I really enjoyed this story! I especially loved Henry and following his coming of age story. He was very relatable to how I felt going through my last year of high school and the feelings of what afterward brings. I found it interesting that it was set in 2008; it took a bit to get used to, as I thought it was set in 2022 for a bit. The romance was also sweet and wholesome! Overall, this was a nice YA queer love story and coming of age story.

Thank you, Charlesbridge Teen, for the advance reading copy.

This is a fun, hilarious yet so teensy read which I thoroughly had fun reading it.

A one sitting read with all the fun summer vibes with a little cringey scenes and dialogues here and there (we are dealing with teens here, hello! And they're who they are 💌 and they are trying o be the most adult version they can so let's not judge them too much).

I love the two main characters. They get really clueless at times (relatable still) but they are who they are, being the comfortable friends they always have been.

A cute friends to lovers teen romance fiction. You won't be disappointed.

I had asked for Henry Hamlet's Heart on Netgalley, in June, after having fallen in love with the purple cover, and upon learning that I was approved for it, I felt genuine happiness.
Fast forward to July, after I had forgotten about it and when I realized that I needed to catch up on my arcs before the Netgalley gods come after me, I decided to pick it up because I needed a fun little breather from the very dense Kingdom of Ash.
Having read this book, I can safely say that I'm a dumbass because I've waited so long to read this truly wonderful book!

Spoiler free review, unless I warn ya.

The characters:
I simply adored both Henry and Len as individuals, and I also really loved them together as a couple.
Henry's character felt very relatable and likeable to me. He was a MESS and he owned it, which made him a very adorable and likeable main character. Meanwhile Len was the cool, calm and collected football captain who adored his bestfriend more than anyone else on the planet.
Their friendship was truly beautiful, and I felt emotional while reading it because I could truly feel how much Len cares for, and loves, Henry.
The bestfriends to lovers trope was extremely well done here, is all I can say.
As for their friend group, while I enjoyed them for what they had to offer to this book (which was unfortunately very little), they felt a tad too one dimensional for my taste.
Henry's grandma was an absolute riot and she always managed to get me to crack up whenever she's around, and his lil brother was adorable.

The setting and plot:
I very much enjoyed Australia as the setting for this book, since it automatically made it feel more fresh and unique than most of your usual US based YA stories.
Also, if I were to guess, I'd say that this book is "upper YA" mainly due to the beautiful writing and how mature both characters were (they're both 18) and for the use of language.
Having said that, I do wish we got a little bit more of the steamy scenes on page! We got a little teaser every time, but the rest ended up happening off-page which made it hard to understand what exactly happened between the two, which matters to the storyline since Hamlet has zero experience in that matter, so it would've been good seeing him experience a lot of firsts with the very experienced Len.
As for the plot, there was very little of it outside of the bestfriends to lovers thing going on.
I did appreciate the depth that Len's character had, due to his asshole father and difficult life at home, but it made things more difficult for himself and Henry, with very little explanation, which is why I also disliked that part about it.
(Spoilers) Len suddenly breaks things off with Henry in the middle of the book and for what? It was never really explained beyond him needing time and thinking Henry deserves better than him. I feel like the sudden breakup could've used some more buildup and explaining instead of how it ended up happening.

The ending:
The ending was enjoyable, if a bit disappointing for me.
They got back together way too late in the game, and we spent a good chunk of time with them being apart which didn't help the book since their relationship is the entire plot of the book.
It was bittersweet and I definitely like the we're back together moment, but it felt rushed and I feel like it could've been done differently, in my personal opinion.

Overall, Henry Hamlet's Heart was a truly wonderful, heartwarming and a beautiful story about two friends who could be more.
Strongly recommended!

Such a wholesome, cozy read. I loved this coming of age story of Henry. I think a lot of people could resonate with Henry’s thoughts and feeling throughout the story.

The whole time I was reading this, I couldn’t stop thinking about how familiar it feels. Probably that I was in high school in 2008, but everything about Henry felt comforting to me. This is a sweet coming of age story that I’m very glad I read!!

this was a really really sweet book! i thought the characters were really well written, the writing style was little different from what i'm used to but still really easy to read! a lot of common themes that other books have done throughout, but nonetheless a highly enjoyable read!!

DNF
Didnt like the pacing, it was somehow both to fast and too slow. The setting is under explained, I didn’t know when or where this was until I read other reviews
wish this book was about the bi grandma she was may more interesting than the main character
The harry potter reference isnt needed

3,5*

"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."

I enjoyed reading this sweet queer romance. I loved the first chapters setting the tone for the rest of the book, introducing a grandmother who asked her girlfriend to marry her, Henry's group of friends and his struggle being in his last year of high school. After a while, I found the pace a little too slow though. The story & character developments were described day by day and were spread over multiple chapters where not much happened. Finally being used to the pace, I found that in the last 2 chapters the story was rushed to an end. All open ends had to close within a certain number of pages. To me, that didn't do the very cute story justice. All in all I enjoyed reading Henry Hamlet's Heart and I would recommend reading it, but just don't expect too much of it.

What I liked:
- the book is set in 2008 and at first I thought that is such a weird choice but then I loved all the pop culture references, it was really fun to remember how the world was in 2008
- I love love love Henry's grandmother, she was great. His grandma is biseuxal and wants to marry her girlfriend and that side plot was just- I loved it.
- I also loved that Henry had such a good relationship with his family in general, I love to see it because I remember when families were painfully absent in YA lol
- this was peak friends to lovers & gay panic, I had so much fun reading Henry internally freaking out

What I disliked:
- the third act break up was a bit long for my liking, it dragged on and on, which is just something I generally don't like to read about, I don't like it when the characters are miserable for such a long time

Henry Hamlet, my sweet flower child. Ooof this book had me ON EDGE - but in a good way. It hurt so good...but it also definitely hurt. I am a lover of fluff, so while there was definitely the cutesy moments and just slice of life young teen drama, it also knew exactly where to cut me (aka attack my feelings). I really resonated with this book because it's set in 2008 in the character's final year of high school, which is exactly when I graduated. Even though I identify as queer now, I definitely didn't in high school or in college or even in grad school! So it really struck me with all of the ways I thought of myself in romantic pairings then versus now, and how I interacted with classmates and friends who were openly gay, which was something rare in my small town, small state (at least in population) hometown life. Henry was so precious and I identified with him a lot! Len was a dreamboat and so complex; his tense relationship with his father as they both fail to process Len's mother's death was heartbreaking and angst-inducing. The Boiysss friend group (and wow how I love that name) was so funny and tension-relieving, bless them! They were so loyal and I love how even when Henry and Lennon were fighting, the Boiysss compared it to parent divorce, like how they needed to have shared custody for the rest of the friend group. I thought this was such a poignant story that really spoke to that time (2008) and that time in a young person's life (18 years old). I do wish we got more happy fluffy moments at the end, but honestly, the whole thing was perfect. I definitely plan to reread (probs via audiobook!) this and recommend it to my friends.

Maybe I am a bit old for that and the book has not won my heart the way it could have done a few years ago, but I am able to appreciate its advantages. It is extremely cute and at the same time touching the heart. I think it will appeal to fans of Becky Albertalli, Adam Silvery and Alice Oseman.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

This book honestly stole my heart. Every character was fleshed out and had their moment. I lived for the snarkiness and eccentricities, and fell in love with Henry and 'the boiyss'. It took me a while to get that this was happening in Australia, so I can imagine the editing process and all the things us non-Sustralians wouldn't have understood. What was a big plus is how universal this story has the potential to be - not in like a deep meta way, but rather in that it is believable and relatable.

One thing I'll say is that I'm always excited that younger kids are able to read these types of stories - which I would have given so much to have had then - to remind them that who they are isn't unnatural, and the point of growing up is exploration and self-actualization.

My one critique is that the third act you-know-what felt rushed and a bit pointless - I get it, they're kids and kids tend to be impulsive, but I felt it didn't match the characters of Henry and Lem we'd seen up to then.

3,5 stars. Take my review with a grain of salt, please. The writing is absolutely wonderful, and I loved the main character so much (although, perhaps because I paused my reading from time to time, I remain confused as to why people call him under different names?). It's a good YA book, filled with more friendship than love. I liked the plot but the pacing was sometimes a tad excruciating to live through. I'm not saying it was boring, but I was wondering often when things would get juicier. I personally wasn't a big fan of the love interest here, even if he shared cute moments with the protagonist.

4.5 stars*

I found the start slow, it took me a few chapters to get into it. However by chapter four I was quickly devouring it.
I love this so much.

This book was slow to start in my eyes. Within the first 100 pages I wasn’t sure where we were going. We were meeting many characters which didn’t seem integral to the plot. After that the pace picked up and the story began. I thought Henry was relatable and a typical teen who is in his head about everything and second guessing what everything means. The relationship between Henry and Len was sweet, but the overall arc of their relationship was somewhat predictable. I recommend this title as a story, but not one with many thematic takeaways.

3.8 stars rounded up

Overall, this book was quite fun. It gave me the feeling I get when I used to read fanfic. And in no way do I mean that in a bad way, it’s a good feeling, you know? I kept reading because of that. This is what you pick up when you just want to turn your brain off for a while but you also for some reason want angst and deeper topics.

To get to specifics, I liked the way time was incorporated without outright mentioning the year (from what I remember). I didn’t catch on at first because the first indicator was an older woman using an “ancient” Nokia. Which did make me think she was just using an old phone because she didn’t care to update her devices. Then the main character started using MySpace and it all became much clearer.

Lots of fluff and cute details that made me happy. Personally, I thought Len kind of wasn’t wonderful (Some of his comments towards Henry were a smidge rude. Though it could just be Brisbane banter thus I’m not used to it?), but wasn’t irritating enough to deter me from reading nor to completely hate him. I wish we got his perspective at some point, it may have been helpful to understand his thoughts. Was also surprised that the book ended so abruptly. I wish we got more, but at the same time I get why we didn’t.

Still liked the book, and I’m glad I read it. Fast-paced, funny (I audibly laughed at some bits), simple yet complex enough to get you to continue reading, and had me feeling a lot of feelings. Finished it in two days because it hooked me in💞

[Thank you to Charlesbridge and NetGalley for the e-arc of this book]

Thank you to @netgalley and @charlesbridgepublishing for providing me with an eARC in exchange for a honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.75

Henry Hamlet’s Heart…what a book…

I got admit that it took me some time to get into this book, but once I did I couldn’t put it down.

I loved the opening that starts talking about Henry’s gran being bi. I think it’s the first book that I read with this kind of rep (bi elderly person) and I think it was brilliant!

Henry’s family is the best. I love their dynamic, their banter, their transparent love, how they show their emotions and prompts each other to talk about their feelings and whatever is going on in their lives. It’s truly beautiful! Also, how accepting they are and how they don’t make a big thing about who they people in the family love and want to be with. Oh, and his relationship with his little brother is so heartwarming, I really love it.

Then, there’s Henry’s friends. They’re all seniors, trying to figure out what life will be after their last year of school.

This book is about self-discovery, love, heartbreak, acceptance, friendships, family, living in the present and decisions for the future, literature, poetry, and more.

In the beginning I think I was a bit annoyed with the writing due to some abrupt scene cuts. However, as it progressed I realised that the abruptness made so much sense for how we see life at that age (18), or any age really, that indeed we don’t remember everything that happens in a day, but instead we retain only some moments and conversations. Sometimes we may be talking deeply with someone in bed and then we’re already walking up in the morning. It all makes sense in the end.

Henry Hamlet’s Heart is a beautiful YA story of friends who fall in love with each other, but there is something else I loved about it…where the book is set. I lived in Brisbane for 17 months almost 10 years ago when I was at uni, and it was delightful to see familiar places, to see the love for that place in the pages of this book. Tiny mentions that filled my heart with happiness and nostalgia. The jacarandas, the bats, the river, the ferry,…

Thanks @rhiannon_wilde for this beautiful book!

This was a gorgeous queer YA romance and everything about it was exactly what I would look for in that category. The only reason I didn’t adore it, I think, was personal preference on books when I read it- it just wasn’t what I wanted at the time. However, I’ll consider trying again in the future! Overall really good!

I love how so many things happened in the book. I could not keep myself from the book because it was so good

Unfortunately this book was not for me, I got until 25% until I found myself that I it's been weeks and I didn't really want to keep going. This is one of those slow stories about a group of friends and facing the greatest task of all: growing up. I think I may not be the right target for it so I'd still recommend it!