A sparkling queer YA romance set in Brisbane, Henry Hamlet’s Heart follows one guy and his sometimes hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking journey to love.
Henry Hamlet doesn’t know what he wants after school ends. It’s his last semester of year twelve 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 where Len is mysterious, Henry is clumsy; where Len is a heart-throb, Henry is a neurotic mess. Somehow it’s always worked.
That is, until Henry falls. Hard. For the last person he imagined.
From an exciting debut author comes this passionate story of growing up, letting go, and learning how to love.
THE FACTS
📕 lovely YA romance
📘 friends first
📙 great supporting characters
📗 four
THE PLOT
What happens if you kiss your best friend and then realize that it was the best first kiss ever? Well, you lose your mind a little. This is the story of Henry and his best friend Lenn and their journey.
THE CHARACTERS
⭐️ Henry – loved this character’s mind. The author did a great job of creating a lovely character that I could identify with quickly
⭐️ Lenn – sweet and mature, charming and kind. Loved this character. He was patient and gentle with his friends.
THE GOOD BITS
I haven’t read anything by Rhiannon Wilde before, but this book was a success in my mind.
Henry Hamlet, like many young people, doesn’t really know what he wants to do when he’s done school. Henry is awkward, too honest, confused and a bit of a mess but he is balanced out by his best friend and opposite, Len.
A game of truth or dare one night, spurred on by some alcohol, ends with Henry and Len kissing. This is the spark that ignites a feeling that Henry is shocked by: what if there’s more?
I loved Henry’s ridiculous mind – probably because I’ve got a similar one myself! I thought that he was a great representation of the struggle that can sink onto us as we edge closer to adulthood. Henry is adorable and confused.
On the other hand, Len is more settled with himself. He is confident, quiet, commanding, and popular all at the same time. Len is the one that people are drawn to. For Len, there’s always been a friendship with Henry – a relationship they both rely on.
What’s great about this book is the way the friends all support one another. There are some digs and the usual friendly banter, but when it matters these friends support one another.
I’ll definitely read more by this author.
DIDN’T WORK FOR ME
There were a few spots when this was a little slow – but I’m okay with that. Life isn’t always fast and big changes can take a long time to process.
THE LINKS
🖊 Author
I received an ARC of Henry Hamlet’s Heart by Rhiannon Wilde from University of Queensland Press via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
Kinzie Things 