anaislostinpages's review
3.0
my reasons for reading this book were selfish. it had a cute cover (i love cute covers) it had art (i love art!) it had love (i also happen to love love!) it had hinted regarding the constant struggle of proving oneself (i also happen to *love* that) so automatically, my heart was singing: "JUST LET ME ADORE YOU"
all in all, long story short, it felt like it would be my type of book. plot twist: it really wasn't.
i started this book 8 days ago, read a few chapters and almost dnf'ed it.
the plot felt boring because of the writing style and perhaps it was me, not the book. but also, truly, it could be the book too. so.
i abandoned the book. only to pick it up today, when i was going insane with my boredom. and guess what- i think it was somewhat likeable. But just some, okay?
i felt like this book was summarized with an appropriate mix of romance and self worth, which it actually didn't have. the romance felt a bit too forced. i mean who kisses a guy one hates right after learning from his father that he crushes on you? i mean, come on. even the mood swings aren't that dramatic. then moving on the the climax, where the couple often breaks up for a temporary time period, yk, that was bad. like really bad. really disconnected.
the only things i liked were:
1) the jewish representation.
2) strong female relationships
3) the feminism aspect of the book.
so yeah, that's pretty much it.
⭐⭐⭐/5
all in all, long story short, it felt like it would be my type of book. plot twist: it really wasn't.
i started this book 8 days ago, read a few chapters and almost dnf'ed it.
the plot felt boring because of the writing style and perhaps it was me, not the book. but also, truly, it could be the book too. so.
i abandoned the book. only to pick it up today, when i was going insane with my boredom. and guess what- i think it was somewhat likeable. But just some, okay?
i felt like this book was summarized with an appropriate mix of romance and self worth, which it actually didn't have. the romance felt a bit too forced. i mean who kisses a guy one hates right after learning from his father that he crushes on you? i mean, come on. even the mood swings aren't that dramatic. then moving on the the climax, where the couple often breaks up for a temporary time period, yk, that was bad. like really bad. really disconnected.
the only things i liked were:
1) the jewish representation.
2) strong female relationships
3) the feminism aspect of the book.
so yeah, that's pretty much it.
⭐⭐⭐/5
buriedinbooks's review
5.0
5/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Thank you to the publishers and Net Galley for giving me a copy of this book! This is my honest review, all views are my own.
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Drawn That Way is a story about Hayley, an ambitious aspiring animator whose dream is to work for Bryan Beckett at his studio. She earns a spot at his extremely selective summer internship, but as industry secrets come to light, Hayley begins to question her future—both as a female animation director and as a Beckett fan.
This was a super fun story, and I’m really glad I had a chance to read it. The writing was sometimes a bit too on-the-nose, but the dramatic and over-the-top writing style helped emphasize the ridiculousness of it all and reminded me of the very animation films the story was inspired by. I adored the little illustrations accompanying the story, and I only wish there were more than a small handful. They were literally adorable, and I certainly wouldn’t complain about more of them—especially one of Sloane’s mural! Speaking of, the side characters were all very cheerful and unique, and I loved seeing the underlying discontent with the studio that surfaced in the adult characters like Sloane. On the flip side of the likable side characters, the unlikable side characters did a great job of making me uncomfortable and angry. As outlandish and caricature-ish as they seemed, there are real, actual people who think and act that way, and I’m not surprised to see it pop up in the animation field. And as for the love interest, Bear? Oh my god I loved him so much. He didn’t seem to have a lot of buildup, but once it gets into the “meat” of the story, he is so sweet and caring and defiant of his father, and I am obsessed. Similarly, I’m super proud of Hayley, and I definitely see myself in her tenacity, ambition, drive, and passion (… yes, those are all synonymous, but they all fit her so well! She’s intense). The literal only thing that I think I could dislike was the heavy-handed writing style, which felt cartoony and thus fit well within the context of the novel, and the too-subtle buildup to the romantic subplot. I absolutely devoured this and it is a fantastic story of resilience and laughing in the face of those who say it can’t be done. 5 stars.
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Thank you to the publishers and Net Galley for giving me a copy of this book! This is my honest review, all views are my own.
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Drawn That Way is a story about Hayley, an ambitious aspiring animator whose dream is to work for Bryan Beckett at his studio. She earns a spot at his extremely selective summer internship, but as industry secrets come to light, Hayley begins to question her future—both as a female animation director and as a Beckett fan.
This was a super fun story, and I’m really glad I had a chance to read it. The writing was sometimes a bit too on-the-nose, but the dramatic and over-the-top writing style helped emphasize the ridiculousness of it all and reminded me of the very animation films the story was inspired by. I adored the little illustrations accompanying the story, and I only wish there were more than a small handful. They were literally adorable, and I certainly wouldn’t complain about more of them—especially one of Sloane’s mural! Speaking of, the side characters were all very cheerful and unique, and I loved seeing the underlying discontent with the studio that surfaced in the adult characters like Sloane. On the flip side of the likable side characters, the unlikable side characters did a great job of making me uncomfortable and angry. As outlandish and caricature-ish as they seemed, there are real, actual people who think and act that way, and I’m not surprised to see it pop up in the animation field. And as for the love interest, Bear? Oh my god I loved him so much. He didn’t seem to have a lot of buildup, but once it gets into the “meat” of the story, he is so sweet and caring and defiant of his father, and I am obsessed. Similarly, I’m super proud of Hayley, and I definitely see myself in her tenacity, ambition, drive, and passion (… yes, those are all synonymous, but they all fit her so well! She’s intense). The literal only thing that I think I could dislike was the heavy-handed writing style, which felt cartoony and thus fit well within the context of the novel, and the too-subtle buildup to the romantic subplot. I absolutely devoured this and it is a fantastic story of resilience and laughing in the face of those who say it can’t be done. 5 stars.
willowhowards's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
elle__reads's review
challenging
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
caylieratzlaff's review
4.0
Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this. 3.5/5 stars.
Okay so...I really could not get into this...and then I couldn't put it down. This is a FANTASTIC story of male privilege in industries and life. I wasn't expecting the amount of misogyny, but it was well done and really felt familiar and realistic to what women experience. I'm not in a workplace like the animation industry in the novel, but many of the experiences felt familiar and made the experiences of women felt seen. I also appreciate the acknowledgement it had to the intersections of race and gender.
3.5/5 just because I felt like the romance between Bear and Hayley was forced, and although cute, didn't really serve a point to the plot. They could have easily just been friends rather than this romance that really happened out of no where. It also felt paced weird, and some of it I was just like?!?! was this necessary?
I also loved the look inside the animation process this novel gave, and I liked the art interspaced throughout it.
Okay so...I really could not get into this...and then I couldn't put it down. This is a FANTASTIC story of male privilege in industries and life. I wasn't expecting the amount of misogyny, but it was well done and really felt familiar and realistic to what women experience. I'm not in a workplace like the animation industry in the novel, but many of the experiences felt familiar and made the experiences of women felt seen. I also appreciate the acknowledgement it had to the intersections of race and gender.
3.5/5 just because I felt like the romance between Bear and Hayley was forced, and although cute, didn't really serve a point to the plot. They could have easily just been friends rather than this romance that really happened out of no where. It also felt paced weird, and some of it I was just like?!?! was this necessary?
I also loved the look inside the animation process this novel gave, and I liked the art interspaced throughout it.
egonzalez's review
4.0
After reading FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK, I decided to give this author another try. I thought a YA novel would maybe offer a different experience. However, it was much of the same. I didn’t get a good sense of true development from the main character and found her relationships with her friends lacking in true growth. I did like the love interest, Bear, more in this story, but wished for more development within him as well.
I think this author just isn’t for me.
I think this author just isn’t for me.
nitaapple's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
megs_s's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
sisi41599's review
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5