Katherine Ryan is an audacious, fiery and hilarious comedian and The Audacity tells her story of how she became one of Britain’s leading comedians. She covers her life from waitressing at Hooters, to reality show contestant and office worker, to sold-out comedy shows at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, worldwide Netflix specials and a dramedy show.

Ryan writes in an honest, raw, bold and yet cheeky way. It’s a good mix of serious and confronting, as well as being light-hearted and funny. She packs a lot in as she shares her difficult and abusive relationships, her struggles with pregnancy, the murder of one of her close friends and the reality of being a female comedian. She has a love for tiny (and incredibly expensive) dogs and even became Miss Hooters Toronto. In between her stories of plastic surgery, marrying her high school boyfriend and growing up in small-town Canada, she still manages to include insightful, meaningful and intelligent discussions about society, culture and inequity. I found I learnt more and thought deeper than I expected to, but definitely laughed as much as I thought I would.

The Audacity is a quick and easy read, a perfect weekend book. Ryan is delightful, sharp and funny, balancing nicely the serious and hilarious.

Reviewed by Amber Sawyer

Follow Katherine Ryan on Instagram