Drawing Nudes While Making Other Plans (Zoe Gaetjens, Penguin)

Zoe Gaetjens’s Drawing Nudes While Making Other Plans is a tender, thoughtful young adult novel about self-discovery, first love and learning to be brave in unfamiliar spaces. During a summer life-drawing art course, Cleo is an anxious teenager stepping into new classrooms, new friendships and new feelings, all while carrying the weight of personal loss. When she arrives late on her first day, Cleo is seated beside a mysterious, reserved boy and quickly realises the course will challenge more than her artistic skills. Through drawing sessions, awkward parties and tentative connections, the novel captures the intensity of teenage uncertainty – second-guessing every word, questioning self-worth and longing to belong. Cleo’s relationship with her older sister, Emmaline, also unfolds through heartfelt written advice that gently shapes her choices. Gaetjens balances light, funny moments – particularly Cleo’s first encounters with nude life drawing – with deeper themes of grief, consent and emotional boundaries. The slow-burn romance that develops is gentle and authentic, grounded in shared vulnerability rather than grand gestures. Drawing Nudes While Making Other Plans will resonate strongly with readers aged 14 and over who are navigating high school, identity, friendships and first relationships, especially those tired of being asked who they intend to become. Fans of Cath Crowley will appreciate Gaetjens’s compassionate voice and reassuring message: pain does not last forever, and confidence grows each time we choose courage.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Andrea Kress is a library and information officer and a book reviewer. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

Category: Friday Unlocked reviews Reviews