Drawn that Way by Elissa Sussman

Hayley Saffitz is confident, ambitious, and intent on following in the footsteps of her hero, renowned animation director, Bryan Beckett. When she’s given a spot in his once-in-a-lifetime summer program, Hayley devises a plan: snag one of the internship’s coveted directing opportunities. Dazzle Bryan with her talent. Secure a job post-graduation. Live her dream.

Except she doesn’t land one of the director positions. All of those go to boys. And one of them is Bryan’s son, Bear.

Despite Bear’s obvious apathy for the internship, Hayley soon realizes that there’s more to him than she expected. As they work together, the animosity between them thaws into undeniable chemistry and maybe something… more.

But Hayley can’t stop thinking about the chance she was refused.

Determined to make a name for herself, Hayley recruits the five other young women in the program to develop their own short to sneak into the film festival at the end of the summer. As the internship winds down, however, one question remains: Will Hayley conform to the expectations of her idol, or will she risk her blossoming relationship with Bear—and her future—to prove that she’s exactly as talented as she thinks she is?

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Hmm. How to explain this one...

I enjoyed the story very much. I didn't know a lot about animation, but the story does a good job of teaching us the basics without making it seem impenetreble. The main characters were good, even if everyone beyond the main pair were reduced to a couple of character traits. That's very common in this kind of story, of course, and it didn't take away from my enjoyment at all.

I did think the bad guys were so - forgive the phrase - cartoonishly awful, there's no way that kind of thing would be a secret. Hayley has studied absolutely everything to do with the studio; there were no whispers or hints out there, an ex employee mentioning something offhandedly or subtly hinting? If Hayley had seen something but dismissed it, or remembered something she hadn't paid attention to at the time, I'd have found it more realistic.

However, I have no problem at all believing that this kind of culture could exist in a business like this one, and until it can't be imagined any more, we need books like this to keep coming out and inspiring people and teaching girls to speak up and boys to help them. This is a fantastic addition to that genre and I'm really glad I got to read it.

Drawn That Way publishes on the 28th September, 2021. I received a free copy and am giving an honest review.