Humor Me was supposed to be “a hilarious, heartfelt novel about the healing power of female friendship, unexpected love, and stand-up comedy.” Unfortunately, this one wasn’t for me. It started off with a lot of potential with several strong story lines available but instead it lacked a central plot focus and just had several small open ended story lines.

The MC, Presley, honestly annoyed/frustrated me. She’s a 25 year old planted in NYC as an assistant for a late night comedy show but she came off as more of an immature, jealous, selfish, dramatic, privileged high school teenager. I think it was intended for her to be written as a strong feminist but it felt like she was trying too hard and she came off more angry and demanding to me.

I LOVE the cover of the book, it’s what originally caught my attention. I liked that there was a diverse group of characters, and enjoyed watching Susan and Presley’s relationship blossom. I also liked that we got to “hear” the comedian’s performance, as if we were there with Presley when she went to listen/interview them for the Late Night Show, I thought that was unique.

Sadly, I struggled to finish this one. I wanted to DNF it several times and probably would have if it weren’t for having an audiobook, however, it didn’t always hold my attention. The story lacked a strong plot, making it feel pointless and underwhelming. What really turned me off was the multiple comments/hints of political beliefs and opinions…I read to escape the stress and chaos of reality. Then to top it off, I made myself finish only to get a ridiculously abrupt ending that gave absolutely no closure to any of the story lines. I clearly wasn’t the targeted audience for this one.

2.5 Stars (rounded up)

I really enjoyed this character driven novel and the way the author handled the topic of grief and the individual uniqueness of the experience for those grieving. Presley is has the interesting job of scouting comedic acts and develops a not necessarily wanted, but intriguing relationship with her late mother's friend Susan. Susan is trying to fix her up with her son Lawrence much to Presley's dismay. I loved getting to see the development in these characters and the way they grew on each other. The humor is spot on and the audiobook narration is fantastic.

I just really enjoyed this story and I just didn’t want it to end. I just lost myself in and I just couldn’t get enough of these interesting characters. I can’t wait to see what’s next from this author.

I finished this book because I’m not a quitter haha but it really just wasn’t for me. Nor is the TV show Friends, if that tells you anything. I seem to be in the minority here, though, as most reviews are pretty glowing.

I did get as far as I did because of the audiobook. I loved the narration and I did laugh out loud at some of the funny bits throughout.

But overall the romance was lackluster and I just couldn’t get invested in the story. I found my mind wandering enough that when I came to I didn’t even know what was happening. Oh well, not every book is for every person amiright?

Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, Celadon Books, and the author for the ALC and ARC editions in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I really wanted to love this book. I even tried reading it as I had the audio and kindle versions. I just couldn't connect to it.

The plot sounded so good but I just wasn't feeling it.

I found it a little monotonal and the characters were a tad flat. It did get better in the last 1/3 but it wasn't enough to bring this book back from the brink for me.

The pace was slow too and I think that was one of the reasons it really didn't work for me.

it was a 3 star read for me but I think im in the minority.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Celadon books as an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was... A lot... And also not a lot. I'm very mixed on my opinion of this book because I didn't love it, and I didn't hate it, but I also kind of liked parts, and kind of didn't like parts. In the end I feel like there were parts of this book that I really enjoyed but overall was underwhelmed with it

Presley is our MC, a mid twenties young professional in NYC working on a show that sounds kind of like The Daily Show or another late night talk show. Presley loves comedy. Presley loves NY. Presley grew up in a small town in South GA, and her mother was an alcoholic who died a few years ago. Presley makes friends with a woman who was her mom's friend. Presley navigates the messiness that is crushes on boys when you're kind of trying to be a cool girl. Presley loves NY. Presley has a best friend who loves being casual with girls, until she meets someone who sweeps her off her feet.

The story is fine. Presley is a main character I liked, and I appreciated her narrative voice. I just felt like this book was trying to be more of a literary fiction aimed at a 24 year old instead of a new adult book. There's a dash of rom com. There are some very heavy themes of grief, dealing with a parent with alcoholism, and navigating the #metoo movement. The pacing was much slower than I thought it would be, and the writing in some moments is incredibly astute and polished, and then on the next page it is very sophomoric. Maybe that's appropriate for Presley's age...in some ways she is beyond her years and in others she is emotionally stunted. Overall I'm not mad I read this but I am also glad to be done with it.

Delightful! If you love NYC, the late night scene, or comedy, I think you’d love this book. It’s a wonderful mix of family, friendship, and romance that never gets too sweet or deep into any one theme— just like life. It reminded me of Romantic Comedy a little bit. Loved it!!

This book was a nice break in the typical books i’ve been reading! I really enjoyed this book feeling like a slice of life story as well as a love letter to the NYC comedy scene. Presley is a great main character to follow as she’s just navigating her 20s in all of its messy glory. I loved Presley and Susan’s relationship as well as Presleys relationships with her friends.

I really enjoyed this book and I can’t wait to see what Cat Shook writes next!

Thank you to Celadon Books and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Humor Me is a beautiful story about friendship. Cat Shook was able to create well-rounded, loveable characters, but allowed the plot to fall a little flat. The beginning of the book had me hooked, but mid-way through, the book felt never-ending. It wasn’t poorly written, it was just missing something to jazz it up and keep it interesting. Then - it ended pretty abruptly. Overall - it didn’t feel plot strong to me.

The concept of the book, searching for comedians, had me feeling this book would be more humorous than it was.

Overall - I was hoping for a little more. A little more from the plot and a little more comedy. The characters were overall really well-written.

Thank you NetGalley and Celadon Books for the opportunity to read this ARC.

A big thanks to Celadon Books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
First, I adore Cat Shook's book covers.
Second, I love Cat Shook's books.

Read this.

Thank you.

Humor Me by Cat Shook is truly a book about friendship. Cat does a nice job of showcasing the characters, but I wish it had more oomph in the plot. In my opinion, it was like reading an episode of Sex and the City. You have the friendships, romance, grief, and working life of the characters that live in New York. I also wish it wasn't so politicized, but I guess it helped the reader examine the characters more, even if it was generalized.

I was neutral in my feelings about Humor Me. I didn't love it, and I didn't hate it. I was hoping it would be more funny, but scouting for comedians for a late night show was an interesting concept.

I feel like younger people in their twenties, especially if they live in New York, will enjoy this book more than I did. They will be able to connect with all of the places that are mentioned and know what it feels to live that kind of lifestyle.

I gave this book three out of five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Celadon Books, and Cat Shook for my free copy of this book. This is based on my honest opinion.

Humor Me was an enjoyable read. I loved the narrative about life being messy. All the New York City descriptions and the funny stand up comedy moments really made this book stand out. Presley was a great character. I really enjoyed this book!

This book is filled with friendships, a little romance, some self discovery, and coming of age. Honestly there's a LOT going on. Seeing Presley navigate a relationship while dealing with some strong emotions was very real and raw. I appreciated that side of her! Somewhere along the way it kinda lost me. I had a hard time focusing on it in spots I guess. I didn't feel really connected until I was over halfway through the book. I did enjoy the lessons learned and the friendships! I felt like I was just continuously questioning where the story was going with everything going on. Then it ended quite abruptly. Personally I was just hoping for more. I felt like some of the topics needed to be dove into more than they were. But that's just my thoughts. Overall a good story and audio.

Unfortunately I DNF this 25% of the way in. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review it, it was just not for me at this time. I think this is probably a very fun story I was just having a very hard time getting into it at this time in my life and may revisit in the future. Thank you again for the chance to read this book.

When I read the synopsis of this book it was instantly so appealing, a girl just trying to make it work and figure herself out in the city and within the New York comedy seen but in execution I liked it more than loved. There are a lot of things that work separately in this book, but when put together it feels a bit mismatched. Presley is a fine MC, the romance is okay, society commentary feels surface level and It would not stop reminding g me this book is set in 2017/18.

The female friendships are where Humor Me shines, the pacing is a bit slow which is not a bad thing, but when paired with such an abrupt ending (thought i saw what Shook was going for) it feels unsatisfying. This is a fine book and I overall didn’t have a bad time reading it, I guess i just wanted more.

This was the perfect mix of romance, humor, and real life.

Presley is working for minimum wage as an assistant at a late night show and she is working hard to take over the stand up comedy spot to help her move up in her career. This is a story of unconventional friendships and how they change and develop. Presley doesn't have a lot of friends. Her best friend and roommate Izzy, her deceased mother's old friend who bumps into her adopts her Susan, Adam her coworker, and Lawrence Susan's son.

This story was heartfelt, irresistibly entertaining, and witty.

2.5/5 stars. I honestly don’t know how to feel about this. I loved the setting of New York in the media and entertainment industry but I didn’t love the main character. I couldn’t tell where the plot was going and some of the dialogue was pretty cringey. All in all just mid read for me.

Thank you to netgalley for the arc of humor me. This book is an easy read from start to finish. Presley works for a night time tv show and looks for and books their comedian talent. She has some complicated work relationships a d complex social relationships, she is mourning the loss of her mother who she did not have the best of relationships with. Presley runs into her mothers friend Susan and her life is set on a much better track. All the feels and a warm ending. Four solid stars

The characters in this book were authentic, and the story line was not too outlandish. It was easy to follow and there was not an overwhelming amount of things thrown in at once. This was an enjoyable read, however it was pretty slow paced and I did find myself getting bored at times during long periods of nothing happening, and it was hard to continuously read for long periods of time. I did end up stepping away from this book a few times, to move to a different book during these periods. I just wish that I was able to get more invested in this book and story.

This book does deal with grief after the loss of a family member, great friendships, and coming to terms with the fact that things are not going the way they are originally expected to, relationship wise.

I did enjoy the romance aspect of this story, and glad that Presley did not end up with Adam, as it was originally portrayed as a possibility. Clark was a great MMC for Presley. Also, the dynamic between Susan and Presley was heartfelt at times. As someone who had lost her mother, it was nice to see that Susan was able to act as somewhat of a mother figure to Presley.

One thing that I am sad about, is that the comedy aspect of this story line was not brought to the forefront more. Since Presley is an assistant for a late night show, and seems to be focusing on finding talent for the stand up comedy parts of the show. This was an original concept to me, since I had not yet read a book where a FMC has this type of job, so I was a bit disappointed with the lack of exploration and utilizing this more in the story line.

I felt a little old for this one (out of the age demographic) but I found it witty and enjoyable and heartwarming. Takes me back to those years when you're figuring out who you want to be and what you need. Super fun and sweet.