Ambrosia Lee Drops the Mic

By: Patricia Park

Narrated by: Shannon Tyo, Patricia Park

A Korean American former child actress decides to branch out and stand out in order to pursue her newfound love — stand-up comedy. Here's another hilarious novel from the author of Imposter Syndrome and Other Confessions of Alejandra Kim and What's Eating Jackie Oh?

They say Hollywood is like high school, and has-been child actor Ambrosia Lee feels like she’s at the bottom of the social ladder. Her acting career peaked at the age of eleven— then she was unceremoniously fired from her big break due to her weight.

Now after years of rejections and backstabbing auditions, teenage Ambrosia turns to stand-up to speak her truth. It’s the perfect way to rant about everything that’s been bothering her: divorced parents dynamics, Asian stereotypes, and Hollywood drama. It also doesn't hurt that a cute boy is helping her learn the ropes of a comedy routine.

It’s all laughs…but comedy clubs can be just as toxic as the Hollywood complex she always mocks.

Can Ambrosia be her true self both on and off the mic?

Patricia Park's humorous new novel explores the complicated worlds of Hollywood and comedy clubs, body image standards, and what it takes to succeed.

Critic reviews

★ "This accessible, humorous, and empowering narrative is sweet and threaded with hope....An inspirational, funny, and charming story infused with agency and moxie." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★ "Park interrogates celebrity culture in a searing novel that tackles body image, misogyny in stand-up comedy, and child parentification....a funny, absorbing, and empowering tale of one teen’s embracing truth and integrity over artifice and popularity." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

★ "The real star of this story is Ambrosia, who tackles the intense pressure placed upon young women to look skinny and beautiful, the challenges inherent in an often male-centered comedy scene, and the process of seeing your own parents as people with sometimes messy histories." —Booklist, starred review

★ "Although there are plenty of laughs per minute throughout this well-paced novel, the true mic drop is Brosh’s power to be an honest storyteller." —The Bulletin, starred review

"This book is smart, funny, and sneakily unputdownable. Give this to fans of John Green, Jenny Han, and Holly Smale." —School Library Journal