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lucymarie146346's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-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
3.5
aielylois's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
beccatalksbooks's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
ley107's review
emotional
funny
reflective
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
4.25
A cute book with a great message and a satisfying ending
saralynnburnett's review
5.0
What a fabulous book! I loved every second of it. If you enjoyed Moxie and its girl power message, you’re going to adore this one as well. MC Hayley’s whole life is animation, so when she is selected as one of 40 teens to get a summer internship at BB Gun films (think: Pixar) she’s over the moon and can’t wait, but what she encounters at the studio is a whole other story. Sexism, racism, nepotism—all the crap anyone with a vagina who has worked in the world experiences at some point.
The handful of girls in the program aren’t given the shot they deserve, so they band together to do something pretty incredible, but meanwhile Hayley and BB Gun Film’s founder’s son, Bear, and she start a sweet, romantic, relationship. I loved the messages in this book about standing up for what is right, girls helping girls, women mentors, and never giving up on your dream. Plus, if you’re a fan of animated movies you’re going to eat up all the Disney, Miyazaki, etc. references in here. The author used to work in animation at Nickelodeon, Disney, Dreamworks, and it shows. The insider knowledge would have been enough for me, but this book is so much more. Sad it had to end, but the good news is that Sussman has an adult debut coming out in 2022: Funny You Should Ask!
The handful of girls in the program aren’t given the shot they deserve, so they band together to do something pretty incredible, but meanwhile Hayley and BB Gun Film’s founder’s son, Bear, and she start a sweet, romantic, relationship. I loved the messages in this book about standing up for what is right, girls helping girls, women mentors, and never giving up on your dream. Plus, if you’re a fan of animated movies you’re going to eat up all the Disney, Miyazaki, etc. references in here. The author used to work in animation at Nickelodeon, Disney, Dreamworks, and it shows. The insider knowledge would have been enough for me, but this book is so much more. Sad it had to end, but the good news is that Sussman has an adult debut coming out in 2022: Funny You Should Ask!
evilyn's review
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
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.
-
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.
-
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.