Title: You Should See Me in a CrownAuthor: Leah Johnson
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Hardcover, 328 Pages
Published June 2020
Hardcover, 328 Pages
Published June 2020
Summary: Liz Lighty has always believed she's too black, too poor, too awkward to shine in her small, rich, prom-obsessed midwestern town. But it's okay -- Liz has a plan that will get her out of Campbell, Indiana, forever: attend the uber-elite Pennington College, play in their world-famous orchestra, and become a doctor. But when the financial aid she was counting on unexpectedly falls through, Liz's plans come crashing down . . . until she's reminded of her school's scholarship for prom king and queen. There's nothing Liz wants to do less than endure a gauntlet of social media trolls, catty competitors, and humiliating public events, but despite her devastating fear of the spotlight she's willing to do whatever it take to get to Pennington. The only thing that makes it halfway bearable is the new girl in school, Mack. She's smart, funny, and just as much of an outsider as Liz. But Mack is also in the running for queen. Will falling for the competition keep Liz from her dreams . . . or make them come true?
I had heard nothing but good things about this book when people had been reading ARCs and talking about it so highly, so of course as soon as my paycheck hit my account a few weeks ago, I knew that I definitely wanted a copy. We'd been following Leah Johnson on Twitter for quite some time, and she just seems like such an awesome, hilarious person, and I was really eager to give her a book a try. And let me say, I'm honestly so glad that I did, because I absolutely LOVED this book and can't wait to talk about it. So without further ado, let's get into my review!
As the summary explains, all Liz Lighty wants is to graduate from her high school and go to her dream college, Pennington, to follow in her late mother's footsteps. But she isn't expecting not to get into the music program she'd be gunning for -- which means she can't afford to go to Pennington at all. That is, until she realizes that if she's crowned prom queen, the crown comes with a scholarship that could make all of her dreams come true. There are only a few problems with that -- for starters, Liz hates the spotlight in all forms and is barely social at school, let alone social enough to win prom queen. And she maaaaaaay also be developing a crush on the competition. Which makes for a very, very interesting race filled with secrets, surprises, and all of the feels.
I absolutely loved reading this book. Through all of Liz's antics with her campaign and trying to sort her feelings out and doing everything she can to get to Pennington, so much drama ensues on so many different fronts that I definitely don't want to spoil for you -- all I can say is that some parts are hilarious, some are shocking, some are scary, and some are just downright ridiculous. Leah Johnson really manages to capture the chaos of prom season in a whole new way that I'd never heard about or experienced before -- and I used to think that MY high school was obsessed with prom! That definitely pales in comparison to all of Campbell's antics, that's for sure. It made for a really interesting read that I tore through and couldn't put down from start to finish.
My favorite characters in this book were definitely Jordan and Amanda. They were both really great characters that were really fleshed out and they were sweet and supportive in their own ways. (I'm trying to avoid spoilers, here!) The way Jordan plays the role of such a supportive best friend even through all of the craziness, and the way things develop between Liz and Amanda and all of the complications and secrets and surprises that come along with it, all made for a really great book that I absolutely loved reading.
Overall, I absolutely loved YOU SHOULD SEE ME IN A CROWN. I thought that it was such a delightful book that I clung to from the beginning until the very end, always wanted to be tapped into the drama just like as if it were Campbell Confidential. It was such a sweet, funny, interesting read and the book itself isn't that large so it was really easy to breeze through. If you're looking for a new author to support, I'd absolutely recommend buying a copy of this book and supporting Leah Johnson, because she's such an excellent writer that gave me ALL of the feels, and I can't wait to read whatever she comes out with next!
As the summary explains, all Liz Lighty wants is to graduate from her high school and go to her dream college, Pennington, to follow in her late mother's footsteps. But she isn't expecting not to get into the music program she'd be gunning for -- which means she can't afford to go to Pennington at all. That is, until she realizes that if she's crowned prom queen, the crown comes with a scholarship that could make all of her dreams come true. There are only a few problems with that -- for starters, Liz hates the spotlight in all forms and is barely social at school, let alone social enough to win prom queen. And she maaaaaaay also be developing a crush on the competition. Which makes for a very, very interesting race filled with secrets, surprises, and all of the feels.
I absolutely loved reading this book. Through all of Liz's antics with her campaign and trying to sort her feelings out and doing everything she can to get to Pennington, so much drama ensues on so many different fronts that I definitely don't want to spoil for you -- all I can say is that some parts are hilarious, some are shocking, some are scary, and some are just downright ridiculous. Leah Johnson really manages to capture the chaos of prom season in a whole new way that I'd never heard about or experienced before -- and I used to think that MY high school was obsessed with prom! That definitely pales in comparison to all of Campbell's antics, that's for sure. It made for a really interesting read that I tore through and couldn't put down from start to finish.
My favorite characters in this book were definitely Jordan and Amanda. They were both really great characters that were really fleshed out and they were sweet and supportive in their own ways. (I'm trying to avoid spoilers, here!) The way Jordan plays the role of such a supportive best friend even through all of the craziness, and the way things develop between Liz and Amanda and all of the complications and secrets and surprises that come along with it, all made for a really great book that I absolutely loved reading.
Overall, I absolutely loved YOU SHOULD SEE ME IN A CROWN. I thought that it was such a delightful book that I clung to from the beginning until the very end, always wanted to be tapped into the drama just like as if it were Campbell Confidential. It was such a sweet, funny, interesting read and the book itself isn't that large so it was really easy to breeze through. If you're looking for a new author to support, I'd absolutely recommend buying a copy of this book and supporting Leah Johnson, because she's such an excellent writer that gave me ALL of the feels, and I can't wait to read whatever she comes out with next!
Great review! I am hearing such great things about this book, its awesome! I just started listening to the audiobook today and already I am really enjoying it!
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