You Should See Me in a Crown
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Average rating4
A TIME Magazine Best YA Book of All Time A Stonewall Honor Book A Reese's Book Club YA Pick 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 takes 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?
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DNF. There are these weird little info dumps that could so easily have been avoided. And the way new characters are introduced leaves me confused... shifting names, two characters at once, too much backstory, ugh. I was so stoked for this plot-wise but my hand itched to get out the blue pencil.
This BOOK, oh my god. I read the last 10% with a massive grin on my face, it was just so delightful and perfect and sweet. I love how well the characters are defined, even the minor ones like Quinn or Jaxon, I love Liz's brother and grandparents, everyone in this book is so well-written and realistic-feeling - the antagonist is a little flatter, but I'm okay with that, honestly. I don't need a big helping of empathy for her, considering how she treats Liz. Content warnings here: homophobia, forced outing, racism (verbal, no slurs that I recall), deceased parent (before book starts), chronic illness
I don't know if I have much more to say about this book, except even if this doesn't seem like your thing, you should still read it. It was so much fun and just what everyone needs in the middle of These Uncertain Times. It will clear your skin, water your crops, and bake you a delicious cake.
(2020 summer romance bingo: “protagonist plays an instrument that's not guitar or piano,” would also work for “cover has a large piece of jewelry” if you count drawn-on crowns, and for “debut novel.”)
Really well written and believable, with a few laugh-out-loud lines. As a Midwesterner, Johnson nailed the Indiana setting/atmosphere to the wall, it was so right. Liz felt like a real teenager, and all the secondary characters had nuance and depth. This book is light-hearted enough to sell to romance or prom fans, but has enough grit to also sell to fans of drama/realistic stories. Queer and intersectional in such a loving and supportive way, with an #ownvoices author who hits it out of the park for a first book. Snarkily - this is what Smash It wanted to be - definitely hand kids this instead!
