The Girl Least Likely by Katy Loutzenhiser

Synopsis (via Goodreads): To All the Boys meets The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (with a dash of Dumplin’) in this funny, romantic, and heartfelt coming of age story about a teen stand-up comic learning how to be her truest self, from the author of If You’re Out There.

Gretchen has always been more of a “least likely” than a “most likely” kind of girl. So how does she somehow find herself living out every trope from her favorite rom-coms…?

The Best Friend Crush: Why is it suddenly so hard to act normal around her childhood BFF, Samuel? Must be time for a—

Makeover(!): Black leather pants and some red lipstick are apparently enough to lend Gretchen the bravado to do an impromptu set at a comedy club, and catch the eye of—

The Roguish Bad Boy: Jeremy, the alluring young comic who thinks her name is Sabrina. It might just be—

The Perfect Cover: A funny-girl alter-ego that frees Gretchen to explore who she really is—and what she really wants. But as rom-coms have taught her, leading a double life can only last so long.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

I absolutely loved The Girl Least Likely! I devoured the audiobook despite the synthetic voice (which weirdly worked for me this time), and cannot wait to purchase a physical copy for my shelves. Also, if I enjoyed a computer-generated narrator, then I can only image how good the actual audiobook is going to be (which says a lot about the story itself)! Loutzenhiser has created a remarkable story with relatable characters that I would love to be friends with. Gretchen and Sam, Jeremy and the rest of the comedians, Ethan and Natalie - all of them were wonderfully well-written and left lasting impressions.

Gretchen had a seemingly predictable teenage experience... pretended to be someone else while waiting for the other shoe to drop. However, Loutzenhiser adds a few unexpected twists to the story that I did not see coming, and those small additions completely changed the story for me. Gretchen knew her secret identity couldn't last forever, but she enjoyed the anonymity while doing stand-up comedy. She could be anyone - say anything - and it wouldn't directly affect Gretchen. She was wrong of course, because pretending to be someone else was bound to backfire eventually, but she also learned a lot about herself along the way. I really enjoyed following Gretchen's journey and felt like I was a part of her story. I also liked seeing how her character evolved over the course of the book - everything felt authentic and sincere.

While there are multiple love interests in The Girl Least Likely, it never felt like a love triangle. One is an unrequited love, while the other is new and unpredictable. Gretchen uses comedy to sort through her thoughts and feelings - making jokes about her life and those involved - and learns a lot about her family, friendships, and her own pessimistic perspective. Stand-up gave her an opportunity to say her thoughts out loud and express emotions she would normally bury. She didn't feel the need to hide when she was behind a microphone or in front of strangers in an audience, and I thought it was a clever outlet for her fears and insecurities. It was wonderfully unique and so interesting to read about. I love comedy and stand-up specifically, so it was fun to see a character explore those in a YA book. 

I'm 85% sure all of the comedians mentioned in this book (the ones that were characters themselves and not just references) were fictional, but I really wish they weren't. Loutzenhiser manages to be funny and write jokes for multiple people. We don't just see Gretchen being funny on and off the stage, but the other comedians participating in the competition, as well as a famous comedian that Gretchen loves. The author manages to write unique stories for each secondary character, while also making them funny in their own way. I loved how diverse their material was, and that each person had a different way of doing comedy. Really, really well done. 

I thought I knew how this story was going to play out, but I was happy to be wrong! The conflict was wholly believable and not at all cringey (no annoying tropes here). I hate when a story unfolds in a cookie cutter way, so I was pleasantly surprised when Loutzenhiser veered off course and made Gretchen's experience something totally new and completely unforgettable. If you're looking for a book that will make you laugh, keep a perpetual smile on your face, and has characters you'll love to root for - definitely add The Girl Least Likely to your TBR! 

Side note: I loved the references to Samantha Bee (Full Frontal) and Parks & Rec.