Taylor Parker isn’t out yet, but she’s keeping an even bigger secret: she entered a sketch contest where the grand prize is an internship at SNL.
When Taylor applied for this opportunity for marginalized writers, she checked the “LGBTQ” box on the application without really thinking about it. But now that she’s a finalist, she realizes she’ll need to be out to win. Whether she’s ready or not.
In the month leading up to the competition results, Taylor befriends Charlotte Grey, whom Taylor’s had a crush on for years. As they spend more time together, they realize they’re genuinely falling for each other – and while Charlotte is willing to take it slow, Taylor doesn’t want to ask her to keep their relationship secret forever. Taylor just hopes she can muster the courage to come out before all her secrets do.
The Comedienne’s Guide to Pride is Thomson’s debut novel exploring a young girl’s queer coming of age story about coming out and living her dream of entering the world of comedy.
Thomson has always been a fan of comedy. From a young age, she was afflicted with a ‘headache’ every third Monday in September to watch her favourite female comedians win Emmy awards from her lounge room. Her love of comedy bleeds through the page, and this passion is reflected in the protagonist Taylor and her journey to work at SNL.
I absolutely adored Taylor and her journey of self-discovery, especially with the awkward teenage humour that Thomson so effortlessly injects into the story. Thomson adds in a bit of everything from laugh-out-loud scenes to heartfelt romantic moments, making sure there’s never a dull moment.
As Thomson’s ‘Guide’ suggests, the novel delves into themes of sexuality, identity and family. Taylor struggles with accepting who she is and Thomson does a fantastic job at portraying her thoughts and fears about it all, especially when it comes to telling her loved ones about her sexuality.
The Comedienne’s Guide to Pride is a deeply relatable and hilarious queer rom-com that will make you laugh, cry and leave you wanting more. The novel bursts at the seams with punchy humour, charming romance and authentic queer characters. A superb debut for YA readers aged 14+.
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