Intersectionality of Queer Female Characters in Alice Oseman’s Young Adult Series of Graphic Novels Heartstopper

Abstract

The global success of Alice Oseman’s series of young adult graphic novels, Heartstopper, may come as a surprise. Initially published as a webcomic on Tumblr and Tapas, it attracted an online audience of over 50 million views. The project’s publishing fundraising goal was met in just two hours, and Hachette Children’s Group published Heartstopper: Volume One as a graphic novel in 2019, followed by four other volumes and extras, all released by 2023. While most readers and critics have focused on the issues of male homo- and bisexuality in Heartstopper, this article seeks to analyse the multifaceted identities of trans and cisgender female characters in Oseman’s graphic novel series through the lens of intersectionality, focusing on gender, sexuality, race, and ethnicity, while addressing the call for diversity in YA literature. Remembering that young adult literature often aims to raise questions about political organisation, ideal society, and the need for social change, the reading of Oseman’s Heartstopper presented in this paper argues that it is a part of utopian young adult literature due to disregarding many issues connected to the characters’ intersections, especially the experiences of women of colour.