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?

YOU SHOULD SEE ME IN A CROWN is the debut novel by Leah Johnson, and it’s a book that is definitely Having A Moment! I had seen so many folks raving about it over on Twitter, and I see it was recently chosen as the inaugural pick for Reese Witherspoon’s book club. And all this attention is so completely well earned, because this book is a goddamn treasure, and I adored it!

I’ve been reading more & more YA books over the last couple years, but YOU SHOULD SEE ME IN A CROWN is probably the first true romantic comedy I’ve read. I’ve really loved the TO ALL THE BOYS… movies on Netflix, and so I thought why not read some books in the same genre!

This is the story of Liz Lighty, a teenager in Indiana. As a queer, Black kid who struggles with anxiety & is the star of the band, she doesn’t necessarily “fit in” at her school where people are primarily focused on prom.

Like…obsessively focused on prom.

I mean, her high school has band & football & all the other typical things you’d expect in an American high school, but Campbell High School is All About Prom. To the point where a cash prize is awarded to the king & queen. A cash prize that becomes too hard to ignore when Liz’s band scholarship she was counting on falls through & she finds herself in a desperate situation. College is her way out. Now what?

Lucky for Liz, she has a tight-knit group of friends who rally around her, determined to help her become prom queen so she can win the money she needs. Of course their whole plan starts to go awry when Liz starts crushing hard on the new girl in school, Mack.

Oof…this book had me feeling FEELINGS! There’s just so much to love about this book, not the least of which is Liz’s portrayal as someone who suffers from anxiety. And it’s not just a quick aside about Liz, it’s really a big part of her life, and watching her struggle through it & find ways to thrive was pretty special.

The book also takes a pretty hard look at the impact of social media, as Liz’s school actually has its own unique platform where people find the minutiae of their lives causally dissected by the student body. Yikes!

From the second Mack awkwardly walked onto the page, this book had my whole entire heart. There’s a lot going on between Liz & Mack, but their overall vibe was such a delight. Just two excitable & passionate people geeking out over music and milkshakes, and…yeah. Oof.

There are also moments in this book that I found hysterically funny. Times when it felt like Johnson kind of let loose a little bit, and embraced a more bonkers style of humor. The powder puff football scene in particular was just brilliant & super vivid…this book is DYING to be adapted into a movie & I can’t wait to see this scene come to life!

YOU SHOULD SEE ME IN A CROWN just feels righteous & celebratory and all kinds of awesome. Liz’s life is very difficult, and she’s experienced tremendous loss & grief. But she finds so much joy in this story and it was just beautiful. This book is an absolute gem, and I can’t wait to see what Leah Johnson does next!