It's Not What You Thought It Would Be Hardcover by Lizzy Stewart

Product Details

• Publisher: Fantagraphics (2021-07-27)
• Language: English
• Paperback: 168 pages
• ISBN-13: 9781683964353
• Item Weight: 567.0 grams
• Dimensions: 0.0 x 0.0 x 0.0 cm

This poignant coming-of-age story follows several young women on their circuitous paths to adulthood.

A young girl imagines a grand future for herself, far from the drab British suburbs. Two friends, once inseparable, find their connection gradually slipping away. Three women discuss how life in the big city makes them feel seen — or invisible. In a series of interconnected vignettes, It’s Not What You Thought It Would Be explores the circuitous paths lives can take and the changes in perspective gained along the way.

In a series of interconnected vignettes, Stewart focuses on the ordinary, slice-of-life moments — teenagers climbing up and lounging on a rooftop, friends catching up over pints at the pub, a woman riding the night bus home — and charges these scenes with a quiet intensity. Through keen observation and an ear for naturalistic dialogue, she reveals the complex natures of her characters, from their confidence to their insecurities, as they experience the joys and pains of growing up. Drawn in a variety of different styles, from watercolor to colored pencil to pen and ink, the style of this book echoes the evolution of the characters within.

About the Author

Lizzy Stewart is a British illustrator and author who teaches illustration at Goldsmiths College in London. She has written and illustrated three picture books for children alongside Walking Distance, an illustrated essay, and It’s Not What You Thought It Would Be, a graphic short-story collection. Her debut picture book There’s a Tiger in the Garden won the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize for Picture Books in 2017.