You Should See Me in a Crown - Book Review

You Should See Me in a Crown
by Leah Johnson

What is it about:
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?

What did I think of it:
This book was even more fun than I had hoped.

I was a bit afraid that there would be an enemies to lovers romance in this book as Liz falls for the competition, but luckily this was not the case. There are some other serious issues being explored, like changing friendships, mean girls, and more, but even with those this book was a fun and fluffy read, that tackled the serious issues in a really good way.

I loved Liz and her family. They were there for each other and supportive. Something that seems to be rare in contemporary YA.

I very much enjoyed reading about the whole prom elections. It's not something that is done here (or at least not wen I was in school) so it always feels so foreign and glamorous. I was hooked from the start and was rooting for Liz to succeed and for her to get together with Mack.

Of course there are some moments I was thinking Liz is making things much too complicated for herself, but it never got to the point of it being annoying or unbelievable.

All in all a wonderful and sweet Contemporary YA read, that I'll definitely put on my keeper shelves.

Why should you read it:
It's super fun and sweet.


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