Pretty Funny for a Girl by Rebecca Elliott - HIGH

Pretty Funny for a Girl by Rebecca Elliott 363 pages. Peachtree Publishing, 2020. $18 

Language: PG-13 (78 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: (boob references); Violence: G. 

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

14yo Haylah wants to be a stand up comic. She constantly watches comedy shows on the internet, keeps a journal of funny things, and is genuinely hilarious. But actually standing up in front of an audience is out of the question. Until, attending an "open-mic" evening at a local pub with friends, Haylah finds that someone signed her up to go on, which wasn't a total disaster (well almost, sort of, yes, it was a disaster). She has a crush on Leo, 2 years older, he's the guy she went to see at the pub. Leo, preparing his routine for the "London Young Comic of the Year" contest, asks Haylah's input. Well, one thing leads to another and Haylah's crush turns serious - but is Leo serious too, or are her friends right, and he's just using her? 

Haylah is a "big" girl, and while she seems totally comfortable in her own skin, she does some things that tells the reader she's not - like having everyone call her "Pig" and stress-eating chocolate. I loved the look inside a comic's perspective, taking the difficult and putting a funny spin on it. Totally laughed out loud! Haylah reminded me of Louise Rennison's Georgia in "Agnes Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging." It was really funny, but the look at relationships, friends, family, divorce, boyfriends, body image, being smart, and celebrating yourself made this an all around gem. Looking forward to recommending "Pretty Funny for a Girl".

Lisa Librarian