A book designed to warm the cockles of your heart, Naked City tells the age-old story of the starving artist trying to make their way in the world by doing what they love. Told through the eyes of three different artists, the action takes place in New York City, a place that will eat you alive if you let it. Kicking off with small-town girl Isabel, we join her as she is about to take a leap into the unknown. With just a change of clothes, a toothbrush, and a change of guitar strings to her name she hitches to the Big Apple hell-bent on making a dent in the world with her music.

With prospects slim and the threat of a Mcjob ever closer, Izzy responds to an ad looking for models. Enter artist number two, a man simply referred to as The Professor and a man who has New York in his blood. The Professor’s hustle to sell his art is both a hindrance to his need to express himself and a necessity in order to survive, but provide inspiration to Izzy’s own aspirations. It’s around this time that the enigmatic Alex brings some much-needed love into Izzy’s life too and as the three of them get closer they form a bond, which proves lucrative and inspirational.

Eric Drooker has crafted a timeless story that is full of romance. There’s a romantic nod to New York City itself, there’s tangible romance between the characters and there’s a love of the arts, all of which come seeping out of the pages via the artwork. Long lingering shots, which are minimalistic and often only show one or two characters at a time, lend themselves to the characters’ loneliness. Drooker’s prose and writing style reminded me a lot of Nick Hornby’s classic “High Fidelity” and I’d happily put these two books next to each other on my bookshelf because Naked City is an endearing book that will appeal to anybody whose passion for their art has pushed them to risk it all… Chris Andrews