The Complex Art of Being Maisie Clark - by Sabrina Kleckner (Paperback)

About the Book

After years of imitating her dad's artistic style, eighteen-year-old Maisie throws away everything familiar in hopes of crafting her own voice. But when an attack on her family's portrait shop brings past hurts to light, Maisie wonders if "finding herself" might lie closer to home than she realized.

Book Synopsis

All eighteen-year-old Maisie Clark wants to do is leave her tiny town in upstate New York. Crescent Valley is home to Glenna's, the family-run portrait shop she loves more than anything. But after years of imitating her dad's artistic style, Maisie fears she will never find her own voice. So, she comes up with a plan: quit working at Glenna's, go to art school in London, and, most importantly, stop painting portraits. If she can't find her voice by the end of the year, she'll give up art entirely. Unfortunately, pushing outside her comfort zone is (surprise!) uncomfortable. Maisie struggles to connect with her eccentric new flatmates, feels farther away from her best friend than ever, and hates every art course she signed up for--especially photography, where her talented but prickly partner, Eli, is not afraid to point out her every mistake on their semester-long project. Maisie is already questioning all her life choices when a crime strikes Glenna's, reopening old family wounds she thought she'd long healed from. It'll take even more discomfort, as well as help from Eli, her older brother, Calum, and his earnest boyfriend, Benji, to confront the layers she's painted over the past. But maybe, just maybe, the keys to finding herself lie closer to home than she realized.

Review Quotes

"Kleckner beautifully captures Maisie's emotional landscape in her bright personality and bantery voice, as well as the touching conversations that help her begin to believe in herself. With themes of self-discovery, bravery, and starting over, this story will stick with readers past its ending." --Booklist

"[Maisie's] inner voice captures the confused, unfiltered thoughts of a teenager--full of self-doubt, sarcasm, and bursts of confidence--in this thoughtful, character-driven story of growth. A well-realized coming-of-age story that celebrates art and the journey to accepting yourself." --Kirkus Reviews