Set in a remote village in the north of England, Open, Heaven unfolds over the course of one year in which two teenage boys meet and transform each other’s lives.
A reader might expect to have a steady grasp on Hewitt’s narrative before it can even begin; however, the novel reaches beyond assumption in its ingenuity. Hewitt doesn’t make an attempt at overturning the trope, but rather tactfully distills it ... The closeness shared between James and Luke is heartwarming to read, feeling specific and universal at once. Hewitt’s language is lush and beaming. The world he creates in his storytelling is well-realized ... The rapid turning of the seasons keeps the reader in suspense, waiting to see, desperately, whether or not this soil will allow for blooming.
Illuminates the complexity of gay adolescence with exceptional insight and graceful prose ... With its masterful interiority, Hewitt’s novel will be a must-read for fans of Édouard Louis, Douglas Stuart, and Brandon Taylor.
A queer coming-of-age novel that achieves rare peaks of lyricism and emotional intensity ... Wordsworth meets Justin Torres in its aching intensity and passionate descriptions ... Readers looking for gorgeous language and richly developed atmosphere will be impressed and moved.
