Recommended: sure
for a lighthearted YA novel, for an MC who works on being ok with her body image, for an MC with a fairly unusual goal of being a standup comedian

Thoughts:
Okay, I feel like the #1 question about this book should be "the main character wants to be a stand up comedian, so is the book funny?" and I can report that it's more or less a yes. The plot itself is a standard YA coming of age sort of read, but the moments of specific comedic routines are funny enough. They're delivered by high school students, so that's the experience the material focuses on, but if you can pass yourself back to that age you can probably get a chuckle or two.

Haylah has a common defense mechanism that's the "i'll say it before they can" attempt at ownership. She fiercely maintains the nickname Pig (despite how gorgeous the name Haylah is) but feels less and less happy about the way she's living by labeling herself as fat to every person she meets.

The change doesn't come easy, though, as even her best friends don't recognize Haylah's (I refuse to call her Pig) unhappiness in her role as the fat funny friend. Their difficulty in understanding the seemingly abrupt change in Haylah's personality resonates with the main concerns in your midteens, when it can be hard enough to deal with your own issues, let alone figure out others'. The way she views herself and the growth through the book sounds real enough to me, but I've heard others mention that it felt like a flat or unhealthy portrayal of fat rep.

Mixed in with all of this was Haylah's tending to her little brother and her mother in a single parent family. Her own body images are challenged when her mother starts dating a new guy and begins doing those things women do when they're starting a new relationship; shaving your legs consistently; experimenting with a new hairstyle; realizing you giggle way more than you thought. These elements come into play with the rest of the story to enhance both sides, but sometimes it was painful to watch Haylah self-destruct a little bit.

Overall this was a fun light read with a fairly familiar structure. The unique element here is that Haylah is working on becoming a stand up comic, which personally is not a goal I have seen in much young adult lit (and especially for a female character).

Thanks to Edelweiss for a free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.  ( )

Why do we feel in order to not BE the punchline, we have to make it first? Is it our culture, society, home life, circle of support? Why can't we just BE?

Pretty heavy for what appears to be a comedic reading selection, right? Well I was surprised too! And no, that wasn't a dig at our leading lady. I liked the fact that Haylah was unexpected, went against the grain, and followed her own drummer. I appreciated the fact that she had a dream and was willing to do what it took to reach it. I was grateful for the fact that she wasn't perfect and experienced the pitfalls that EVERY TEEN DOES at some point or another...you know the ones. The pretty face that turns your head, the little comments that finally get to you, the self-doubt that creeps into the bravado, the...well, you get the picture. It wasn't that I wanted hardship for our gal, but I wanted that dose of reality, harsh as it could be, but also that moment of WAKE UP HAYLAH and see what's really in front of you, what you have to offer the world, and don't simply laugh it away, but accept that you are a masterpiece in every way.

All in all, this story was HAY-LAH good! Belly laughs run amuck, but there's a lot of every day issues dealt with as well in such a grand way. It's a STRONG book about being true to yourself, following your dreams, and never letting anyone stand in your way...including yourself! A great read for those in their teens traveling the same roads as our heroine, as well as for those that simply need a reminder of how fabulous they really are.


**ARC received for review; opinions are my own ( )

After a long week at work, I needed something for Friday evening to escape from the drama of the week. I spent a few hours reading this novel and it uplifted my spirits.

Haylah, aka, Pig, loves jokes. She spends all of her spare time learning about jokes and standup comedy, hoping to one day be a professional. Her mom works a lot, so Haylah takes care of her much younger brother A LOT. She is much more patient than I am. He makes her repeatedly late to school (well, she sleeps in), but she absolutely adores him. She's great at keeping him distracted and entertained. The family lives in chaos--no one has time to clean, but they have fun. Haylah's mom can belt out a joke as well. It's busy and stressful, but they all make it happen.

Haylah does okay in school. She would do better if she didn't stay up so late studying comedy, but it IS her future. Her two best friends are undeveloped side characters who do well representing typical school friends. The novel is really "the life of Haylah Swinton," which narrows to pretty much her family. Our story really begins at school. After an assembly, Haylah is in love. Leo, gorgeous Leo, performs stand-up for the school and he is GOOD. When she overhears that Leo doesn't have new material for a performance at his dad's pub (did I mention the novel takes place in England?), Haylah starts sneaking jokes into his locker. Eventually, they find each other and start writing jokes together. Haylah's dreams have come true. Once Haylah tells people, they don't seem supportive. Is Leo using her for her jokes or could he really like this "fat" girl?

I have never been overweight, so reading about characters who describe themselves as fat and happy yet complaining the ENTIRE book about themselves being fat, confuses me. If you are happy, you wouldn't mention it. In this novel, she even goes by the name Pig and, obviously, feels uncomfortable in her body by the way she goes along to get a laugh in order to cope. I totally get NOT seeing yourself as others do, as for as physical looks go. Repeatedly, characters say that Pid/Haylah is not fat. We also know she isn't thin/skinny, so she must be somewhat of a typical American. Her self image started to be resolved by the end, but I don't think it was ever completely handled. She "does" her hair and wears makeup and gets a new outfit. She discovers that she is, indeed, beautiful. It's a weak resolution to the repeated references about herself. Otherwise, I enjoyed the novel very much as a lovely distraction. Is it great? No. It's pleasant fun for the brain. Haylah's explanations of what it takes to make a joke are a learning experience. It's nice. Take a break and enjoy the book! ( )