"Pretty Funny for a Girl" by Rebecca Elliott is a heartwarming and empowering young adult novel that deftly tackles issues of self-discovery, friendship, and gender stereotypes with humor and authenticity. Elliott, known for her poignant storytelling and relatable characters, delivers a captivating narrative that resonates with readers of all ages.

One of the most captivating aspects of "Pretty Funny for a Girl" is its protagonist, Haylah Swinton. Haylah is a refreshingly complex and multidimensional character who defies stereotypes and challenges societal expectations at every turn. Her wit, intelligence, and resilience make her a compelling heroine, and readers will find themselves rooting for her as she navigates the ups and downs of adolescence.

Elliott's writing style is engaging and accessible, with a perfect blend of humor and heart. She expertly captures the voice of a teenage girl, infusing the narrative with Haylah's unique perspective and personality. From laugh-out-loud moments to poignant reflections on identity and belonging, Elliott's prose is a joy to read, keeping readers eagerly turning the pages until the very end.

Moreover, "Pretty Funny for a Girl" is not just a coming-of-age story—it's also a celebration of friendship, diversity, and self-acceptance. Elliott explores themes of loyalty, acceptance, and the power of female camaraderie with sensitivity and insight, creating a cast of characters that is as diverse as it is relatable. Haylah's relationships with her friends and family are beautifully rendered, adding depth and richness to the story.

The novel also shines a spotlight on important social issues, including sexism, body image, and the pressure to conform to societal norms. Elliott handles these topics with grace and nuance, sparking meaningful conversations and encouraging readers to challenge stereotypes and embrace their authentic selves. Through Haylah's journey of self-discovery, readers are reminded of the importance of staying true to oneself in the face of adversity.

In conclusion, "Pretty Funny for a Girl" by Rebecca Elliott is a must-read for anyone who has ever felt like they didn't quite fit in. With its engaging characters, witty dialogue, and heartfelt message of self-empowerment, it's a book that inspires laughter, tears, and ultimately, a sense of hope. Elliott's storytelling prowess shines through on every page, making "Pretty Funny for a Girl" a delightful and unforgettable read that will leave a lasting impression on readers of all ages.

This book was just sadly not for me! I was hoping for something different but it turned out to be something I was not expecting, which is okay and I'm sure someone else would love it!

I was so excited to read this but there were so many "not like other girls" moments but it was somehow fatphobic? In a book about body positivity?? I couldn't finish this one.

A FEMALE STAND-UP COMEDIAN/COMEDY WRITER/ABSOLUTE QUEEN.

Need I say more?

Haylah was AMAZING. Witty, clever, quick. A little tongue-in-cheek. Absolutely brilliant. She's the protagonist every story benefits from having: one easy to love, one that you love to root for.

It was like "THE MARVELOUS MRS MAISEL" but... in book form! And it was GREAT. Whether you're into comedy or just looking for some light laughs (something in high demand, as the COVID-19 pandemic keeps on stretching on), this title's definitely a great one to pick up.

I am marking this title as DNF because I started it and it was getting interesting but I couldn’t get over the fatphobia and constant “jokes” towards being fat.

In her novel for young readers--from my favorite publishing company for young people, Peachtree Publishing--Rebecca Elliott offers an irresistible heroine in Haylah Swinton.

Haylah is an excellent friend, she's patient with her incredibly frustrating four-year-old brother, and she's learned to make light of everything from cracks about her full figure to her mother's cringey new boyfriend.

Haylah also has a big secret: she's going to be a stand-up comedian when she grows up.

When cool Leo at school reveals that he's into comedy too, Haylah jumps at the chance to write material for his sets--and, against her friends' advice, she sets her sights on him romantically as well. The situation seems destined to lead to personal and career frustration for Haylah--and maybe even heartbreak.

Elliott offers a fantastic, boy-crazy, British story about missteps, facing change, accepting the past, sticking up for one's self, finding inner strength, and settling into an identity. It's also truly funny, and I can't wait to read the next book.

I received an advance digital copy of this book courtesy of Peachtree Publishing and NetGalley--and was woefully late in reading and reviewing this gem!

The next book in this series is Pretty Rude for a Girl.

Elliott is also the author of the Owl Diaries series and over twenty picture books.

3.75 stars.
Halyah was an Plus sized interesting, funny, sarcastic, smart girl. I liked that she kind of owned what people called her, pretended that she was nicknamed pig.
Leo was sort of an ass, I mean really? He tries to almost make it Haylah`s fault that he kissed her? When he`s on and off relationship with Keesha? Really? Just ugh. Noah was like 4 year olds are, annoying, funny and adorable. Chloe & Kas was interesting, a bit annoying but also supportive like friends are supposed to be. Dylan was kind of funny, and the last part when he introduced his little sister to Haylah`s little brother was adorable.

I tried getting into this book but realized it wasn’t for me pretty early on. It is a YA novel and I generally don’t enjoy reading those, as I feel the themes are sometimes a bit juvenile and not relatable to me at this point in my life, I think that a younger audience would appreciate this one, but I ended up not finishing this book.

A huge thank you to Netgalley, Myrick Marketing & Media LLC, and Peachtree Publishing for the gifted ebook!

This just didn’t end up being a book that interested me. When I first read the premise, I was very excited and invested, but getting into it made it clear that it just wasn’t for me. Hopefully it works for others out there!

This was a DNF pretty early on for me. The book has potential and I thought it would be a great fat-rep and ace-rep book but it isn't. I didn't get far enough to see if there was an eventual love interest but it almost sounds like there is on the synopsis so that confuses me with the "ace best friend" line as well? I'm not sure but I hated this main character from the start. She's miserable and won't shut up about her weight, and not in a positive way. Within Haylah's internal monolog about "her kind of fat" she is not only being hard on herself but therefor judging other fat people. "not the kind of fatty that inspires TLC documentaries or the news for rolling over and accidentally asphyxiating a cat and not realizing for two weeks" like....can we maybe not fat shame people?

I will not be continuing this toxic book, reading through reviews on goodreads I can see the fat rep doesn't get any better. What could be a fun story that brings light to women in comedy not being seen as well as their male counterparts really falls flat when you add in all the fatphobia. We need to do better, and this is not it.

In this YA debut novel, Haylah, is a plus-sized girl who dreams of being a stand up comedian and has a wonderful sense of humor.
Enter Leo, another comedian who asks Haylah to ghost-write his sets.
Despite her friends warnings that Leo's attentions aren't what they seem, Haylah pours her heart into her words, hoping Leo will help her get on stage and reach her dreams.
This story reminded me of so many of us who want to believe in the good in others and have to find the strength within ourselves when those in our lives let us down.
Funny and heartbreaking, it's a strong story of how growing up can be the most amazing and difficult thing we will ever do.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

as the name suggests this book is comedy centric.

so i went into the book wanting some light laughs, a good concept or grasp at comedy and some real message. and i was right

This was a quick read that certainly made me laugh loads of time. The concept of the story was intriguing

Haylah Swinston dreamed of being a stand-up comedian. she surely knows how to make her friends, family, and the people around her laugh. As she found out that there was a senior in her school who also love comedy as much as her, she took the chance to ghostwrite some funny jokes for him.

What I love about Haylah is that she is confident. She even told her friends to call her Pig. Despite when people call her body image out a lot, she remained positive, even if it hurts in the inside. The self-love that was portrayed was heartwarming and I admire her confidence. (view spoiler) The ending was good as it was able to wrap up the story well.

•Character development- 4☆
• Story Plot- 4☆
• Side characters- 2.5☆
• Flow of the story- 4☆
• Overall - 4☆

Funny, real, true, and heart warming...these are my initial thoughts on Pretty Funny For a Girl by Rebecca Elliott. I found myself laughing out loud right from the get-go on this one and all the way throughout the book!

Haylah Swinton wears many hats, one of which being, of course, aspiring stand-up star. Between juggling caring for her little brother, being a friend, daughter, and just growing up, this is a fun, special story because of the emphasis on the world of comedy and an understanding of what all goes into finding success in this field!

In addition to all the above there is also the relationship with Leo to take into account. Haylah is infatuated with him and goes above and beyond to help him out as he attempts to give it a shot in the world of comedy. When the time comes will he agree to help Haylah out?

I found myself cheering for Haylah and was so satisfied with how everything wrapped up in the end! I was happy to find this book, here, via NetGalley and find myself feeling blessed to be able to read and review this gem.

3.5/5 stars

🐻 Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this e-arc!


✨It was only fine. Not that good of a novel but i wouldn't mind reading more from the author

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".

I absolutely flew through this book!! It was an incredibly fast read, but I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. I really enjoyed the comedy portions of this book. It was fun and I loved having that aspect. However, there was an emphasis on the main character's weight. She was obviously extremely insecure and I don't feel like that was dealt with. There were many many comments made by Haylah about herself, much too often to not become a plot point in the story. That isn't something that should be encouraged in young girls, and if it is included in a book, I feel that it should be explained and worked on by the character. That was my main issue with this book, other than that I enjoyed it.

"Pretty Funny for a Girl" has a good concept for the plot - however, it is a bit slow for my taste. I feel that would be better if the plot was a bit faster and maybe included some more actual action. Great jokes though.

I read this book over a week ago and I'm still smiling fondly every time I recall it. This book was flat-out funny. Even better, it managed to hit that delightful niche of being what I would term a true 8th-grade book. The content and subject matter is mature enough to be interesting and relevant to 8th-grade students, but not so mature as to move it solidly into high school YA levels. I intend to include this book as a future option for book clubs with students. I really appreciate the storyline of a girl facing the unfortunately common reality of choosing between getting the guy and sacrificing her own identity and dreams. These themes are so important to have conversations around with teenage girls. I highly recommend this book!

I would include a content warning due to the amount of fatphobia and bullying included throughout this book. Otherwise this is fun story full of funny jokes. I enjoyed seeing Haylah find herself and become more confident in her comedy.

The premise of a proudly fat female protagonist who aspires to be a stand-up comic drew me in. I loved the main character and the attempt at fat positivity. We certainly need books like this featuring girls with comedy chops. That said, it's hard to know what age group I'd recommend this book for. The characters seem to behave much younger than their age. The dialogue feels inauthentic - at once too mature and other times very juvenile. It was also unfortunate that so much of the comedic material centered around the protagonist's body. An entertaining read that came close, but didn't quite meet the mark.