A review by otterno11
A Career in Books by Kate Gavino

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

A light and engaging graphic novel, with an emphasis on novel, cartoonist Kate Gavino’s A Career in Books follows three Asian-American college friends and roommates living postgrad in Brooklyn circa 2011 as they follow their dreams (or, what they thought were their dreams) and break into the rarefied world of publishing. Gavino’s text-heavy but snappy dialog balances these three women's lives and their specific hopes and fears, though on occasion her art feels a little flat. As the ambitious type-A Nina (corporate), the writer Sylvia (private small press), and the exuberant Shirin (academic) each experience different aspects of an industry struggling with diversity, they befriend their elderly neighbor, whom they discover to be the acclaimed but neglected booker prize-winning author Veronica Vo. This multigenerational friendship becomes the heart of the work as her influence sparks each to look at their own lives and desires in a new light. 

Gavino’s slice of life narrative captures the ambiance of this distinct scene, this mix of millennial anxieties and affirmation that seem common to 20-somethings working in media. From the bands, brands, and references she includes in her diagrams of apartments and offices and her labeling of expensive decor and fashion of coworker, even for someone further away from this world, the work feels real.