Ambrosia Lee Drops the Mic

by 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 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.

Genres: Young Adult

304 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication April 28, 2026

About the author

Patricia Park is the author of the award-winning novel, Re Jane, a Korean American retelling of Brontë’s Jane Eyre; and the YA novels, Imposter Syndrome & Other Confessions of Alejandra Kim, and the forthcoming, What’s Eating Jackie Oh? She is a tenured professor of creative writing at American University, a Fulbright scholar, an Edith Wharton Writer-in-Residence, Edith Wharton Writer-in-Residence, a Jerome Hill Artist Fellow, and other awards. She has written for The New York Times, New Yorker, Guardian, and others. She was born and raised in Queens.

Reviews

[Mai H.]

ANHPI TBR

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Crown Books for Young Readers

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

What do you do when you no longer look like the child next door? This is the problem that Ambrosia Lee runs into when she hits puberty, and doens’t look thin and cute enough to play the roles that she has been playing since she got into acting. Hollywood wants them young and thin,and if not young, then thin. And Ambrosia can’t do it. She develops an eating disorder, and gives up at that point.

So, the quick answer to the above question is to go into standup. The author said she had to do the same, to get the true feel of what it was like, and in the end, she was happy she did so, but decided to keep her day job.

This is a fun, and telling look at both Hollywood ideals, at Asian stereotypes, and at the world of comedy, both good and bad. Fun, quick book to read. I was sorry when it all ended, as I was having so much fun learning about Ambrosia and all her friends, frenemies and foes.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. All the stars. Really. This book is being published the 28th of April 2026.

[Nicole Austin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Crown Books for Young Readers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

“Ambrosia Lee Drops the Mic” by Patricia Park is a sharp, funny, and deeply thoughtful young adult story that pulls back the curtain on both Hollywood and stand-up comedy as it reveals how brutally similar the two worlds can be, especially for young women. Before going into this review, I do want to provide content warnings for content within the story mainly focusing on body shaming and restricted eating. The body shaming is a major part of this book, which may not be suitable for younger readers.

Ambrosia “Brosh” Lee is a former child actor whose career stalled the moment she no longer fit the industry’s narrow idea of “cute.” After puberty, auditions dry up, typecasting ramps up, and relentless body scrutiny pushes her toward disordered eating. Hollywood wants girls to be young and thin, and Ambrosia quickly learns that talent alone isn’t enough. When acting becomes unbearable, she stumbles into stand-up comedy, hoping it will offer the freedom she’s been denied.

One of the story’s greatest strengths is how authentically it depicts the process of stand-up comedy. The humor actually works because you can see Ambrosia building jokes by testing timing, refining punchlines, and learning firsthand that not every joke lands. The book is surprisingly informative, offering real insight into comedy writing, open mics, and the emotional vulnerability required to get on stage. Patricia Park’s own experience with stand-up clearly shines through, giving the story a grounded, lived-in feel.

However, comedy isn’t the safe haven Ambrosia expects. Just like Hollywood, the stand-up world is riddled with misogyny, racism, and gatekeeping. The story doesn’t shy away from these realities, showing how subjective humor can be and how often marginalized voices are dismissed or weaponized. Still, it also celebrates comedy’s power to connect people and to transform pain into something meaningful.

Ambrosia’s relationships, especially with her parents, add emotional depth to the story. Her family dynamic is refreshingly nuanced, portraying divorced parents who grow alongside their daughter rather than existing as static background figures. Friendships, frenemies, and even a light romantic subplot help round out Ambrosia’s world, though the romance never overwhelms her personal journey.

As stated earlier, content warnings for body shaming and restricted eating are warranted, but the book is clear and compassionate in its message: these ideals are harmful, not aspirational. What makes Ambrosia such a compelling protagonist is that she isn’t perfect. She makes mistakes, misjudges situations, and sometimes bombs on stage, but she owns those failures and grows from them. Watching her find her voice, both as a performer and as a person, is incredibly satisfying.

The ending leans a bit sweet, tying things up with warmth and optimism, but it feels earned after the emotional and creative work Ambrosia puts in. By the final pages, she’s not chasing validation from Hollywood or comedy clubs; she’s defining success on her own terms.

Overall, “Ambrosia Lee Drops the Mic” is funny, insightful, and quietly powerful. It’s a standout coming-of-age story about creativity, identity, and resilience, perfect for anyone curious about comedy, performance, or what it means to take back control of your own narrative.

[Rebeccah Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you as always to NetGalley, Random House Chikdren’s, and Crown Books for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

Ambrosia “Brosh” Lee is a (washed up) child star. Sort of. She was on two episodes of the kids’ tv show Jump! Rope! Jungle! before being replaced by another girl. It’s hard in this business, and Brosh knows better than anyone.

Between being typecast because of her ethnicity, or being rejected because her body is not to the standard of Hollywood (ie: stick thin), she sees rejection left and right. But Brosh handles it well, mostly.

When a chance encounter with a cute young comedian occurs, Brosh decides to actually try out stand up comedy herself. It’s the perfect outlet for her to talk about all the things going on in her life.

But soon enough Brosh realizes that the world of stand up comedy can be just as toxic as Hollywood. She has find a way to truly be herself despite how the world expects her to be.

So I absolutely loved “What’s Eating Jackie Oh”, and when I saw this book, I had to jump on it. Park is a fantastic writer and brings such depth to her characters, and that is definitely still the case here.

I also love stand up comedy, and the fact that she did stand up herself in preparation for this book? That’s commitment. I think that really made the book as well, because the detail Brosh sees and the emotions she experiences is straight out of any comedy club in NYC.

Ambrosia’s family and their dynamic was also given depth! Her parents are divorced, and their relationship is a great (and different) view on divorced parents. Her farher’s remarrying, and I feel like in many stories, the kid doesn’t like the new person, etc. And while that it is that way in the beginning, Brosh is able to not only be happy for them, but she becomes friendly with her future step sibling!

I loved the whole book, and i highly recommend it not only for the comedic elements, but for the character journey our protagonist goes through.

[Sarah Ressler Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

First book of 2026 and definitely going to be a favorite for the year. So fascinating to get an inside look into comedy and child actors. Every character was unique and thoughtful and the entire story was excellent-great pacing, excellent ideas on writing comedy, and an important look the dark underside of comedy. Heroine perseveres to write more uplifting and hilarious jokes. Love the multiple formats of texts and comedy journaling along with prose. An awesome book for all library collections -late middle school and up!

[jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ambrosia Lee is by no means an average teenager. A former child star, a potential stand-up comedian…and a young girl who is juggling the weight of her family’s expectations.

I really enjoyed this book, much like I enjoyed Patricia Park’e first novel “Imposter Syndrome”! Ambrosia has to go through a lot, but we get to see her find her voice both literally and metaphorically as she gets into stand-up. As we see her frequently absorb the impact of how other people view her body in relation to their own perceptions, it’s heartwarming to see her grow in confidence.

Huge thanks to Random House Children’s Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for this honest review. “Ambrosia Lee Drops the Mic” releases on 4.28.26 and this is one I am definitely recommending!

#bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookreview #bookrecs #netgalley

[Laura Duarte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

This book was SO GOOD!! I enjoyed every second of Ambrosia’s new path. I can’t wait to introduce this book to our students!!