You Should See Me in a Crown
Ratings63
Average rating4
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!
So good! So good! So good! I loved the writing style. Adding this author to my follow list.
And I know then what I've always known: Campbell is never going to make a space for me to fit. I'm going to have to demand it.
I LOVED this book! It made me laugh, it made me cry. This was well written story of friendship and family. I felt like all characters were well developed and felt like I was watching Liz grow in person.
i really wanted to love this but the first 100 pages is so cheesy.... the last half feels like a completely different book. i think i'm just tired of main characters getting outed
i'll definitely pick up anything else leah johnson writes though!
3.5 stars! very fun, super cute, nothing mindblowing though. liz is a very likable character and i really admired her perseverance and all her friendships in the book. def recommend for a quick emotional read :))
This is just the cutest thing! Such a great nerdy, queer, sweet story and a super quick read. Definitely recommend.
Liz doesn't fit in her small-town midwestern school, there's no doubt about it. She is black, queer, poor, and at the top of her class of a ultra-rich, elite high school. When her plan to get a scholarship for college of her dreams doesn't work out, she bravely decides to run for prom queen to win the $10,000 scholarship it comes with. She and her friends hatch a strategy (complete with data analytics) to get her to the top. Complete with a homophobic mean girl, best friends who betray you, old friends reunited, and first love—this is a great story for teens. The writing has that corny, cringey teen movie vibe, but, let's be honest, that's what we want from these kind of books.
This was a delight!! An incredibly sweet and funny queer rom-com that includes serious issues like homophobia, family illness, and racism without becoming an “issue book.”
This is SO fun and charming!! And tho I'm not Black or queer it still felt very relatable in terms of like Midwestern misfit vibes. Also I waffled on 4 or 5 stars but in the end awarded a bonus star for Steak n Shake trip.