books of all time. so essentially this book was made for me.

the main character was painted so vividly that i wanted to crawl into this book and give him a hug because goddamn does he need one. i felt his sorrow, his agony, and his typical teenage angst as if all of his emotions were my very own. the descriptions of how james (the mc) feels toward luke really tugged at my heart. i love stories that capture what it feels like to be young and in love—especially with queerness involved. it’s both painful and wonderful to see how quickly your life can revolve around a single person and the fear that they may not reciprocate those feelings. and oh my god, the writing. i could drone on and on about it but as soon as i get my hands on a physical copy you better believe it will be so marked up it will basically become unreadable.

gosh, this book hurt. but it hurt in such a beautiful, perfect way that i’m completely fine with. i want to turn this book into a teddy bear and hug it.

tl;dr: gorgeous, sad, heartbreaking, and perfectly queer novel that quite frankly ruined my life in the best way possible

(thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc!)

Oh, this hurt me. Great descriptive writing that painted a lovely picture of the seasons and life in this Northern England village. It felt as if I was there and was rather poetic. On top of that, a very raw portrayal of being a teenager: feelings of inadequacy, desire, embarrassment, shame and guilt. How these emotions still linger, yet transform into adulthood. Above all, the agony of loving someone and wanting to be loved in return. UGH. I want more.

A poignant and poetic coming of age story about James, a gay teenager who becomes fascinated, then falls in love with Luke, his charismatic neighbor and best friend. The writing is lyrical and the descriptions of the narrator’s small village and surrounding nature are visual and vivid. The turmoil, pain, and beauty of first love was also very well rendered here, and the MC’s thoughts were realistic for his age.

This novel reminded me of Call Me By Your Name in tone and theme - so if you’re a CMBYN fan you’ll probably love this one, too.

"Open, Heaven" by Seán Hewitt is a poignant story about first loves. The novel follows the lives of two adolescents, James and Luke, who meet in a small Irish village in the early aughts and profoundly shape each other’s lives. Narrated retrospectively by James, the book provides insight into his inner thoughts hidden beneath his shy exterior.

Hewitt paints a vivid picture of the landscape, characters, and the intense emotions and struggles experienced on the journey to adulthood. In life, the path not traveled tends to get engrained in memories yet leaving us wondering. Luke remaining a significant figure in James' memory, leaves a sense of longing and curiosity about what might have been.

As a reader, I found "Open, Heaven" to be deeply moving. I highly recommend this beautiful, dreamy, and relatable story to fans of Philippe Besson's "Lie With Me," Ocean Vuong's "On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous," Sarah Winman's "Tin Man," André Aciman's "Call Me By Your Name," and Tomasz Jedrowski's "Swimming in the Dark." If you enjoy the works of these authors, you'll surely find this novel to be a compelling read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for this amazing ARC.

Beautifully written. A very emotional story of a young boy coming to terms with his sexuality and the affects it has on him and his family. A little slow to start.