A genius graphic novel (but lots of words) about a young woman from Dorset who leaves her life to be with a much older famous artist in London. It's also brilliant on relationships, creativity and friendship (and the art world) -- India Knight Subtle and deliciously complicated, this is a big book on big subjects, but lightly, elegantly done. I loved it' Tessa Hadley, author of Free Love This book is a testament to the right to choose your own life. It is a tender, heartbreaking meditation on the bonds between women, the dazzle of the city, the struggle to become a female artist within the bounds of patriarchy, and the desire to make a mark on the world. It made me long for my friends; the dreams we have shared over the years and the ways in which they make the world feel possible. I want to give a copy to everyone I love. -- Jessica Andrews, author of Saltwater and Milk Teeth

Mournful, lovely ... Stewart's dynamic, warm, flowing art invites the reader in * The New York Times * Alison discovers a talent for painting at Kerr’s class and begins sitting for him. Within months, she has left her husband for Kerr and Dorset for London. Here, the great man critiques her portraits and takes her to smug parties where she feels like the “most misplaced person” in the room. But, slowly, she finds her own friends and haunts. She buys oil paints, canvas and tinned food with her meagre earnings and explores the city, “screeching with laughter on the bus after a po-faced gallery opening” with her sculptor friend Tessa, while her work grows stronger and stronger. The book’s skewering of the art establishment is often very funny, but there’s fury here too

Summary

Every now and again a book comes along that is such a bright joy, so true, so beautiful and moving. Alison is one of those books. I loved it -- Jessie Burton, author of The Miniaturist Lizzy Stewart’s new graphic novel charts the adult life of Alison as she slowly learns her own value, finds her own tribe, and falls into a wholly unexpected profession as a painter. Alison is an everywoman who somehow beats the odds to escape a mundane existence, even as she continually questions her right to do so and grapples with her mixed feelings about the role her mentor/predator played in her career path. Stewart paints a richly defined portrait of this most unexpected heroine across multiple decades, revealing the highs and lows that hone an average, listless girl into an acclaimed artist with deep personal relationships. Two years in I realized that my life was no better or worse because of it. I think every girl wants better or worse, ideally better, I suppose. But sometimes worse can be so delicious, so enlivening that we’ll take it, simply to have something to do.”

A quietly powerful book, and Stewart's well chosen and often witty dialogue goes straight to the heart. Her artwork is filmic and beautiful -- Isabel Greenberg, author of Glass Town The story itself - so poignant and messy and moving in all the best ways. Alison doesn’t really seem to know herself when we first meet her, and it takes a couple of relationships and one special friendship to really bring out her true self, which was a beautiful journey to follow. A captivating new graphic novel that could have been dreamt up by Edna O'Brien and Judith Kerr of The Tiger Who Came To Tea fame, had they ever collaborated. * The Gloss Ireland * And so she does. Alison becomes a self-supporting artist whose works are exhibited in London galleries, develops a community of friends, and thrives.Praise for It's Not What You Thought It Would Be: 'This brilliant debut collection explores the intensity of teenage ennui and female friendship, with a deft feel for its slights and tensions -- Rachel Cooke * Guardian * Stewart doesn’t answer that question, if it’s even answerable. Instead, she tells Alison’s story - the story of so many female artists, as well as so many others on the margins. For every Alison who ends up with a successful career, there are many others who didn’t. For every Alison who could overcome the men who take advantage of her, there are many others who couldn’t. Stewart presents a nuanced story that forces the reader to ask the questions and, hopefully, to see the power structures that still exist in the art world (and elsewhere) for what they are. Alison might not be able to disentangle her life from those people in power, but Stewart’s question should help the reader begin the work of doing so. Find a list of all recommended books at: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/october-2022-graphic-novels-with-lizzy-stewart I really don’t want to give anything else away, but let’s just say that Alison is a heartbreaking, emotionally charged, but ultimately uplifting work of art. Yes, a work of art, I loved the artwork in Alison, Lizzy Stewart’s way of using mixed media in the form of the graphic novel ( some written, some drawn ) works so well. It’s a gloriously gorgeous piece of work, and the first I have read of Lizzy Stewart, but it won’t be the last. This book is a testament to the right to choose your own life' Jessica Andrews, author of Saltwater