Pretty Rude for a Girl

by Rebecca Elliott

Overview

Fifteen-year-old Haylah Swinton is gaining popularity on her comedy YouTube channel, but the jokes she's telling are starting to ruffle feathers in real life. Prepare to snort, guffaw, and cringe through Rebecca Elliott's hilarious companion to Pretty Funny for a Girl.

Big, bold, and funnier than a cat in a onesie playing bagpipes, Haylah's been busy with her online comedy material. But life on the internet comes with its own can of trolls and proving she's funny is tougher than Haylah thought it'd be! Plus, her new boyfriend Dylan hasn't even tried kissing her yet, and when her deadbeat dad decides to turn up, life as she's known it is tossed into one big, colossal mess.

So, what better way to vent, than to spill the tea to her newly found audience? But when friends and family discover Haylah's ranting videos on the web, Haylah finds herself with a lot of explaining to do.

Rebecca Elliott's contemporary YA rom-com stars a strong, memorable heroine and features a story full of heart, humor, and relatable themes of body image, self-esteem, relationship building, and taking ownership of mistakes. A laugh-out-loud, binge-worthy read.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781682631485
Publisher:	Holiday House
Publication date:	10/05/2021
Pages:	352
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.24(h) x 1.13(d)
Lexile:	870L (what's this?)
Age Range:	14 - 16 Years

About the Author

Rebecca Elliott is an author and illustrator. She earned a degree in philosophy and once did a brief stint in a dull office. Now, she enjoys eating angel delight, loudly venting on a drum kit, and spending time in her sunny garden. She lives in England with her family, some chickens, and a cat named Bernard.

Editorial Reviews

10/04/2021

Elliott’s follow-up to Pretty Funny for a Girl works as a stand-alone, picking up with white, British Haylah Swinton, 15, soon after readers left her—having gained new confidence about being a comedian, and now dating her first boyfriend, classmate Dylan, who’s of Chinese descent. But even though she’s feeling better about her plus-size self, there’s still plenty to figure out. Her long-estranged father suddenly wants a relationship, and Dylan’s never kissed her, leaving Haylah wondering if he actually likes her. She channels her feelings into her YouTube channel, posting ranty routines about her parents, her mother’s boyfriend, even her friends and Dylan—which feels cathartic while she only has a few followers, and less so as her subjects become members of the audience. Haylah’s YouTube bits are right on the border of funny and angry, giving the first half of the book a hectic energy that resolves as she stops going for cheap laughs and begins sorting out what she really wants. The book’s many, many fart jokes are counterbalanced by an emphasis on family, friends, and speaking one’s truth, making for a fun, sweet read. Ages 12–16. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

"The quirky family, school struggles, British slang, and tentative steps into romance make this a quick and charming read. . . . Haylah 's struggles and eventual victory over her personal, romantic, and familial obstacles make her a sympathetic, likeable character with whom teen readers will identify. The witty humor that pervades her thoughts and conversations is sure to make readers laugh out loud."—School Library Connection

From the Publisher

09/01/2021

Gr 8 Up—In this sequel to 2020's Pretty Funny For a Girl, 15-year-old Haylah Swinton has (mostly) come to terms with her size and developed her own quirky fashion sense. Now that she's done stand-up for real, she considers herself a comedian, but not having many opportunities to perform in public, she's started a YouTube channel. She assumes that she can experiment with her comedy, because she has so few viewers. One evening, after a disagreement with her boyfriend, she records an angry-funny rant on YouTube, called "Boyfriends are Idiots," which gets a lot more views than the earlier videos. She decides that her comedy persona needs to be sassier and ruder, so she starts a series she calls "_____ are Idiots." Releasing her anger is cathartic, and besides, nobody she knows is watching. But of course, the word does get out, and Haylah belatedly discovers that everything on the internet is public. As a result. Haylah, as well as those close to her, are reminded of the importance of honesty and openness, with oneself as well as others. Once again, Elliott skillfully captures the unique voice of a teenage girl who is still discovering herself and how to communicate. VERDICT An additional purchase for libraries that need coming-of-age books about body positivity and individuality, and libraries where the first book was popular.—Marlyn Beebe, Long Beach P.L., CA

School Library Journal

2021-08-16
Haylah furthers her comedy career and deals with romantic and familial entanglements.

Set a few months after the events of 2020’s Pretty Funny for a Girl, this follow-up continues the adventures of newly more confident aspiring stand-up comedian Haylah (who now goes by Hay instead of Pig, the fatphobic nickname she had tried to reclaim and defuse). The 15-year-old English girl has begun to upload snarky comedy bits to YouTube and isn’t quite as insecure about her size or looks as she was before. But Hay still faces challenges: She’s not sure why her boyfriend, Dylan, spends hours with her but has yet to kiss her; she’s got mixed feelings about her divorced mum’s increasingly serious partner; and her estranged father makes a surprise appearance at a gig, and the shock of seeing him throws her off stride. Elliott digs deeper into the residual self-doubt that creeps up, even as Hay feels more assured about her worth and talent. There’s still deprecating humor, but this time it’s more balanced, and the slow-burn romance is thoughtfully (and funnily) described. Hay’s relationship with her much-younger brother, Noah, is once again a highlight, and her character growth is evident in how she resolves conflict with her family and best friends. Most characters are cued as White; Dylan is Chinese and implied White.

A charming sequel of self-discovery, first love, and forgiveness. (Fiction. 12-18)

Kirkus Reviews