There were parts of this book that I really loved: The main character is clearly formed and very funny. The main love story felt a bit disjointed for me and the ending was a bit rushed, but overall a unique, fun premise.

Kristen Arnett!!!! As a Floridian, as a librarian, I will always pick up anything Arnett puts out. The read was funny, as expected, and Cherry is well developed. There was something to be desired in terms of the plot and pacing, but I don't mind books like that honestly. The focus is on relationships and character dynamics. Arnett's writing was fabulous, dark and chaotic at times, thoroughly introspective. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Riverhead Books for allowing me this sneak peak.

Thank you to the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, as a 20-something with not everything figured out, it was refreshing to read about someone in the same boat. Cherry Hendricks is a clown -- literally, although the throughline of her life could certainly point to calling her a clown, figuratively. Throughout the book, we see her struggles with money, grief, family, and relationships, all while she cracks jokes and undergoes a transformation from literal clown to the woman she wants to be. This book was incredibly funny, and as a 20-something lesbian still trying to figure it out, extremely relatable.

I love a novel that manages to be sweet and affirming but also substantive in ways that aren’t entirely comfortable.

The easiest way to do this is always to employ a flawed but likable protagonist, and while this book does go that route, it also goes beyond that in terms of nuance and ambition.

There are parts of this that are laugh out loud funny and parts that are affectingly poignant in affirming ways. But there are also parts of it that are deeply uncomfortable in their earnestness. It almost gives you the ick while at the same time forcing you to stare into a mirror and realize that the ick is an unsettlingly accurate reflection of your own inner monologue and unspoken wants and needs.

I’ll admit it was tough for me to take seriously the earnest “I’m doing something bigger than me” approach to being a clown. But I also saw it as something that perhaps represents the difficult notion that we all become so deeply wrapped up in our own personal ideology and expression of that ideology that we can’t get out of our own way.

Thank you so much to the publisher and to Kristen Arnett for this advance reader’s copy! A true five stars for me. The evocative writing about central Florida alone would have made me love this book, but Cherry was a beautifully rendered character. I really loved her.

I never thought that the story about a lesbian clown would be so unfunny. The story follows Cherry, a lesbian clown who is down on her luck. After a series of unfortunate events, she manages to get a date with famous clown Margot the Magnificent, who she hopes will help her make more connections and her mentorship.
I just really didn’t enjoy this book, the narrator was so apathetic about everything, which is an issue that I had with the other book I have read by this author. Once again, I should have just given up when I was trying to read this, but it just wasnt it. Like at all.

This might be my favorite Arnett, and I love them all. Their writing is always funny and this one directly analyzing comedy and what is funny, adds a layer of complexity.

The opening scene of this novel is unforgettable. Four months after reading it, I still have no words. Luckily, Kristen Arnett has plenty, and she uses them to great effect. I loved the thoughtfulness and hope that thread throughout this book; those really hold it together and provide a steadying force for a concept that could easily have gotten out of control with a less experienced author. I've been a longtime reader of KA's essays and newsletters in addition to their fiction, and Cherry's meditations on humor, jokes, and committing to the bit felt like reading a KA essay inside a KA novel. What a treasure. Will be recommending this one with both hands and my whole heart.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Kristen Arnett, and Penguin Group Riverhead for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

With Teeth and Mostly Dead Things have stuck with me continuously over the past 3 years since I first read Arnett’s work. She has a way of writing the messiest, most flawed characters and stories that still have so much LIFE to them. I truly have never read anything like her stories or her writing, and Stop Me if You’ve Heard This One is her next glowing installment. I didn’t realize how much I missed having a new book from Arnett until I devoured this in a single afternoon. As someone who is very familiar with the Central Florida area (as a frequent theme park tourist with friends who live and work in the area), this book reads so authentically to the setting. Quite honestly, I don’t think Cherry could exist in such a spectacular way anywhere else— central Florida is made for messy lesbian clowns! The strongest parts of the book for me were her friendship with Darcy and her relationship with her deceased brother Dwight. Both of these areas shined, in comparison to Cherry’s dating antics and even her clowning, which didn’t fully land for my personal taste. I do think the book would have benefitted from being a tad longer to greater delve into her self-discovery, as I felt that by the time it was really getting juicy, the book was already ending. However, for all the silly, cringey, and even off-putting antics that happen in this story, there is a poignancy and authenticity that can’t be replicated. Kristen Arnett, you will forever be a gay icon, and I already need more!!

I want to thank the publisher for granting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. As a fan of Mostly Dead Things and With Teeth, I was eager to see what bizarre treasure Kristen Arnett would deliver next—and I was not disappointed.

From the start, Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One pulls readers into Cherry Hendricks’ chaotic life. She’s a struggling Orlando-based clown with a side job at an aquarium, a precarious financial situation, and a penchant for making self-sabotaging choices. She’s not particularly kind to her best friend, and she approaches work with an impressive lack of motivation. Yet, somehow, I still wanted her to succeed. Arnett’s writing makes Cherry compelling, even as she stumbles through relationship missteps, financial peril, and the lingering grief of losing her brother.

Arnett excels at capturing the messy, often isolating reality of life in Florida, where gentrification steadily erases the spaces and people that give the state its character. When I think back on this book, I’ll remember Cherry and her mismatched and the people (and puppet) in her life: the aloof Margot, the hidden gem that was Portia, Miri Gonzales and her treasure trove of a house, Darcy taking control of her life, Velma and her new jumpsuit, and Camila, Miri’s “slut daughter.” These characters, each trying to carve out a space for themselves, highlight the precariousness of belonging in a place that often feels inhospitable.

This is not a neatly tied-up, happily-ever-after story, but Arnett never promises one. Instead, she offers a deeply engaging, sharp-witted exploration of art, queerness, and survival. It’s a chaotic, occasionally frustrating, but ultimately satisfying ride—much like Florida itself.

I really enjoyed this one! I loved Kristen's novel, With Teeth and had high expectations for this one. I enjoyed that the main character did not take herself too serious and it was quite funny throughout the book. I will be giving this book 4 stars. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Stop Me If You've Heard This One was a struggle to read. It's humor fell flat and the writing was haphazard. I found myself grimacing through most of it, and had to dnf. A disappointing read that had promised to be hilarious and original, succeeding only in the latter.

"Stop Me If You've Heard This One" by Kristen Arnett is such zany fun. I was so delighted to have early access to this incredibly funny book. Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for providing a copy.

Who knew I'd be so passionate about the art of clowning after this book? This gives major Margot's Got Money Troubles vibes. I loved it.

I really enjoyed Stop Me If You've Heard This One. I thought it was funny and surprising, and the opening was really great. Cherry (a lesbian clown) is a refreshing protagonist, dark and dry and secretly very feeling, and I enjoyed how much of her life involves work, specifically at a depressing aquarium. It's not hard to understand why Cherry, a clown who is still trying to impress her late brother, a natural comedian, is transfixed by Margot the Magnificent, a magician who also happens to be a big a lesbian... whose ex, Portia, happens to be dating Cherry's mother. Florida feels so alive in this book, rich and overwhelming and muggy, sweat on a 7-11 slush. Arnett also writes about homophobia and specifically drag queen story hours, and the ways conservatives target and demean LGBTQ+ people. The book is mostly funny, mostly dark, but manages to bring home heavy subjects in a way I don't see a lot in fiction right now. Definitely cool to see the politics, especially for FL.

I absolutely adore Arnett’s honest and thoughtful writing. I’ve read all her books and eagerly await the next. She has a way of opening characters up so you truly care about what happens on every page and want to know their every thought. This is my favorite book of hers yet.

First and foremost, I want to express my strong dislike for clowns—I truly loathe them. Well, while Arnett didn't manage to convince me to like clowns, she convinced me of her storytelling abilities.

The story revolves around Cherry, an almost 30-year-old who is trying to segue her part-time hustle as a clown into a full-time success. Cherry is struggling; she has a side job at a pet store, a best friend, a deceased brother, and a mother who doesn’t understand her. Cherry also has a mommy fetish, which might explain somethings…

Clowning seems to embody a certain "otherness" and is often reviled, much like myths and comic book superheroes—it feels queercoded, challenging societal norms while also bringing joy and resilience. It seems to be rooted in a need to people please/have control over how people feel. It highlights themes of self-worth, family dynamics, and the discomfort of being unaccepted by both the state of Florida and the broader country.

I believe that fans of queer, absurd literature—like those written by Samantha Allen—as well as readers who enjoy messy protagonists like those created by Emily Austin or Jen Beagin—will appreciate this peculiar, dark tale of one person’s journey toward self-discovery. A special thanks to Penguin Group Riverhead and NetGalley for providing the ARC.

This book opens with lesbian clown sex which was a new one for me lol. I have to give it to the author, this book is highly original! I didn’t realize how much this book would focus on the profession of clowning but it was a main theme.

I really enjoyed the author’s writing style! I found it very engaging despite not really enjoying the plot or the main character that much. The MC was a hot mess and I kinda struggle with this type of character, it is hard to watch someone self destruct.

I didn’t find the ending very satisfying but maybe that’s just me. I would have liked a little more from it.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!

A late coming-of-age story featuring a 28-year-old lesbian clown with mommy issues, this was both hilarious and surprisingly moving. Cherry is a loveable mess and even when she was making some questionable choices, I really was rooting for her. There were moments that had me genuinely laughing aloud and others that made me very emotional.

My only major complaint would be that at some points, Cherry seemed almost TOO self-aware of her failings or in a way that felt overly summarized - I definitely know people who are like this in real life, but sometimes she was explaining her psyche in a bit too much detail.

Still, I was very invested in Cherry as a queer woman in Florida, as well as her pursuit to clown and find her path in life. I also felt a lot more appreciative of clowning after this!

I think Emily Austin fans might enjoy this one, though I'd say the overall tone was a bit lighter. I definitely am going to backtrack and read Arnett's backlist.

I'm a sucker for dark humor and got more than a handful of chuckles out of this one. The writing style is perfect with a flare for literary genius, mixed with sour sarcasm and blunt honesty. The characters felt alive and a little bit of that hometown depression was easy to feel from the reader's perspective. For readers who loved Big Swiss and Severance.