4.75/5

A phenomenal, heart-wrenching, comfort read.

I would say this is not entirely a romance (unless you count it as a romance enemies-to-lovers edition with Issy vs her own life) but more of a coming of age novel with a subplot of romance. This book felt like a warm hug. I found myself out and about just wishing I could be curled up in my bed reading this at all hours of the day (not unusual, but it is rare I have the urge to do so with a ~specific~ book in mind.)

This gave major Beautiful World, Where Are You vibes but with queer, likable characters and a better romance. I want to live in Apt 47a. I will even take the uncomfortable couch or sleep on the roof. All the side characters seemed very real to me, as well as the depiction of mental health. The only reason it is not a 5 star for me is because I wanted there to be a little bit more in the romance department. I can’t wait to reread this one (and hopefully read more of a possibly-interconnected-standalone-series-to-come-????) ((Please Laura Kay if you are reading this!!!))

I really struggled with this one. Not sure if it’s a failure to connect or just not my style. It wasn’t bad, but I DNF.

Where do I even start? Making It by Laura Kay is a fantastic depiction of finding yourself after being lost in a sea of mental illness and struggle. Issy is so wonderful to follow as she creates a life beyond the town she's from and engages with other people in new meaningful ways. There's a romance in this book, but I wouldn't call Making It a romance by any means. The focus is on Issy and her navigating this new world of roommates and work and queerness in general, things she's never cared about in this way before. There's also a very touching understanding of how some people do need to create to keep themselves alive and what it means to be a person driven by creativity and little else. This isn't a sad book, but it is a reflective one, and I cried at least four times while reading this. There were just these little moments that rose into something so emotionally impactful that a single line could tear me apart.

I'm very picky in my taste in books and until I read Wild Things earlier this year, I hadn't had a 5 star book since 2020 and with this one she's done it again. Seriously she puts something magic in these that makes me want to read them again and again until I've figured how exactly they work so well. Absolutely going to read every book she ever publishes and will be acquiring them for our collection!

Light read, but also a lot of character growth. I like novels that have the growth.

Thank you NetGalley and Vintage for my E-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book follows Issy, a queer girl who suffers from depression as she moves away from home for the first time with her chinchilla, Abigail. It’s a big life change for her, but she has a great opportunity to work on a television show about art and live with three charming housemates.

This book was a lot of fun and had really great characters throughout. Issy’s roommates are all distinct and lovely, as are Aubry, Elizabeth, and their coworkers. Issy’s mom and uncle also feel very fleshed out and stand apart even with less time in the story. If anything, I just wanted to live in this world a bit longer.

For those who don’t do well with (or don’t want to read about) mental illness, this book will not be for you. That is a central tenant of this book and while there are some moments that are hard to get through, Laura Kay addresses the topic in a thoughtful way, while still being true to how devastating and unpredictable mental illness can be.

Even with some depressing moments about, well, depression, there are plenty of happy and funny bits too, including a scene I found rather hilarious about Issy’s first kiss at a club. Go out and grab buy this book (once it’s available)!