This novel about unrequited love takes wonderfully unexpected turns, and as the reader, you quickly come to realise that there is something that the narrator is not quite understanding, or able to confront, all of which makes the novel that much more fascinating. Written with gorgeous lyricism and subtlety, this novel is a thing of beauty.

I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Despite the beautiful writing, Open Heaven didn’t work for me. Maybe if it hadn’t opened with the fact that this adolescent relationship had ruined the narrator for all other relationships, ;including his marriage), I would have expected less and been happy with the very slight story. So, I spent most of the story wanting something more to happen. I normally love a slow paced novel, but unfortunately, this didn’t touch me emotionally in the way I felt it would.

I love Hewitt’s poetry, but unfortunately this didn’t hit the mark for me. Everyone else I’ve spoken to seems to have loved it, and I was drawn to it because of how much I love Hewitt’s previous work, but I just couldn’t get into this.

irstly, thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review (better late than never!).

Honestly - I think Hewitt knocked this out of the park. Despite it not being a truly rich or original story idea, the characters are so sensitively handled that you cannot help but ache as you read and it does feel fresh and youthful. As someone who grew up in the space of land that is the 'North of England', the idylic, isolated environment that Hewitt uses to set his novel was one I understood all too well and it is cleverly deployed here too. The backdrop works well for that idea of 'romance by circumstance' and it gives the story a reality that is not hard to believe.

Despite the romance landing more one-sided than you long for, there is a truth and honesty in the way that they yearn for each other, in some capacity or another and that is clear from the story. That drive to be understood and wanted and desired when you are 16, especially when you do not fit: a puzzle piece that people believe should fit into the space but is just slightly too big or too small. That feeling is universal, whether its an LGBT+ youth or not.

It is, on the whole, an excellent story. I think I just wanted more and I wanted it to be satisfying by the end, rather than open. It's personal taste though.

Really beautiful poetry. I found it's probably more for a younger audience. but that didn't mean that I wasn't turned off and I think it's a good look for maybe teenagers to have a read and maybe 20 year olds to have a think back about their first love

Some beautiful poetic writing, but this felt to me like reading an adolescent diary about first love and not in a particularly fresh or interesting way. I read the first third then skimmed the rest. It felt like the first draft of a novel. Disappointing.

One of those stories that feels so confessional and evocatively written that you forget entirely that it's fiction until you read about the author at the end and realise that this couldn't possibly be their personal story. Not only captures that sensation of first love (or obsession), but also the weight of nostalgia and regret.

Hugely nostalgic and touching. This debut novel is beautifully written - it's easy to relate to James' exploration of his body and emotions, and his loneliness and isolation is just heartbreaking. The unreliable narration adds tension and mystery to the plot and the result is truly bittersweet. An author to watch.

Oh the yearning in this book! Woah! It is so beautifully written. The lyrical prose reels you in and you just cannot put it down!

I spent all morning reading this book, I couldn’t stop. This book grabbed my attention and would not let go! Open, Heaven was written so beautifully with great flow, writing and characters. The character development was everything to me and the story was easy to follow but hard hitting. The book follows first loves and caring for others through adolescence. I nearly shed a tear at the end, it was just so beautifully written but reminded me so much of what adolescence is. The setting was ambient and I just adored this one. Open, Heaven is a short read but stunning read I highly recommend.

A wonderful coming of age story of James and his younger brother who has epilepsy.
James is gay but has not had a gay relationship yet, and meets an older boy who has already left school.
I loved the writing style, the setting, the story. It's packed with nostalgia for young love, that feeling of falling for someone for the very first time, of hope. Very poignant.

'Adulthood was burning through me that year - I was feral with it, and there were days that I felt caged.'

Sean Hewitt is a poet, and I mean that literally and also because the prose in this novel is just so beautiful, so concise yet full of meaning, that you could fill a whole review just quoting lines from the book. His observations of longing and love, of nature and the seasons, draw you in and break your heart. This is the story of James, a shy 16-year old living in a village in the north of England. As he is struggling with his sexuality, another boy called Luke is sent to live with his aunt nearby after his family implodes. Over the course of time the two become friends, and James falls big time for Luke. Is the love returned? And if so, what kind of love is it? And then 20 years later James returns to his home, and the memories.

Shattering, moving, lyrical, this is up their with the very best gay coming-of-age novels, and everyone should read it.

(With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this title.)

3.75 stars.
The standout feature of Open, Heaven is the gorgeous, lyrical prose which is of course attributed to author Sean Hewitt’s poetic background. His debut novel features sensational, sharp writing that really brings the narrative to life. The feelings of isolation and othering that growing up in a tiny, traditional village can evoke in people once they start to grow up and break away from the expected path was captured so perfectly. I felt really seen by this, and found myself thinking about this book constantly when I last visited my home village. It has not left my brain.

I thought the prologue of this book works particularly well. It sets the tone of how the rest of it is going to unfold from the very first page, in a way that isn’t often done.

However, the main issue I have with this book is that I really needed it to be longer. The focus of the novel is the all-consuming love/obsession James feels for Luke, and how this has a profound impact on his entire life. The foundations of this relationship are set, but there was so much more to explore. By the time the novel draws to a close, the reader is told that the friendship the two boys have developed is pivotal and life-altering to both (though in different ways) but I really think it would’ve benefitted from having a few more scenes in which they become closer. To me, it felt as though it skipped over the majority of them actually becoming better friends. The book was only 224 pages, so it definitely had the capacity to allow for more.

Thank you to Vintage Books UK and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC. All opinions are my own.

Recently, I seem to be reading, and falling for, a few of these quiet books about first love, and this one is no exception.

Set in the early 2000s, James is a solitary boy who has recently come out as gay and feels trapped by his family and small village. He meets Luke, who has a troubled past, and has been sent to stay with his aunt and uncle.

This is a beautiful story about first love and how it can impact our lives forever.

Open, Heaven is slow and quiet, but oh so deep and beautiful. Here Hewitt presents us with a queer coming-of-age story that captures so well the feeling of intense longing.

It is a love story of sorts, but Hewitt doesn’t limit his focus; he portrays a wide range of complicated emotions not only relating to romantic love but also familial relationships, home, and the past. His rendering of nostalgia and memory is particularly thoughtful and moving. And the prose is lyrical and, quite frankly, gorgeous. I haven’t read a contemporary book so beautifully written in a while.

All in all, it’s sad gay literature, and what could be better than that? The answer is nothing. Say yes to heaven and read this book.

Thank you kindly to @vintagebooks.

This was beautiful, sweet and nostalgic. Seen Hewitt captured adolescence, obsessive love and not fitting in with the town you were born to so well. Often he articulated specific feelings I have never had the words for before. The prose was lovely, and I really enjoyed James and Luke, and little Eddie, and Barley the dog. If you want a heart felt summer read, with a bit of angst and 2000s nostalgia, I would pick this up.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this coming of age novel which is the story of James who lives in a small rural village with his parents and his much younger brother who suffers from epilepsy. James is gay and has come out as gay at school but has never had a relationship with another boy. On his milk round he meets Luke a slightly older boy who has already left school. Over the summer holidays, their friendship deepens and James fantasises about going further with their relationship.
The book is full of the yearnings and clumsiness of adolescent love it’s tender poignant and beautifully observed. Anyone who’s had a young love will recognise the feelings and insecurities described.

The author has a beautiful flowing writing style. The novel is a relaxing enjoyable read .The setting in the countryside is everything to the novel almost a third character
The Characters themselves are described perfectly as all their reactions to each other
I read a copy of the novel on NetGalley UK in return for an unbiased review. The book was published in the UK on the 24th of April 2025 by Random house UK vintage

This review will appear on NetGalley UK, StoryGraph, Goodreads and my book blog bionicSarahSbook.wordpress.com
It will also appear on Amazon UK

Gorgeous, lyrical and so beautifully tender. The writing is incredible and it was just such a immersive and heartbreaking story.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC.

“Love confused me, bewildered me, tore me apart, but not because it was not love, but because I thought it was fake, some unreal version that did not accord with the love I had dreamt alone.”

Thank you to Vintage Books who sent me a copy of Open, Heaven by Seán Hewitt via NetGalley to read.

This is a beautifully heartbreaking coming-of-age story. After twenty years away, the adult James returns to the village he grew up in, haunted by memories.

In the past, James lives in a rural English village; alone, stifled and isolated - his burgeoning sexuality at odds with his shy exterior.

Then, Luke arrives, the nephew of a neighbour, working the summer at the farm. Dangerous, different, dishevelled Luke, and James wonders…well, could he be in love? Could Luke possibly love him?

I was so drawn to James and had the overwhelming desire to protect him all the way through this novella. At the same time, although I’m a straight girl, the memories of growing up in a rural place, the awkward school parties at the rugby club…all of that hit home so vividly. Hewitt is a really gifted writer; you can tell he is a poet from the gorgeous sentences he creates.

I read this as part of a pile of 10 I took on holiday with me and this was easily my favourite. It really does capture so perfectly those first stirrings of love and the trepidation of it when you’re queer. Unsurprisingly considering Hewitt is a poet the writing is lyrical and evocative but what I really enjoyed was the clear tenderness and gentle hand of it during the teenage James sections that reflect older James’ recognition he couldn’t know or do better at that time. He was just a horny, confused teen experiencing the heady rush of first love.

Though as a very small town gay myself it was the mediations on leaving your family behind to spread your wings and the distance and guilt that creates that resonated with me the most. I have a great relationship with my family now but I still feel guilt for disappearing away to a city far away as soon as I could and never going back.

This book will stay with me for sure, an absolutely gorgeous read that I can’t wait to return to at some point.