A darkly humorous novel that follows an 18-year-old pregnant pizza delivery girl who is struggling with grief over her father’s death and her conflicted feelings about her pregnancy. The protagonist becomes obsessed with Jenny, a stay-at-home mom, leading to a complex and ultimately heartbreaking relationship.

In the end, I did not finish this book. I was so excited by the description, but I just could not get into the narrative.

The main character wasn't as fun to read as the side characters. A good story though, some fun moments and a few scenes that were unexpected. Overall a solid read.

Pizza Girl was an interesting read and felt like a PG version of Ottessa Moshfegh's Eileen, which is meant as a compliment. If you enjoy reading about flawed teenagers, you might want to consider this book. Jane is selfish, immature, and in her own head and way. Jane is human.

I feel a little bummed out about this one because I just couldn't get into it the way I wanted to! The premise sounded so charming and interesting but it just didn't hook me. I just...didn't care, for some reason. I think it might be because the plot is slow-moving and the story is more driven by the quality of the characters. Character-driven books are a little harder for me to get into, so I think this is just a personal thing and not a statement to the overall quality of the book, because I know others have enjoyed it!

I ultimately did not finish this book. It just didn't grab me. And I was so excited by the description! Writing style was great, I just couldn't get into the story.

I think this book was interesting, but not for me. I like a more plot-driven novel, & this was definitely character driven.

This was a weird one. I tend to like unusual stories with unlikeable protagonists but I had trouble connecting to this story. While it was primarily a character study of a flawed pregnant and alcoholic teenager, I wanted more depth, more plot, and more levity. I don't usually mind dark stories but I found myself yearning for a bit of a breath of fresh air while reading.

A pregnant 18-year old pizza girl is enchanted by a 30 something customer who calls in a strange order one day, a pizza with pickles for her child who won’t eat. Our nameless titular pizza girl is unraveling, struggling with the path her life is on, as well as dealing with the memories of her alcoholic father. A weird and enchanting read!

Fantastic, amazingly quick read. Characters are super memorable and loved the descriptions throughout. (Pickle pizza!) The narrative arc is surprising and gripping. Really looking forward to more from Frazier.

I was hooked immediately and was rooting for Pizza Girl. But at the end, I did really want to know more about what motivated her to be so drawn to Jenny. The general sense of apathy she has is a little hard to get through, at times making the book slightly less enjoyable. It definitely held my interest throughout and I would recommend it.

[3,5/5 stars]

"Eighteen-year-old, pregnant and working as a pizza delivery girl in suburban Los Angeles. One day, she receives a call and becomes obsessed with one of her customers."

WHAT I ENJOYED:
- mixing dark humor and hilarious moments, this book is a fast, original and quirky story that flows with ease
- I really enjoyed the protagonist as a flawed Korean-American character - the author explores her identity and her confusing emotions as a young adult while she is not sure about her future. She is messy, reckless, not entirely likable yet real
- Frazier does an amazing job of addressing themes of mental health, grief, love, finding purpose in life and family with a brutally honest writing
- although some readers didn't enjoy the "lack of answers", I thought that the open ending was thoughtful in order to make the readers meditate on the story

NOT FOR ME:
- I thought that the subject of motherhood as well as the relationships in this novel could have been further fleshed out. I felt like this book was a small chapter of the protagonist's life and I wanted to dig deeper into her life and her family's history
- the plot felt a bit random at times but I think that this was the author's intention to accurately portray someone's daily life
- the relationship between the narrator and Jenny felt underdeveloped for me

Overall, PIZZA GIRL is an interesting and bold debut! I am curious to read what Frazier will write next.

This book is darker than the cover indicates, though I absolutely love that artwork!
It follows Jane, a pregnant 18-year-old pizza delivery girl who is still figuring out who she is after her father's death. Though other reviews seemed to find Jane's character difficult to root for, I felt an odd kinship with her. The character is written with dark humor, but there is a tenderness to her personality that I felt was really authentic. The novel is short but memorable - the LA setting, her dad's old Festiva that she drives around, her relationship with her gay coworker, her memories of her father and his alcoholism. Jane felt like someone I would have befriended during my own food service days. Content warnings for offensive language and drinking while pregnant. Suggested for readers of Kristen Arnett and Ottessa Moshfegh. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this copy to review!

Wonderful story that is perfect for adult readers who also enjoy young adult literature. The 18-year-old protagonist is a pizza delivery girl, who, as she says, knows she should quit her job but is not exactly equipped to do anything else. One day, a desperate mother of a child on the autism spectrum calls in begging for a pizza with pickles. Pizza Girl makes it happen, and finds herself getting more and more involved with the family. Both heartfelt and heartbreaking, with just enough humor to keep it from getting too heavy.

This character study is interesting and sad, never quite offering enough resolution for the titular Pizza Girl. A realistic ending, but may not appeal to those who are looking for a ray of hope in the end.

Pizza girl is short and gets to the point quickly. The main character, our "Pizza Girl", is struggling. She's 18, pregnant, her alcoholic father died and she's just flailing inside. She has the sweetest most caring boyfriend, but her heart is not in it.

She meets stay-at-home, mom-jean wearing Jenny Houser and is absolutely enthralled. I don't actually understand why. It does seem like a big leap, but this quote is one that captured me: “I would have found something else to lose myself in. If you were pushed off a cliff, you’d grab hold of anything resembling safety.”

I really liked the tone of the book. It was casual; it was warm. Though towards the end including an episode with a gun, it just doesn't feel like it flows realistically. I think the book would have been better longer with some more arc, more suspense, pulling and pushing and development.

This was an enjoyable read overall and I'd recommend it.

i'll have to be honest. the thing that grabbed me about this book was the cover, foremost. the description is not really the kind of thing i gravitate towards. HOWEVER, i'm glad i picked it up. it's a short read but touching and engrossing, and the writing style itself was particularly enjoyable.

I don't know how a book that barely skims 200 pages did it, but somehow Jean Kyoung Frazier's Pizza Girl gave us a helluva lot: Ruminations on the aimless transition from teendom to young adulthood, a literary ballad on pregnancy and motherhood, an uncomfortable dive into alcoholism, the strange space of grieving a very flawed parent, a meditation on the immigrant experience, a grasp at love you don't think you deserve, you name it.

Pizza Girl is a weird novel and definitely on the more literary side of the fiction market. The humor is dark, and it can constantly feel like an uphill battle as you're rooting for a terrible-but-not-terrible young person to succeed. However, that's what makes it all the more remarkable: Jean Kyoung Frazier crafted a truly original and powerful story, one that I'll think about for weeks and months to come.

If you want a more unconventional and fresh take on a coming-of-age story, this book's your best bet.

This is a strange little book that I liked for its unconventional nature. The main characters were almost Southern gothic grotesque against the background of a gritty, forgotten, strip mall LA.

There was no sugar coating of questionable actions and I was left simply understanding what occurred versus being able to relate to any of the circumstances. What is relatable though, and gives a sense of empathy for the characters, is the way in which Jean Kyoung Frazier explains human emotion by looking at parenthood, depression, anxiety, and addiction through a raw lens.

The writing style reminded me of The Big Sleep (choppy, train of thought, a little noir) and, as I alluded to above, the characters were (to a former Milledgeville girl, at least) modern day versions of some of Flannery O’Connor’s biggest hits. Also, it pains me that this Kindle cover is in black and white because the cover art is vibrant and amazing and you should absolutely hop over to your local indie bookstore to appreciate it.

Unsure exactly how to rate this one, but I will say I think that this is a fantastic story. The writing was stunning, and I found the character unthinkably irritating while also charming and endearing. One moment I would be furious with her, and by the next page I wanted to wrap her up in my arms. This story covered some intensely deep topics in a short amount of time. Grief, alcoholism, teen pregnancy, relationships, joint parenthood, self-discovery, mental illness and familial dysfunction. And it's only a little under 200 pages. I think this was a fantastic debut novel, but it was challenging to read at times for me personally due to its subject matter. I think this would be a great book for bookclub or any kind of buddy read. There is a lot to unpack throughout this narrative and would make for great discussion. Thank you to Doubleday for sending me my review copy!