By Rebecca Elliott
Expected publication: October 2020 from Peachtree Publishing
Mom's Review
I had a pretty strong book hangover after this one. Not only did I read it almost entirely in one sitting, but the main character and her problems stayed with me for, well, I've lost track of how long now.
Haylah, aka "Pig," is a seventh grade comedienne who makes jokes at her own expense – the moniker Pig is her response to bullying. Pretty Funny for a Girl centers around Haylah's crush on Leo, Mr. Popular who is two years older. Once he gets to know her through their shared interest in stand-up comedy, he sees that she develops material more successfully and more naturally than he does. He asks her to write his set for a youth stand-up competition. She does. Only in the end does she realize what everyone has been telling her, namely, that he is using her. Along the way, she confronts the absence of a father, her negative body image, her mother's first romantic relationship, and a potentially toxic friendship. Pretty Funny for a Girl is the emotional roller coaster that middle school always proves to be. While it may sound like Elliott is ticking off the feminism, body-positivity, and self-confidence boxes, the issues confronting Haylah intertwine naturally. Elliott proves a deft hand at portraying adolescence.
I was rooting for Haylah to realize her value the whole way. I won't spoil the ending for you, but I will say that it is spectacular! You'll want to read Pretty Funny for a Girl if you like flawed and relatable protagonists, funny feminists, and everyone to get what's coming.
Pretty Funny for a Girl is marketed as a YA book.
Note: A review copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.
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