A review by buriedinbooks
Drawn That Way by Elissa Sussman
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.
-
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.