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Wicked funny and hella gay, it’s time for Taylor Parker to come out about a lot of things.
Taylor Parker has always been a funny girl—but when she is accepted as a finalist for a diverse writers’ internship at Saturday Night Live, it turns her life upside down. If she wants a shot at winning in a little more than a month, Taylor will have to come out about both of her secrets: She wants to be a comedian . . . and she’s a lesbian.
With a mom who gave up a career in comedy to raise her, and a comedian dad who left for a younger woman, working in comedy is a sore subject in Taylor’s house. To keep her secret under wraps, she sneaks out to do improv and hides her sketches under the bed, and to distract from her anxiety about the competition, Taylor
frequents Salem’s Museum of Witchcraft to pine for Abigail Williams from the back row.
It’s at the Museum of Witchcraft where Taylor falls deeper in love with the girl who plays Abigail Williams—Charlotte Grey, an out and proud lesbian at Nathaniel Hawthorne High. Charlotte radiates so much confidence in her acting and queerness that Taylor can’t resist her. So when Charlotte reaches out for help on a school project, Taylor readily agrees. As they spend more time together, Taylor sees what living her truth and pursuing her dreams could bring her, but Charlotte can’t understand why someone as funny as Taylor wouldn’t go all out to make the most of her opportunities. To live up to her own comedy dreams and become the person she wants to be, Taylor will have to find the confidence to tell everyone exactly who she is and what she wants.
“A charmer with hidden depth.”
–Kirkus Reviews
“Thomson’s laugh-out-loud debut, buoyed by the teens’ heartwarming romance and Taylor’s sardonic, aspiring-comic voice, deftly intertwines the sometimes conflicting paths to chasing one’s dreams and being oneself.”
—Publishers Weekly
"[A] charming romance and heartwarming coming out journey. Taylor's humor and witty one-liners make for many laugh-out-loud moments."
—School Library Journal
"[A]n engaging, heartwarming story with plenty of nuanced characters [...] Once readers get a peek into the layers of Taylor's relationships with her friends and family, they will be won over."
—School Library Connection
“The Comedienne’s Guide to Pride is witty and charming and real. With snappy dialogue and a sassy but loveable leading lady, it’s guaranteed to brighten your day.”
—Tobias Madden, author of Anything But Fine
“This book has everything I love in YA contemporary books: family struggles, a beautiful queer love story, and tremendously hilarious writing.”
—Jamie Pacton, author of Lucky Girl
“Punchy, raw, and laugh-out-loud funny with a compelling voice and a vibrant cast of characters, Hayli Thomson perfectly captures the highs and lows of teenage self-discovery.”
—Skye Quinlan, author of Forward March
