Book: Ain't It Funny
Author: Margaret Gurevich
Rating: 3.5/5 stars (Founded up to 4)

Ain't It Funny was a heartwarming story that follows 11-year-old Maya as she navigates dealing with OCD, anxiety, and her father moving away from her and her mother to navigate his comedy career. After this happens, Maya decides to sign up for her school's talent show and perform a comedy routine - to hopefully bring her parents back together.
Maya has a lot to deal with in the story after things go awry, and I was surprised at how emotionally touching of a book it was. I think that it handles a lot of tough topics well and realistically for being a YA novel.
I also found that each character in the story was well-developed, and I enjoyed reading about elements of another culture in regard to Maya's family running their Russian deli.

I also thought that OCD and anxiety were well-represented in the story and that it did a good job demonstrating how those two things can affect friendships as well as family relationships. It touches on the element of both of these things unfortunately being dismissed as just simple worrying - and how the main character navigates cementing that her feelings are valid and real.

Overall, I think that this is a powerful read for those interested in YA novels, and it even provides some valuable tips for readers who may have experienced anxiety themselves.

Thank you to Penguin Group - Penguin Young Readers Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an eARC of Ain't It Funny.

AIN’T IT FUNNY follows Maya as she navigates her parents’ separation and her own struggle with OCD and anxiety. Maya’s dad has recently moved out and is pursuing his dream of a career in comedy. Maya lives with her mom and grandmother, who run a Russian deli. When it’s time for the sixth grade talent show, Maya sees an opportunity to use comedy to possibly reunite her parents. As the show approaches, Maya continues to hone her act and work on conquering her stage fright in the face of her own growing anxieties. When one of her favorite teachers experiences a severe panic attack at the deli, Maya begins to question if the “hot hot hots” she feels might be something similar.

The book is a powerful portrayal of OCD and anxiety for middle grade readers. The comedy and talent show component helps to soften the edges of the serious nature of the content and provides a supportive backdrop for Maya’s journey.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sharing an eARC of the book with me.

This book is most notable for its handling of OCD and anxiety. Maya is growing up, and she deals with a lot of challenges. Some of these she can explain, and some she can only refer to with language like “hot hot hot” because she doesn’t know that there’s a name for what she’s dealing with. Throughout the book, she learns how to handle the difficult things in her life.

Some of the elements were a little too convenient. Her teacher just happens to have OCD and a panic attack in Maya’s family deli, and that’s why Maya is able to identify some of the patterns of her own OCD. Sure, it could happen, but the chances of that happening seem very small to me.

I liked how the comedy show and learning to be a comedian reflected different things Maya was learning. Preparing for the show helps her understand herself and her parents in sweet ways.

Overall, this book made me want to visit a Russian deli, and I looked up some information about OCD afterward because Maya’s journey made me curious about some of the symptoms. This book may be helpful for kids who are dealing with OCD, anxiety, or their parents’ separation.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the free copy in exchange for my honest review. The opinions are my own and were not influenced by receiving a copy.

This wasn't what I was expecting. I liked the Russian deli setting but the writing wasn't very engaging. There wasn't a whole lot of comedy either.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for an Advanced Reader Copy to review.

"Eleven-year-old Maya’s life is bit of a mess. Her dad just moved out to pursue his stand-up comedy dreams, her mom seems more preoccupied with running the family’s Russian deli than getting Dad back, and Maya’s anxiety and germ worries have only been heightening. Her grandma always tells her “slozi goryu ne pomozhet”—tears won’t help sorrow—but right now it’s hard to be strong. So when her teacher Ms. Banta announces the sixth-grade talent show, Maya sees an opportunity. If she can perform stand-up comedy in the show, she can prove to her mom and dad that comedy has a place in all their lives and try to bring them together again. But conquering her fears amidst her family falling apart and a growing hot-hot-hot feeling inside is easier said than done . . . In this authentic novel full of both humor and heartbreak, Margaret Gurevich crafts a story about comedy, fractured family, and learning how strength comes in many forms."

This author does a great job of realistically describing OCD and Maya's experience living with it. Following her along on her journey as her anxiety increases due to her parents separation makes the story feel raw and very real. It's very relatable. This was a fun and engaging read that is perfect for middle graders.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very fun read. This will be a great book for kids that they will find to be fun and engaging.

Ain't it funny how this book will tear you apart and put you back together in the span of a few hundred pages?

This is a strong depiction of OCD for children. The way Maya describes the "hot-hot-hot" feeling is powerful, and the way that her anxiety escalates because of her parents' separation is all too real. The addition of her teacher, who has a mental breakdown due to her own OCD, is strong too. It takes a while to get to the resolution, but the journey there is very solid. Kids will enjoy the brief bits of humor, and many will find this relatable.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Time to share my weekly children’s book reviews. My kids get so excited to see what books I have to read before naps, bedtime, or at breakfast. There are some really cute ones to add to your children’s summer reading book lists!

Scooper and Dumper and the Pumpkin Parade by Lindsay Ward comes out July 8th. My three boys loved the trucks adventures with the pumpkins.

A Rubbish Journey by Jonah Rideout was a really cute chapter book my daughter loved. The story was fun, and entertaining. It comes out June 24.

Keep Trucking by Raven Howell was an adorable book. The illustrations were super cute and my boys again loved the truck story. It comes out May 10.

Ain’t It Funny by Margaret Gurevich was another fun chapter book about following your dreams. My daughter really enjoyed this one. It comes out October 14.

What Are They Feeling by the School of Life is one that is so sweet and great to explain emotions. The kids and I had some fun conversations to follow this one. It comes out September 11.

The Great Turkey Walk by Kathleen Kar is a wonderful story of friendship, and takes you back to 1860. It comes out October 7.

Hailma Superhero Princess by Emily Joof was adorable. The storyline and illustrations were very exciting for the kids. It comes out September 2.

The Sun Never Hurries by Roxane Turcotte was my favorite. Such a precious story and the illustrations were darling. It comes out June 24.

Make a Little Wave by Kerry O’Malley Cerra is a really exciting story! My daughter said this was her favorite. She loved the characters. It comes out September 30.

To Mimi’s House We Go by Susan Meissner was another of my favorite. The story, the pictures, the adventure it took you on was absolutely precious. A fun one for the holidays. Comes out Sept 9.

Leonardo Cohen by Maria Isabel Sanchez-Vegara was a cute story! My kids love to learn new things and these are always so full of knowledge to take away. It comes out August 5.

Fall Feast by Sean Taylor made our family very excited for playing in the leaves. It comes out August 5.

Diwali by Sital Gorasia Chapman was such a good one for kids to learn about another culture. It comes out August 5.

Maya's father has moved out, and she misses him very much. He used to help out at the deli that her grandmother owns, and that the whole family works at. Her father is perusing a comedy career, and he has weird hours, but managed to come to help her out when she decides she is going to be a comedian for the school talent show.

Meanwhile, Maya has OCD and anxiety, but doens't know how to tell anyone about it. She does a little research online but when she prints out the information to give her mother and grandmother she is told not to worry about it.

It is a good story to explain OCD and anxiety to the middle grade set, and towards the end we even get tools you can you if you are having a panic attack.

The observations Maya makes for her set in the talent show, are cute, though not hilarious.

If nothing else, this can be a story that a child can see themselves in, and learn what to do when they have the same feelings. Which is a good thing. For me, it went on a bit too long without a resolutions.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book is coming out the 15th of October 2024.