(Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review)

Henry Hamlet’s Heart was not really for me. It wasn’t bad at all, and I did like it a little, I was just a bit bored. Contemporaries are very hit or miss for me, and this one did not land. The characters are great and the romance was cute, it just never really pulled me in. But if you’re the kind of person that loves very character driven stories, I would definitely recommend this!

my rating: ★ ★ ★ ★.5

I loved this book to pieces. This coming-of-age, romance book was hilarious, emotional, wholesome and all things beautiful.

Henry Hamlet is a character I think everyone will find relatable. In his final year of school, he’s a hardworking student, captain of his school, and a great debater. But like anyone else at this stage in life, he’s plagued by self-doubt and the constant worry of “what’s next?”. His parents are super supportive, he has a younger, adorable brother and friends who care about him. But as Len, his best friend and confidante describes it, he doesn’t have “Experiences with a capital E” - as someone who’s constantly caught between worrying and dedicating his time to various pursuits, Hamlet has lost out on experiences that would typically make up for your most cherished teenage memories.

Until he kisses Len. Done as a dare, it quickly develops into very real, strong feelings that both of them have trouble denying. Young love is always beautiful, if hard to deal with and the book encompasses that as we go on Hamlet’s sometimes painful, sometimes funny and mostly beautiful journey of figuring out how to love his best friend. The side characters are quite well-developed too, and moments with them were always light, funny and emotional.

I only wish that this book was written in double pov because Len is a very complex character, more than Henry even, and since the story is mostly from Henry’s pov, I felt like many of Len’s actions and motivations were not conveyed more clearly. Also because this story was crazy cute, Len’s pov would have definitely added to its cuteness.

All in all I recommend this to anyone who’s a romance fan. Especially if you have read and enjoyed the Heartstopper series and Red White and Royal Blue, this is a book you will definitely eat up!

I will start off by saying that I was given this book for free in exchange for an honest review from netgalley.

I loved this book, this is not my genre at all. Both contemporary and I don’t read much YA anymore but I just loved this. It’s a strong four star read for me and I would recommend it to everyone.

The writing style was great and it didn’t take long at all for me to get into the story. It was great that our main character wasn’t already in love with the love interest and it was something we got to experience with him.

A lot of coming of age stories usually have horrible parents(at least the ones I’ve read) but I thought it was great that Henry’s wasn’t and that there are more than just him and Len that is a part of the community. Hello Grams!

I really don’t have anything negative to say, but if I have to come up with a reason that it was four starts instead of five it has to be because it was very predictable. But I didn’t read this story to be shocked. I read it because I wanted to feel warm inside and that is what it did.

It gave me what I wanted.

I greatly enjoyed this book from page one. It's a wonderfully sweet childhood best friends to lovers story with a loveable cast of characters and just the right balance of emotions. I fell in love with Henry and Len and their relationship, as well as the supporting characters and Henry's family. There were just a few things that were left unclear and I wish there had been an epilogue or an extended scene at the end, since I felt like it ended a bit abruptly and we never did learn what their future post graduation looks like, but overall it was a lovely read and I will definitely be checking out more works by this author. The cover artwork is also stunning which was what prompted me to pick up this title in the first place. Greatly recommended to anyone who enjoys queer coming-of-age stories in a high-school setting.

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for the eARC.!

This was such a cute book! I loved the little tidbits of Australian culture in the book and the cast of characters was really lovable. Henry was such an entertaining character to follow and I found myself really appreciating his family and their dynamics as well. My biggest (and possibly only) gripe with the book would be the abundance of male characters, but I felt like the author really tried to include as much of the female characters who were there to make up for it. Thanks to NetGalley and Charlesbridge for the ARC.

First of all, a big thanks to NetGalley and Charlesbridge for providing an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have this strong urge to protect Henry Hamlet from all harm, at all costs. I just want to give him a big hug and tell him that he’s such a unique and kind soul.

This beautifully written friends-to-lovers coming of age novel is exactly what i needed. Henry Hamlet is a pretty relatable character; he’s a socially anxious over-thinker who struggles with self image and the all familiar “what next?” as high school comes to an end. In other words, Henry Hamlet is the opposite of his childhood best friend, Len.

The book focuses on how these two young friends deal with the issues that pose as barriers in their lives, and how they slowly come to realize that what they really needed was right there in plain sight. As Henry’s mind enters into existential crisis mode and Len battles his grief and repressed feelings, the two best friends begin to see how the last term of their senior year might actually be quite life-changing for them. They find love, they fight it, they question it and embrace it, in all of its confusing forms.

It’s light, quick and funny in the right moments. Honestly, Henry’s friend group is the type i wished i had back in high school. It’s so delightful to see how their personalities compliment one another despite being SO different. The book gives you this nostalgic feeling, like you’ve been missing something all along and witnessing Len and Henry’s character growth is somehow that missing piece.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC

I went into this book with high expectations after reading the synopsis (adorable) and seeing the cover (amazing!) but unfortunately it didn’t hit the mark. It starts off slow and even after Henry and Len’s relationship kicks off I found myself skimming through parts where it felt like nothing was happening.

I think this book would really benefit from a dual pov because I wanted to know what Len was thinking! It might have made the constant conflicts more bearable and feel like less of a chore to read. I really wanted to love this book but I was underwhelmed by the main characters and the plot.

A side note: it was very jarring to see a Harry Potter reference in a queer book in 2022. I know this is set in 2008 but you could literally reference anything else.

I am so grateful to the publisher and the amazing author for letting me read this novel. I inhaled it in under 24 hours, and it broke and reshaped and boosted my little heart. Flawlessly written, bursting with human feelings and doubts, this coming of age tale tells the story of Henry Hamlet, soon to graduate high school and head to university (which one, though?), his lovable and quirky family - each on their own path in life, dealing with its assorted doubts and joys - and his friends, Emily from the girls' school and the Boyiss at his own all-boys school. One boy in particular will stand out.
Truly loved, loved, loved this book. One of the finest - if not the best - I've had the privilege to read on NetGalley!

Thanks to Netgalley and Charlesbridge Teen for providing me with an early copy in exchange for an honest review. The book comes out on October 18th 2022.

Both covers for this book are so gorgeous wow.

Picked this on a whim but I truly enjoyed it. It was a nice, vitty, cute and feel-good kind type of a story. The book opens with protagonist’s grandma who came out as bisexual and is now planning her wedding with a woman. Like are you kidding me? If that doesn’t win you over nothing will.

Main plot is set on Henry and his own journey to figuring some things out, along with his best friend Len. There are some serious topics introduced but the book is not too heavy. It’s actually mostly sweet and romantic. Sometimes it’s a bit too cheesy even. Whenever there is a ~I released a breath i didn’t know i was holding~ line it makes me deduce points but other than that it was good. I liked family dynamic, I liked their friend group, I liked friends to lovers which usually hardly wins me over. It’s very easy to get into and if you’re looking for a cute gay story without high stakes I deffinitely recommend this one.

*4.5/5*

Oh, this was a lovely read. It was lighthearted with just the right amount of angst.

Henry Hamlet’s Heart follows Henry, a Year 12 student who has no clue what the future has in store for him, and his best friend Len. Like all Year 12’s, they party. However, when Henry catches feelings at one of these parties he begins to spiral.

While this book gave me secondhand embarrassment, it was still an amazing read. Being a teen is hard, especially when these never felt before feelings begin to develop. Henry really struggles with his feelings and how to accept them. With all these things going on, you start to understand why Henry is spiraling. Henry is a very relatable teen. He doesn’t know where his life is heading, but as long as his best friend is around he feels okay.

Now Len has his issues, but he’s still an amazing character. The way he is written invokes frustration, especially when it comes to his decision making. There is definitely a duality to him. I think this portrayal of grief is good. Len has his moments, but it all leads back to grieving. He fears losing Henry, so he pushes him away. Len is both confident and insecure. I loved Len, but I would understand those who end up disliking him.

Overall, this book was sweet. The writing style was great. Both the main and side characters were very well written and felt relatable. However, I wish there was an epilogue. I would have liked to have a flash forward, since the book ended quite abruptly.

Thank you NetGalley and Charlesbridge Teen for providing the eARC in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this title in exchange for an honest review.

Henry Hamlet's Heart was one of those books that I knew I would enjoy from the first chapter. I mean, a friends to lovers romance with a snarky and unsure about the future high school senior? Definitely right up my alley. But even more than that, this novel surprised me with its beautiful prose—I found myself crying, laughing and marveling at Wilde's writing at the same time.

This is a book for anyone looking for a bit of nostalgia; for the 2000's, for first loves, for those endless afternoons with friend where everything seemed possible... Henry and Len have a very special place in my heart and I'm sure that given the chance they will have one in yours too.

Thank you to Netgalley and Charlesbridge for providing an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

Henry Hamlet's Heart was a very cute, coming of age story that follows Henry Hamlet and his band of Boiysss. Having finally arrived in Year 12, Henry and his friends need to navigate studying, exams, friendship, relationships, family and parties and try and survive the year. On top of that, they all need to decide what they're doing for university, if they're even going, and worry about what will happen post-high school.

Henry Hamlet's Heart was very relatable. I'm thirty and I graduated high school back in 2010, but reading this book put me right back in the mindset of being an eighteen year old trying to juggle friends, graduation, and university admissions. It is clear that Wilde has lived the high school experience because there is no way she could have gotten Henry and his friends and his experiences so bang on without having gone through similar situations herself.

Henry was such a likeable character for me. I loved his inner monologues and the author really nailed his character voice. I found Len to be irritating, but I know other friends who gravitated more towards him as a character. I think if we would have gotten some chapters in his POV, it would have made the experience better for me as a reader. But the banter between Henry and all of his friends was hilarious and I found myself smiling and laughing out loud at several different points. (Spew Grant, anyone?!)

Overall, I think this is a decent addition to LGBTQ+ YA books. If nothing else, the high school experience is so relatable and I loved getting to reminisce about my own past. Also, the new cover on this book is to die for. It is so accurate and I just find myself staring at it constantly. I find something new every time I do.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Oh, how I wanted to like this book. The summary, the cover and the name caught my attention(Hamlet is one of my favourite books ever so). Unfortunately, I was disappointed.

I don't even know where to begin but wonder if I read the same book as everyone else. I guess I will start with things I did like since there are fewer of those, the list of things I didn't like is much longer.

Firstly, I enjoyed the older queer representation being casually in the story it's just not a big deal and I appreciate that.
Also, the way teens are represented in this book is very realistic, they make mistakes, and they are not sure what they are doing/ know what they want to do. They are having brand new experiences and awkward moments which is very relatable.

Now for the more negative side of the review. If I'm being honest the beginning did look promising I had fun the first twentyish pages and after that, I was just bored.

I would like to start with the plot or lack of it, the whole 300 pages I was wondering if this was going somewhere like what is the point of this. Sometimes I thought I was reading the same thing again - party-school-party and I was just tired. I understand it's a part of teens growing up experience but one party would get the point across. There were also a lot of filler chapters I just didn't get why they were there. This could have easily been a 100-page book and I think it would be better that way.

It would be easy to forgive the lack of plot if the characters were developed more but to my dismay, they weren't. They all felt like shells of people even Henry at moments.

Also, I have not seen anyone talk about the comments Gad makes when talking about a girl he likes. Things that he said made me very uncomfortable such as "I'll go find her to make our babies" and "no parents so who's gonna stop us " just ew.

Another thing that made me uncomfortable was when Henry's friend called him a *monk* and a *loser* just because he hasn't kissed a girl and
as a 21-year-old ace who hasn't kissed anyone, I found it annoying.

This book could have been saved by the romance because at moments I enjoyed the interactions between Henry and Len. However it fell flat for me since Len has been described just as his best friend but we don't get anything other than him just being Henry's best friend for years, like what did they do? give me some memories or make new ones, they just stay away from each other too long in some parts of the book. That wasn't enough for me.

I wish we had Len's pov the yearning from his side would be so interesting.

What I have to mention is that there was a Harry Potter reference and knowing this was a recently written book was just disappointing, I get the book is set in 2008 but other things happened(can we please stop mentioning HP) besides it did nothing to add to the story.

Also if I see the word *boyiss* once again I will scream.

The ending was very underwhelming unfortunately but it fits with how I felt throughout of the whole book.

I don't think I would recommend this book but I am in the minority here who did not enjoy this book and I am glad so many people liked it but this just was not for me.

This book was really cute! I was really emotionally at the end. I think when people showcase their love and feelings through art it really shows how much that person means to them. Especially considering the fact Len had photos that dated back years of Henry! I thought the story progressed really fast, and I really appreciated the friends being accepting of their friends no matter what. I finished this in a day and loved it!

ok, the atmosphere of this novel was amazing. it was like the vibe of what reading a good book on a sunny summer evening in your garden feels like. just wonderful. the beginning was really promising, too. then it just kind of got worse. obviously it wasn’t HORRIBLE, since I rated it 3 stars and not 2 or 1, but it just felt so… forgettable?

on the back of this book is a recommendation for fans of “Red, White & Royal Blue” & Becky Albertalli to read this. let me tell you now, biggest thing that this book has to do with rwrb is that it’s mlm. and the Becky Albertalli part makes sense since I actually had the same problems with Becky’s books as I did with this one.

the main character was so boring. I just know I would never ever get along with him in real life and that is a big deal to me in books. if I don’t love the mc, what’s the point?

henry is like the opposite of me. he’s introverted & mature & a nerd and that was so eh to me.

also the same trope Becky used in some of her books which is we love each other then we hate each other then we love each other sucked in this particular plot. sometimes it works but here it just felt so unnecessary. something else should’ve been the culmination point.

also, Len? quite forgettable character, as well. innit? I would definitely work on making the characters more special. more real. less… two-dimensional.

and this is just a personal thing but I would make the grandma and his parents more tolerable and not child-like. I get that that’s their “quirk” but it’s so weird.

lastly, I’m sure this will be corrected in the final version but in the ARC a letter was missing from 1-4 words on every page and sometimes it was hard to know what the actual word was.

that’s it! this book has a lot of potential but I think listening to beta readers’ feedback could do it a lot of good. :)

This book had a slow start. Honestly, I debated not finishing it a few times but I’m glad I did. Their romance was so cute and Len was such an interesting character (I want more on him, please!) and the reunion at the end (why didn’t I see that coming?) it made me cry. This book was absolutely worth holding onto and reading until the end.

Eu demorei alguns dias pra entrar de cabeça na história, mas quando o fiz, esse livro se tornou um amorzinho. É divertido, leve e me deixou com o coração quentinho

"How do you un-know someone, if you only know most of you because of them?"

Set in Brisbane, "Henry Hamlet's Heart" is a whimsical, endearing story about coming to terms with who you are, and growing the courage to embrace it. This is Henry's last semester at high school, and he has no clue about what comes next. Thankfully, his family doesn't push him to make all his big choices right away - and he can always count on his best friend, Len, to be there for him. Until Henry catches feelings after a fateful party, and things start spiralling out of control even further.

Someone should've warned us all that Aussie writers have perfectly understood the queer YA assignment. I really do hope that this book blows up, because it's a delightful read from cover to acknowledgements! In essence, this is a slice of life tale about a queer teen realising and accepting his feelings, as well as trying to handle high school, debate team, his grandma's wedding, and the difficult and delicate task of being by a friend's side as the latter deals with unresolved trauma and family issues. In summary, our nerdy main character doesn't have it easy! I could relate to Henry a lot as he stumbled his way through all of these challenges, which I suspect would be what most of us would end up doing.. He's an anxious mess at times, and he has no clue what he's doing half of the time. If that doesn't scream "Relatable Teen MC", I don't know what will!

The other character that shines is, of course, Len. I personally have a thing for enigmatic boys who hide secrets behind their crooked smiles, and mister Fancy Socks To Work was no exception. Despite how frustrating his choices were at times, I really loved his bond with Henry for the most part. The little gestures he had with him throughout the book made me really emotional, and I believe that the author did an amazing job at showing the duality of him - he's both confident and insecure, both warm and distant, both strong and in need of help. I was glad to see him get closure regarding his career aspirations, and it was very sweet of him indeed to do what he did towards the final pages of the book.

Characters aside, the romance itself was super sweet and realistic. It truly did feel like a first love, and a strong one at that - those of us who can relate will find themselves sighing more than once! Far from being perfect, the characters' relationship has its bumps and setbacks. While I wasn't happy that things weren't quite working out, I was so to have a realistic portrayal of what most teen romances actually look like. And that ending! I'm still swooning!

All in all, this was a very cozy read that brought me a lot of happiness, written with an excellent prose and carefuly spun into a tale about two boys learning how to love each other right. I couldn't recommend it enough, and I'll definitely keep an eye out for future Rhiannon Wilde books!

If you loved Boyfriend Material and Red, White & Royal Blue but want a change from the Enemies to Lovers trope - Henry Hamlet's Heart is just the thing.

It's funny, the chemistry between our two boys is wonderful, we've got fully fleshed out side characters with their own issues, worries and stories and this overall human-ness that gets forgotten so easily sometimes.

The only thing that threw me off every now and then was the fact that it's set in 2008, since it's not 'now-enough' for me to relate and not far-away-enough for me to have historical knowledge on the time.
In 2008 I was six, so that was a little weird, but that's really not the book's fault.

This was such a charming novel with a fun storyline and the most loveable characters. We got to see Henry’s character arc, both emotionally in regards to acknowledging his feelings for his best friend and also becoming more confident in himself and realising that he does not have his future completely mapped out. This is an inspiring story for so many people.