I like some of the points this book makes. It points out inequalities in the entertainment industry particularly when it comes to humor. And the central focus isn't even on that inequality but rather on self-confidence. Accepting yourself as you are and having the confidence to go after your dreams. I also like that there's no addressing of Haylah's weight. I mean, she brings it up a lot. It's a fact of her life. But she isn't trying to lose weight. While I might have liked to see the acknowledgement that her relationship with food isn't entirely healthy, her tendency to eat her feelings and comfort her brother with treats, she's pretty comfortable with herself. It's not an especially complex book and might have benefited from a little more depth of character. Still a fun read.

I just didn't connect with the main character in the way I was hoping I would. PArts of her characterization seemed to contradict each other, and the voice didn't really seem natural to me. I remember in one of the first few chapters she referred to her own boobs as "chesticles" which just doesn't seem like something any teen girl I've ever interacted with would do unironically. That's just one example of the sort of moments that really pulled me out of the story. I didn't end up finishing it so I can't give a super accurate rating, but I wasn't enjoying myself while reading.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book, I feel it really captured the feel of a first love. I loved Haylah, I thought she was well written and brilliantly funny. Her feminist approach to loving herself regardless of her struggles with her own body image was just perfect. Love yourselves ladies, you are beautiful.

I really related to Haylah because I also turn to self deprecating humor and make fun of myself before anyone else can. I really saw myself in her. This book really explores the “you are your own worst critic”’ saying. You could really feel her internalized pain and how hard she was fighting with the image she has of herself more so than what others thought about her.

I really loved the story arc in this, it was raw, realistic, and just a good read. I recommend this to anyone who has a teen daughter or is a teen themselves!

Thank you kindly to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this review copy.

Haylah Swinton is an English teen who's not like the other girls. She's a curvy girl and she knows it - she adopted the nickname "Pig" so the bullies would have nothing to hold against her - and she loves comedy. From Tina Fey to Caitlin Moran and beyond, she's watched them all and would love nothing more than to have her name among theirs one day. For now, though, she's helping her single mom raise her four-year-old brother, Noah, hanging out with her besties, Chloe and Kas, until Leo Jackson enters the picture. He's good-looking, has a killer smile, and does a stand-up routine during a school assembly that leaves Haylah gobsmacked! Finally having someone to talk comedy with, she secretly sneaks jokes she's written into Leo's locker, and is thrilled when he incorporates them into his routine at his dad's club. The two start spending time together when Leo asks for her help writing material for him to perform at an upcoming youth comedy contest in London, and Haylah's crush goes stratospheric, but her friends wonder if he really likes her for who she is, or for what she can do for him: write the jokes that will put him in the spotlight?

Pretty Funny for a Girl is all about feminism, the funny, and the heartbreak of a first crush. Haylah is a brilliantly written character who owns who she is, even while struggling with body image, friendships, and family. She knows she's curvy, and by calling herself "fat" and taking on cruel nicknames like "Pig" before anyone else can level them at her, she's internalizing a lot of pain that she'll need to deal with - but she'll be darned if anyone else gets to her more than she gets to herself. A body-positive teen who wishes everyone else would get over it, she doesn't want to change who she is at heart, and knows she has a lot to offer, whether it's on the comedy stage or in a relationship (friend or romantic).

If you loved Dumplin', you'll love Pretty Funny for a Girl. Put this in your YA collections and check out Book Riot's list of body positive YA novels for more ideas. Publisher Peachtree has a free, downloadable discussion guide and excerpt available.

Enjoyed this quite a lot. Relatable a whole lot. Interesting and made me want to read it.

Some hikes were super funny. Really liked the main lead. Sometimes did want to shake her but that was because I fell for how sweet and vulnerable she was.

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.

This book had some major funnies, feel good moments and awkward teenage moments that makes it pretty related to most people. The MC is a kick ass future comedian who is a feminist, a loving sister and daughter and not perfect. You can’t help but root for her even in her less than shining moments.

This is just a wonderful, feel good, humorous YA novel that I loved.

The main highlight of the story is the theme. The author writes the story in such a charming manner where you smile throughout the tale. The concept is unique and fun and emphasizes on self-empowerment. It does not matter how you look as long as you love yourself and are confident.

I loved Haylah as the lead and thought she was hilarious. She is not perfect in any manner, and she is over emotional and impulsive at times. But she tries her best to fit in and be part of the crowd. Although she struggles with self-esteem issues, I loved how she matures in the story. Some of the conversations made me laugh so much, like when she tries to explain Noah about babies, and how she tells Leo that she wants to be a communist. Moreover, I love that she doesn’t let her weight affect her, and takes a remark like ‘pig’ and turns it to her advantage. All the supporting characters are also wonderful. Noah is adorable as the younger brother, and I loved Haylah’s friends Kas and Chloe. Ruben is also a sweetheart.

I also enjoyed the side story of where her mother dates Ruben. It is never easy sharing a loved one when you are young and possessive. I think the author beautifully talked about this in a realistic manner. The author has a wonderful talent for writing comedy and drama and merge it seamlessly. I hope the author writes many more such novels, because this was just perfect!

Overall, I highly recommend this book if you a nice contemporary read with lots of humor.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC via netgalley in exchange for an honest review
DNFed @29% -- 1.5/5 stars
Unfortunately, I failed to connect with Haylah, our main character, in this one and that ultimately made it hard for me to enjoy the story. I struggled with get into the book because of my dislike for Haylah. I found her immature, rude, and judgement. I also thought she was quite annoying. One thing that I found to be really annoying about Haylah was how she tells readers that she forgets she’s fat and doesn’t think about it often, but then she makes a comment in her mind about being fat on almost every page! The impression I got from the character was a kind of “woe-is-me” everything sucks complaining sort of tone which I can’t stand.
I think the author’s writing style would work better for younger readers. This is a YA book, but it definitely felt aimed towards the younger side of YA. The humour was pretty juvenile, and I didn’t really find it funny personally.
Again, this one didn’t work for me, but I think it could be good for younger readers (13-15ish).

This was a cute and fun YA book!
I liked the writers style of writing and how the book really flowed together.
I also liked the message behind the story that the author was conveying..
I definitely think this is geared more towards the younger YA side though.

Very middle of the road. I struggled with the main character- her personality and fat shaming made me dislike her where it seemed like she was meant to be more awkward and loveable.

The premise was interesting with the stand up comedy focus but I was hoping for it to be a bit more Mrs. Maisel than it was.

3 stars- nothing to write home about- would probably not recommend.

Not for me. I disliked Haylah almost immediately. And that Isn’t necessarily a bad thing in the main character if it’s meant to be written that way. But she was supposed to be relatable and for me she wasn’t. I feel like I was supposed to forgive her flaws because she is insecure, but the message seemed to be acceptance, which was contradictory. And she didn’t seem to grow or learn. Further I didn’t like the fat centric jokes and self deprication. It was constant, despite the fact that Haylah states she doesn’t even think of herself as fat unless reminded of her weight. Also the “feminism” rubbed me the wrong way. Feminists can absolutely wear make up and dresses. Ugh. I ended up feeling frustrated most of the read.

This was pretty average and mediocre. I enjoyed the idea of a girl who loves stand-up comedy because I’m the same way. However, I didn’t like how much she focused on weight—and not just with herself, but with everyone in her life.

The story was pretty predictable but the dialogue was fun and witty. In all this was just a meh story.

Haylah was a self described "comedy nerd". She watched every clip she could find, listened to any podcast available, and read all the books on the shelves in an effort to hone her craft. Yet, she kept her stand up comic aspirations a secret until an opportunity to help cool and popular, Leo, write his set for a competition arose and that had her contemplating if she had what it took to step up to the mic herself.

I am going to start with my takeaway from this book, which was learning to believe in and love yourself. Haylah often talked about being fat. Sometimes she was ok with it and sometimes she wasn't. I thought this was rather realistic. From what I gathered, she was a 14 year old girl. I can understand her struggle with not fitting or even trying to subscribe to the beauty standard. Overall though, she seemed happy with herself, because for her, she would rather be funny than thin. I can imagine her, older and wiser, totally accepting her body, but I believed she was in a good place at fourteen.

It's great seeing all these YA books about female comedians. It's a well known fact that the industry can be less than hospitable to women, but how fabulous to see these funny young women pursuing their dreams. Indeed, Haylah was funny, but it was dedication to the craft that I admired. The way she would go through her day, recording amusing bits for later, or all the research she did. She definitely showed that it was hard work, AND that she was more than willing to put in the time and effort to edge closer to making her dream a reality.

This book wasn't just about becoming a comic. It was about family, friends, crushes, making mistakes, and making amends. I loved Haylah's family. She was being raised by her mother, who worked nights, and therefore, Haylah had to help out a lot with her little brother, Noah. He could be a handful, but they really shared a sweet and beautiful bond. Noah was such an injection of cute into this story too.

There were some subplots in this book, where I saw Haylah make some mistakes, but also grow. Whether it be her mother jumping back into the romance game, her friends drifting away from her, or her first real crush, mistakes were made. Part of me really felt for Haylah, but another part of me wanted to give her good shake and tell her to snap out of it. However, I never gave up on her, and I am glad to say, she did not disappoint me.

It was a delight to meet Haylah and watch her finally take the stage. I know there are going to be times where you will find yourself frustrated with Haylah, but all the steps, forwards and backwards, were part of her journey to being able to be her most authentic self. And yes, she was pretty funny for a girl.

It was okay. I didn't like the pacing, the fat shame "jokes" became boring way too fast. There wasn't a real plot or if it was I just couldn't find it.
It was okay.

Pretty Funny for a Girl is a humorous take on the awkwardness of adolescence. Plus-sized Haylah is a sarcastic, witty, comedian-to-be, who teams up with her crush, Leo, to ghostwrite his comedy set, but somewhere along the way, everything that can go wrong in a teen girl's life does. Filled with humor, likeable characters, and realistic dialogue, it is an entertaining story.

I am rating it a 3.5 because I didn't enjoy the repeated fat-shaming in a "body positive" book, especially since it came from the main character about herself and was mirrored by some of the other characters. I also felt like at times the emotions of the book could have been brought out more to contrast her genuine, complex emotional feelings with the lightness of the comedy; because of that lack of contrast it fell a bit flat for me. I recommend this book for people who enjoy reading typical young adult high school drama combined with a sarcastic banter.

Advanced readers copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this! There was so much body positivity and I loved that Pig didn't feel like she needed to change in order to be seen as desirable! Because that isn't true!

Overall a good book but a little too much self-depracating humor for my taste. It just didn't appeal to me overall. I do appreciate that the main character was a larger girl, but just wish she didn't find the need to go along with the insults all of the time. Just my opinion!

Pretty Funny For A Girl is an amazing book full of wit. The book is a great. The storyline is great. The weekend I read this I started on the Friday and by the Sunday I had finished the book. Haylah finds herself listening in to her crushes conversation with his friends but so she finds herself in an awkward situation where she helps him out writing for a competition but in the end she ends up getting her on back on her crush (sorry, a bit of a spoiler) but that will be as much as I say although I definitely think that the ending for Haylah was amazing. It would be great if there was a follow up book where it checks in with Haylah a few years from when the book is set.

Thank you to Peachtree Publishing for sending me an ARC!

This book kind didn't meet my expectations. I would have given it a 2.5 but I'll round it up just because it is good to see girl comedian rep. To me, the book's pacing was very off. It felt like some parts in the book that weren't very important were too in depth. The book just felt like it was dragging on for the whole time. There was not too-too much plot going on. I'm going to be honest, when the boy Daniel, who bullied her, was mentioned, I didn't even remember who he was so I wish that we would have seen him develop as a character and just see him interact with Haylah even more. Most of the characters were mostly static and I felt that Haylah's growth come upon so quickly and I think the book should've been over the span of a longer time because it felt like it only was a week that it was happening. This reminds me of another thing I am confused on in the book. It is never stated how old our main character is and she seems somewhat childish at times in how she approaches things. Sadly, in the end, I was reading this book but just kind of wanted to finish it. I wish I could have enjoyed it more, but alas, it was not for me. Hopefully, all of you readers will connect more with the story and characters.