Pretty Rude for a Girl

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.)