Alice Oseman’s books and comics often deal with serious topics. You may be concerned that one of Alice’s books may contain a topic that is distressing or triggering to you.
This page contains a comprehensive list of the content in each of Alice’s books that may be distressing or triggering to some individuals. Please read safely and do get in touch if you feel that something is missing from these lists.
Solitaire
Solitaire is a story about mental illness told through an unreliable narrator. The presentation of mental illness in this story is sometimes sensationalised, underexplained, and may be harmful to readers who have experienced mental illness. Please read safely and responsibly.
Please also note that Solitaire is a much darker, more graphic, more serious book than the Heartstopper series, and may not be suitable for all readers who have enjoyed Heartstopper.
Alice made editorial changes to Solitaire in August 2020. The edited edition has an author’s note at the front of the book.
- References to suicide and suicide attempts
- Suicidal ideation
- Self-harm
- Depression
- Eating disorders
- Obsessive-compulsive behaviours
- Narrator has implied undiagnosed depression
- Brief incidents of hom*ophobia
- Unchallenged misogyny and ableism
_____________________
Radio Silence
- Anxiety
- Animal death
- Emotionally abusive parent
_____________________
I Was Born for This
- Violence (mentions of blood and injury)
- Anxiety
- Panic attacks
- Smoking
- Discussions of sexual coercion of a minor (16y/o) by an adult in their 30s
- Discussions of surgery
- Discussions of drug usage (cannabis)
- Biphobia
- One brief incident of verbal transphobia
_____________________
Loveless
Loveless
- Internalised aphobia
- Verbal aphobia
- deliberate aphobic attitudes
- accidentally aphobic attitudes due to ignorance/lack of knowledge about a-spec identities
- Frank discussions of sex and masturbation
- Two brief incidents of exclusionary attitudes
- References topast emotionally abusive relationships
- References to past bullying
_____________________
Nick and Charlie
Brief mention of disordered eating behaviour
_____________________
This Winter
THIS WINTER is a story about mental illness that includes very frank and frequent discussions of mental illness.Please read safely and responsibly.
- Eating disorder – discussion and behaviour
- Depression – discussion and behaviour
- References to past self-harm, including a major self-harm relapse
- References to time spent at a psychiatric ward
- Ignorant views regarding mental illness
_____________________
Heartstopper Volume One
- Emotionally abusive relationship
- One incident of a non-consensual kiss
- Brief references to past hom*ophobia, including uses of hom*ophobic slurs
- Brief references to past bullying
_____________________
Heartstopper Volume Two
- One scene involving hom*ophobia, including one use of a hom*ophobic slur
- Brief references to past bullying
_____________________
Heartstopper Volume Three
- Eating disorder – discussion, behaviour, and one scene in which a character passes out
- One brief reference to past self-harm
- Brief references to past bullying
_____________________
Heartstopper Volume Four
Heartstopper: Volume Fourcontains extensive discussions and portrayals of mental illness. Overall, the story has an optimistic spin and a focus on recovery and healing, though there are darker moments in order to portray the realism of living with mental illness. If you are triggered by any of the below topics, please proceed with caution.
- Anorexia – portrayals of restrictive eating behaviour and other discussions around eating disorders, with a focus on anorexia.
- Self-harm – references to incidents of self-harm (though there is no on-page self-harm)
- Psychiatric ward – a character stays briefly in a psychiatric ward and has an overall positive experience there.
- OCD – brief discussions of OCD symptoms.
- Therapy, including a brief discussion of trauma.
- Brief references to past bullying.
