Sophomore Haylah Swinton wants to be a comedian. She eats, sleeps, dreams, and breathes comedy. She uses comedy to cheer up her friends when they’re down. She uses it to deflect bullies. She uses it when she’s taking care of her 4-year-old brother when her mom is working the overnight shift as a nurse. It’s her singular obsession.
While her two best friends are getting into makeup and clothes and boys, Haylah is making notes about things she thinks is funny. But when they get stuck in a school assembly and see some schoolmates showing off their various talents, it was senior Leo that catches her eye, and her ear, with his stand-up set.
Haylah doesn’t think Leo would ever notice her. She’s a little overweight and adopted the nickname “Pig” to deflect getting teased about her weight. Plus she’s two years younger, and she’s not a girlie girl. But she overhears Leo say that he needs some new material for his next set, Haylah writes down a joke and slips it into his locker, unsigned. When she sees him find the note, read it, and laugh, she knows she’s on to something.
Suddenly, Haylah’s life is getting more complicated. She has her crush on Leo, and she’s trying to write jokes for him. She’s trying to keep up her friendships, even though she feels like she’s growing apart from from her two besties. And then her mom brings home a “friend” from work, a bearded man who doesn’t wear socks, and Haylah is worried (and a little nauseated). Socklessness aside, Hayleh worries about her mom. She’d been devastated when her dad had left her and Haylah and Noah, and Haylah wants to make sure her mom doesn’t get hurt like that again.
And then, Haylah has one bad night. Someone puts her name up for an open mic night, and she’s called onstage to do a comedy set with no preparation. It starts out okay but ends with humiliation. In the aftermath, she pushes away her friends, her mom, and her mom’s new boyfriend. The only person she things is still on her side is Leo, but her friends said he’s just using her.
Will Haylah figure out a way to make things right, for her friends, for her family, and for herself? Will she finally find her comedic voice and the self-confidence she needs to take back that microphone?
Pretty Funny for a Girl is a fun, smart, and funny look at being a teenaged comic wannabe. Author Rebecca Elliott takes all that angst and confusion of being a teenager and packs it into the fantastic character of Haylah. She’s strong and strong-minded, certainly not perfect, but funny and interesting and willing to go after what she wants. She’s a great role model for kids to look up to and a lot of fun to read about.
I really enjoyed reading this one. I liked the characters and rooted for Haylah to find her way. The jokes were funny, the dialogue was realistic, and it was just lots of fun. I did find the weight-shaming a little off-putting. I realize that it is a thing that happens (I’ve been a big girl most of my life, so I really get it), but there was just so much that it got painful to read. But other than that, I was very impressed with this young adult novel, and I would recommend it to young women who are looking to find their voice and their confidence.
Egalleys for Pretty Funny for a Girl were provided by Peachtree Publishing Company and Myrick Marketing & Media, LLC, through NetGalley, with many thanks.
