Book Review - 'This Winter' by Alice Oseman

Hey, why not read a tiny little story about someone's worst Christmas Day right now?

I work in retail. Christmas stuff has been fucking everywhere since September. So reading about a miserable holiday this winter (heh) is somewhat cathartic.

Taking place in the world of 'Heartstopper' - hence why I ultimately decided to buy it - 'This Winter' is a novella that is pretty depressing for the most part; anger-inducing in some, and nice and lovely in others. It's barely one hundred pages long - even less if you don't count the always wonderful Oseman illustrations - and is divided into three parts, each from the perspectives of the three Spring siblings: Tori, Charlie and Oliver respectively, during a particularly difficult Christmas, after a particularly difficult year.

Seven-year-old Oliver's section is the final one and is only seven pages, yet his simple wisdom is something adults should adhere to and remember. The innocent little boy just wants to play Mario Kart with his big brother and sister amidst the season of presents and family.

But Charlie and Tori...oh boy.

But at least Charlie will always have Nick. Nick Nelson, despite his own ridiculously large family gathering, is there for him this Christmas, thank goodness.

Charlie will fully learn and realise he has Tori, too. Always had, always will.

'This Winter' really is a simple novella that can be finished in less than an hour, and could easily have been a chapter in the 'Heartstopper' comic. It didn't need to be sold as a separate book, and it isn't the most joyous, endearing, dynamic and fixed structurally-driven of holiday reads. It's honest, and a little incomplete, but that's life, isn't it? It's part of the 'Heartstopper' universe, and it shows there is hope in the future for these kids. Lessons are learnt. So that makes its existence valid.

Charlie's self-pity and lamenting that everything is his fault (it isn't) is grating at this point. Not that he doesn't occasionally acknowledge that unfortunately a lot of people are just shit to him and he's not to blame for their words and actions, and he is fifteen and has been struggling with his mental health issues, but still. It can get irritating.

You matter, Charlie! You deserve to exist, and as you are! Nick knows it, Tori knows it. You are accepted. You are loved. There are people who want to help you and want to try to understand you. I want to hug this kid.

Tori is her deadpan, sardonic, snarky, morose, depressed self, who remains there for Charlie, and sticks up for him, and puts herself out there for him. She's great. You don't need to change either, girl!

I relate to Tori and Charlie: my brother and I are also the only quiet and withdrawn ones in a family full of loud and cheerful chatterboxes! How does that work genetically?!

There's no such thing as the perfect family, no matter how many of them try to pretend otherwise. Humans are human, individuals are individuals, and people and situations will not always turn out like how you wanted. In fact, nice times out of ten, they don't. Not genuinely.

Sometimes just being there for someone, hugging them, is the best you can do for them, in times of distress. And not just at Christmas.

I'm there for Charlie and Nick. And for Charlie and Tori.

'This Winter' also counts as a 'Solitaire' novella, and the paperback version I have ends with the first chapter of 'Solitaire'. Good, as its beginning is the best part of it, in my opinion. You can never have too much Tori Spring, either.

(Additionally, one of the presents she receives is a Wednesday Addams laptop case. As well as Nick and Charlie being together, there are some legit adorable and sweet moments in the novella; that is one of them. Plus Oliver just being Oliver.)

Sad and true, yet uplifting thanks to flawed people's children's positive efforts and actions. Relatable reading, and not only because winter might be my favourite season after all (when there should be Christmas and other holiday things around).

Final Score: 3/5