Brief Synopsis
“You Should See Me in a Crown” is the debut novel by Leah Johnson. A young adult contemporary, YSSMiaC sees Liz Lighty as she attempts to escape her small Indiana town through the most unlikely method: winning Prom Queen so that she can be awarded a lucrative scholarship. There’s only one problem…she’s the exact opposite of what her town expects to be a Prom Queen.
Content Warnings: Anxiety, Bullying, Death (parental, past), Chronic Illness, Homophobia, Racism
What Do I Think?
I’m not going to lie: “You Should See Me in a Crown” is not my usual kind of book. I’m much more of a fantasy/sci-fi reader, and lately a lot of young adult novels have done nothing but bother me (hence why you don’t see me writing about them here). I picked it up because it had been left the teacher who had my classroom before and had heard good things about it. I went in with low expectations.
I was immediately blown away by just how charming YSSMiaC is. The protagonist’s voice is both very sarcastic and funny, but also very realistic and down-to-earth. In short, she actually sounds like a teenager. What a concept!
The plot is pretty simple: Liz needs to win Prom Queen in order to get a scholarship so she can attend her dream college. However, there are a number of complications that take the story in wild, humorous, and unexpected directions. There is excellent LGBTQ and chronic illness representation, and the story is simply full of heart. Yes, the characters go through a lot of bad things – there is a lot of hate involved – but they never seem to truly lose hope or give in to the discrimination that surrounds them.
Honestly, the thing I liked the most about this book is that it never seemed to fall into the trope that many YA books seem to lately, which is to say: drama for drama’s sake. Sure, there is plenty of drama to be had, but every time it is used to propel either the plot forward or develop the characters; it isn’t there just “for the vibes” as many people put it.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by this novel! If you’re a fan of contemporary romance, contemporary YA, or just want a light read full of charm, this is the book for you!
Jacob Ryckman 