I've really been loving the contemporary genre this summer, so I was excited when I got the opportunity to read an advance copy of Best to Laugh by Lorna Landvik through NetGalley. I absolutely love the bright colors on this cover, and the microphone hinted that this book would feature a stand-up comedian in some way. I was right!Best to Laugh is the story of Candy, a young, twenty-something from Minneapolis who gets the opportunity to sublet her cousin's apartment in Los Angeles. She decides to take a risk and move to Hollywood, as she recently graduated from college and is unsure where her life is going. When she gets to LA, Candy takes on some interesting temp jobs, but she soon realizes that she wants to go into comedy. Readers follow Candy as she makes that dream become a reality.
Told in the first-person from Candy's point-of-view, Best to Laugh is a beautifully written story that actually feels like a real life memoir at some points. In fact, I was so connected with the characters in this book that I wanted them to be real! I was hooked into this story in the first few pages, and was amazed at how captivating Landvik's writing is. The cast of characters was really what made this story. Sometimes, a book with many characters can become confusing, but that is not the case here. Landvik does an excellent job of developing each of the side characters just enough so that the reader can get to know them, and appreciate the role each character has in Candy's life.
I think part of the reason I was able to connect with this book so much is because I can relate to Candy. While we are different people in different time periods (this story begins in 1978), I'm also a recent college graduate who's just trying to find her place in the world. Best to Laugh is motivating in that it reminds readers that it's okay to not know where you're going – you can discover a great life even when you don't expect it!
Overall, I absolutely loved Best to Laugh. It is a thoroughly enjoyable read, and I cannot stress how superb the writing style is. I rated this a full five stars on Goodreads, and recommend it to anyone who loves contemporary novels or a good coming of age story.
Best to Laugh will be available for purchase on September 15, 2014, and is available for pre-order on Amazon HERE.
This books was provided for my unbiased review. I use Amazon Affiliate links so you can find the books I mention easily. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.
