Drawing Nudes While Making Other Plans

Drawing Nudes While Making Other Plans by Zoe Gaetjens (Penguin) PB RRP $19.99 (PB) ISBN 978 1 76135 801 2

Reviewed by Jude Mullen

Cleo Markson is in her final year of high school and trying to navigate the uncertainties and insecurities that often accompany this stage of life, especially when doing something new. Having a plan helps, and thanks to her sister Emmy, Cleo has several plans, including one for her final school year. Step 5 in this plan is “find your friends. Your real ones”.

Attending a four-week art school program during the holidays is a courageous move for  Cleo. Although she is anxious and insecure at first, she is determined to stretch herself and sit with her discomfort, even if it means having to look at and draw live nude models.  Making friends with self-assured Remi and outgoing and gregarious Lachlan really helps Cleo to feel more comfortable and at ease with herself and with being around others. And then there is Mattias – quiet, attractive, and somewhat aloof.  Cleo is instantly both attracted to him and unsettled by the effect he has on her, and she isn’t sure how to read him let alone how to talk to him.

This novel is much more than a teenage first-love story. We discover that each of the characters is grappling with some tension in their lives. We see Cleo work through issues around grief and anxiety and emerge more confident and assured. The novel also subtly touches on pertinent teenage concerns such as body positivity, consent and bullying.

It is a comfortable and fairly light read with nothing too heavy or disturbing for teenage readers, but there is certainly enough to keep them interested. The setting and context feel familiar, and the characters are well-formed and very relatable. It would be suitable for teens aged 14-years and older, who are looking for a traditional, contemporary romance story.