Making It

A Novel

By: Laura Kay

Narrated by: Ell Potter

From the author of Wild Things comes a heartwarming and relatable queer coming of age story about an isolated young woman whose artistic celebration of her pet chinchilla suddenly launches her into the professional art world, reality TV fame, and first love.

"Brilliantly and truthfully rendered friendships, flirtations, and workplace dramas . . . but also a truly nuanced, sensitive, and warm-hearted portrait of living with mental illness."—Emma Hughes, author of No Such Thing as Perfect

Isobel's life is small: just her, her mum, and her pet chinchilla, Abigail, in their council flat on the Kentish coast. After mental health troubles in her teens, Issy, now twenty-eight, has kept things that way on purpose, only deviating from routine when her part-time job at a paint-your-own pottery studio demands it, or when she's inspired to create art of Abigail: knitted Abigails, sculptural Abigails, delicately rendered paintings of Abigail.

When the Abigails earn the attention of famous artist and reality TV star Elizabeth Staggs, Issy is awestruck and a little alarmed. These emotions compound when Elizabeth makes Issy an unexpected offer: move to London and work for a year shadowing Elizabeth as she produces her hit arts documentary series. Terrified but determined, Issy agrees, and soon finds herself sharing a flat with a crew of boisterous roommates who welcome her into their queer enclave and attempt to mentor her in the city's wide world of romantic possibilities. Issy can't help but wish that one roommate—gorgeous and cool aspiring actress, Robin—might make her mentorship a bit more hands on...even while, at work, she struggles under the guidance of Elizabeth's harsh and exacting young producer, Aubrey.

But when Elizabeth seizes on Issy's idea to structure the upcoming season around a group of outsider artists, Issy finds both her work and love lives growing more complicated by the day, whether she's ready or not. Making It is a nuanced and life affirming look at living with depression and of finding, as we all deserve to, self-acceptance, community, and love.

©2024 Laura Kay (P)2024 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Heartbreaking, hopeful, funny. Rarely have I rooted so hard for a character. I loved it!"—Suzi Ruffell

"Making It is a masterful love letter to queer joy. It’s witty, uplifting, and tackles tricky situations with a wonderfully warm touch. Kay's talent shines on this one. She really is the future of queer rom-coms."—Justin Myers, author of Leading Man

"I adored Making It. Brilliantly and truthfully rendered friendships, flirtations, and workplace dramas . . . but also a truly nuanced, sensitive, and warm-hearted portrait of living with mental illness."—Emma Hughes, author of No Such Thing as Perfect

Quirky, sweet rom-com that focuses on finding community as much as love.

I really loved this book. It manages to have a main character with fairly serious mental health issues that feels likable, yet realistic, fun and ultimately hopeful. The supporting characters are interesting, charmingly flawed people that you’d love to have as friends. For a while I wondered if the book was really going to be a romance novel or rather a story about finding your “people” - those that love and support you and allow you to be your authentic self. It was actually kind of both.

It managed to do this without feeling preachy or overreaching, or like the author was working through issues and maybe still needed significant therapy themselves (all things I have encountered in other books with a similar theme). It’s a fun, feel-good book about a character that doesn’t always feel good, but is working out how to make it through by finding a loving group of friends and incidentally finding romantic love along the way.
Highly recommend!

Creativity, Depression & Self Discovery

This is a wonderful story book. The characters are quirky, real and endearing. It follow a unique artist who is quietly creating art as meaning, purpose and love. The story is how the art is the guiding principal of a life full of meaning, purpose and love. Read it and you will be rewarded.