book blurb: comedic timing by upasna barath

thank you to 831 stories and NetGalley for the ARC!

☆☆☆☆☆

“I want to see people and I want them to see me. I think that is life”

"Comedic Timing" is an honest, messy, and incredibly well-written exploration of love, sexuality, and trauma. Naina, fresh off of her first breakup, is a New York City transplant with aspirations of being a writer. After an awkward first meeting at a house party, Naina starts a friendship with a mutual friend David. Their connection begins as largely intellectual as the two discuss internet cancel culture, morality, and trauma. Soon, Naina - who has only ever been attracted to women - begins to realize her romantic feelings towards David. What ensues is a poignant look at a developing relationship that I adored reading.

My only caveat with this book was some aspects of Naina's personality. She is highly reactive and tends to trauma dump on people she's known for less than a week. That being said, I grew to be a lot more empathetic towards her character after learning of her past. Naina is highly flawed, but aren't we all? Empathy is a large theme throughout this book and something that I find deeply important when exploring literature as a whole.

A major theme of this story, and the essay that Naina works on throughout it, is the vigilante culture that's emerged from the internet and the immortalization of one's worst moments. This stuck with me. Yes, Naina didn't come off as particularly likable in some moments, but this story is merely a vignette into her entire life. I loved the fact that Naina and David bonded over being creatives. Specifically, I loved the mention of comedy as an art form, which is a concept that I personally love to see acknowledged. I found this aspect of the storyline incredibly compelling.

Another concept that David brings up about empathy is how we apply archetypes to people. I think that this is applicable in almost any situation, but I found this particularly relevant to Naina's journey with queerness. Assigning archetypes to something as fluid and personal as sexuality is often highly counterproductive.

I think that Upasna Barath is absolutely a writer to watch out for in the future. Her voice is so distinct and her writing is masterful. She has her finger on the pulse and a shrewd understanding of what it means to be a young woman today.

Comedic Timing will be released on January 28th and is available for pre-order here.