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Review: Drawing Outside the Lines by Susan J. Austin

Book Review and Content, Historical, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , ,
Drawing Outside the Lines by Susan J. Austin

Drawing Outside the Lines: a Julia Morgan Novel
Susan J. Austin
Sparkpress
Published October 18, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Drawing Outside the Lines

Meet the brilliant, fearless, and ambitious Julia Morgan. In 1883, eleven-year-old Julia visits the amazing new Brooklyn Bridge—an experience that ignites within her a small but persistent flame. Someday, she decides, she too will build an astounding structure. 

 
Growing up in horse-and-buggy Oakland, Julia enjoys daring fence walks, climbing the tallest trees, and constantly testing her mother’s patience with her lack of interest in domestic duties and social events. At a time when “brainy” girls are the object of ridicule, Julia excels in school and consistently outsmarts her ornery brothers—but she has an even greater battle ahead. When she enrolls at university to study engineering, the male students taunt her, and the professors belittle her. Through it all, however, Julia holds on to her dream of becoming an architect. She faces each challenge head-on, firmly standing up to those who believe a woman’s place is in the home. Fortunately, the world has yet to meet anyone like the indomitable Miss Morgan. 


DRAWING OUTSIDE THE LINES is an imagined childhood of pioneering architect Julia Morgan, who left behind her an extraordinary legacy of creativity, beauty, and engineering marvels.

My Review

Lately I feel like I keep running into repeated mentions of women in history that I didn’t previously know anything about. For example, a week or so before I read this book, I picked up another book about 50 women artists that also includes a bio of Julia Morgan.

I enjoyed this sweet imagining of the early life of Julia Morgan and her family. The story includes brushes with other famous people from her time as well as some of the architectural marvels that were created during her early life, like the Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty.

The story follows her journey through school, graduation and into college. As a woman in an engineering program at that time, she faced a lot of gender discrimination and prejudice. Her kindness and strength as she perseveres through it all can’t help but be inspiring. It was easy to celebrate Julia’s successes with her.

After the story ends, the author includes a note explaining some of the other famous people who appear as minor characters in the story as well as commenting on a few key events, such as her school burning down twice. I found myself wishing that there were also some biographical notes summarizing the rest of Julia Morgan’s life and accomplishments, especially in architecture. The book definitely made me more curious about and more appreciative of Julia Morgan as an architect, and I look forward to learning even more.

I think readers who enjoy history will love reading this story imagining Julia Morgan’s early life.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Major characters are white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
A boy knocks Julia into the mud on purpose. Several boys in her college program say derisive things to her. A couple of male professors do, too.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of DRAWING OUTSIDE THE LINES in exchange for my honest review.

Review: The Homecoming by Stacie Ramey

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , ,

The Homecoming
Stacie Ramey
Sourcebooks Fire
Available November 1, 2016

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Trouble with the law sends John back to his mom’s house, a place he hasn’t lived since a year after his brother’s accident. Still reeling from his girlfriend’s death, John’s only plan is to keep his head down until he’s served out his time. Then he’s California bound. Connections, especially with a girl, are the last thing he needs. But as the issues he once left behind begin to catch up with John at home, he finds that his usual retreats—pot and alcohol—aren’t enough. As the pressure builds, John must make a choice: to face the terrible truth about his past or let it destroy him and his family again.

The Homecoming is pretty much exactly the kind of novel I love reading. While John’s coping strategies aren’t my favorite in literature, I can’t help but root for a guy like him. He has a great heart, which we saw a little bit of in Ramey’s earlier novel, The Sister Pact, which describes some of his relationship with Leah from Leah’s sister’s point-of-view. Speaking of sisters, I love John’s relationship with his little sister and found it super endearing.

I liked that the story dealt with issues of family. John’s brother is disabled, and the family struggles a lot with how to manage his care. He’s not a perfectly likeable guy, either, which I found to be different than we often see in literature. His family clearly loved him, but it wasn’t always easy.

A couple of other interesting elements: John discovers a talent for architecture and begins learning the CAD program in a class. It’s a bright moment for him. At his dad’s insistence, he joins the lacrosse team, which also turns out to be a good thing for him. So several scenes show him exploring both of those interests which are a bit unusual for YA. I liked that.

If you like tragic-yet-hopeful contemporary YA, this is definitely a book you should check out.

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Cultural Elements
Major characters are all white middle class. John’s brother is disabled.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used with moderate frequency.

Romance/Sexual Content
John reflects on having been with a number of girls since Leah’s death, but that those relationships were superficial and didn’t touch his heart. He and one girl begin making out and retreat to her room to have sex but are interrupted. At the time, she states that she wants to have a casual relationship with him.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
John’s brother Ryan punches family members and injures them. A car accident injures a boy. Another accident injures a woman and her adult son. During a lacrosse game, another player makes unkind comments to John and other players take turns going after the guy. No detailed descriptions of violence or injuries.

Drug Content
John smokes pot and drinks alcohol, sometimes alone and sometimes with others.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

 

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