You Should See Me in a Crown

Written by Leah Johnson

Narrated by Alaska Jackson

Becky Albertalli meets Jenny Han in a smart, hilarious, black girl magic, own voices rom-com by a staggeringly talented new writer.

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?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Scholastic Audio Books
• Release date: Jun 2, 2020
• ISBN: 9781338637618

Leah Johnson

Leah Johnson (she/her) is an eternal midwesterner and author of award-winning books for children and young adults. Her bestselling debut YA novel, You Should See Me in a Crown, was a Stonewall Honor Book, the inaugural Reese's Book Club YA pick, and in 2021, named by TIME as one of the 100 Best Young Adult Books of All Time. She is also the author of the critically acclaimed middle grade novel, Ellie Engle Saves Herself, and the editor of the USA Today bestselling anthology, Black Girl Power. When she’s not writing, you can find her at Loudmouth Books, her Indianapolis-based independent bookstore that specializes in highlighting the work of marginalized authors and uplifting banned or challenged books.

Reviews for You Should See Me in a Crown

[Lydia Carr · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

So many great elements! But lacking in a lot of places too, unfortunately. I was so hyped for this book, and that cover is GOALS. Look how pretty! And it's own voices! I loved the queer rep, the Black rep, the anxiety rep - but I found that the storyline felt a bit shallow, and so did the relationships. All of the secondary characters felt flat and undeveloped, and I didn't buy the Liz/Amanda romance. Maybe because I read it on audio, I don't know.

[Maria Alice Brandão · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This story is amazing and really heart warming, I highly recommend! The main character is extremely intelligent and funny, and adorable! She is black and queer, which makes the message extremely important, and she share really good points about prejudice and things in our society that should be questioned more often.

[Julia Vinyard · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

this book was so sweet and made me cry like an insane person everyone should read it

[bianca pereira · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

So cute and so beautiful. Get to know Liz was amazing and made my day. Hope to hold this feeling for a while cause I'm in need of cute love between two girls and friendship in his maximum all over the book.

[Bianca Montierro · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love, love, it! The narration, the plot, everything... was just so heartwarming to read. By the end, I wanted to bawl out loud because Liz Lighty deserves all the good things. This book was pure joy in a nutshell.

(Although I had to finish it on an e-reader. Why is it missing a chapter, Scribd?)

[Kayla Pratt · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ohhhhh! I LOVED this. It was uber cute. I love that it addressed more than form of discrimination but it didn't consume the story.

[Courtney · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ahhhh!! I loved this so much!!! Honestly, one of the most beautiful books i’ve read!

[Chloe Pope · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was so freakin adorable, I loved everything about it.

The narrator for the audiobook was amazing too!

[Iris · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

THIS. WAS. THE. CUTEST. THING. EVER. I laughed, I cried, I swooned . . . and wow I would do literally anything for Liz Lighty. Also I listened to this in two days, and I don't DO that, audiobooks take me weeks, even the short ones

[Shannon Dyer · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is exactly the kind of book I would’ve wanted to read as a teenager. It’s serious without being depressing, humorous without being over-the-top or silly, and so incredibly poignant! Whether you are a young adult or not, please pick this up at your earliest convenience.

[Brogan Lane · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A light, fun read about a f/f teenage relationship and friendship

[Ekene Ogbue · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was the literal definition of sugar, spice, and everything nice. This was such a good read

[Yna Gabrinao · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of the best books I've read this year! Gave me such a warm happy feeling at the end.

[Ana Marques · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book was very cute and a great queer story.
I would recommend

[Alexandra Nae · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

THIS JUST ADDED 10 YEARS TO MY LIFETIME.

This was so good! So cute and wholesome and full of fluff. Showed the importance and beauty of friendships, of family, of young love. There are also great character developments, especially the main character's. And this was also so damn relatable! Honestly, this book is just perfect. Kudos to the author, and of course, the narrator (who did a pretty great job!)!

[ArabellaYoung · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is queer joy in abundance. It’ll make you laugh, cry, and hope for the world to keep on becoming a better place.

[Kelsea Comb · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Beautiful. Def. Worth a read, especially for a young adult. Love the black representation.

[Cari Barnes · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Enjoyed the book, highly recommend to anyone looking for a light and fun read

[Amanda K-H Y.E Anka · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Um, I wasn’t sure I liked the story till I got to the tail end of the book. Liz Lighty is a phenomenal character, she definitely lived up to her dreams. I recommend!

[Emaleigh Pightling · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I loved this story.

I love that you are essentially reading an episode of Glee, but instead of fighting for the lead solo, Liz is fighting for Prom Queen.

The mistakes everybody makes are so human and relatable, even though I finished secondary school over a decade ago, I know lots of my friends STILL make these kinds of mistakes.

I adore Mac and Stone. Mac is the cool girl I've always aspired to be and Stone is just my mum! Haha.

If you want an uplifting, inclusive, relatable, queer story, this is definitely one for you.

[Lauren / Love Yo Shelf · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Joyous and heartwarming, this is easily one of my favorite books of the year, made all the more special due to a truly fantastic narrator.

[Lateefat azeez · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

How strong liz is and how people helped her
Thank you for reading it

[Amy Sutherland · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Such a breathtaking and heart warming book!! I loved it from start to finish!

[blue · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

i really like it! it was so well done!!! highly recommend

[Victoria Edelsbrunner · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A nice story about high school, campaigning against injustice and the value of friends.

[Ravine Taylor · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Absolutely gorgeous book, delightfully deep and humorous; great narration! ?

[Nas · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a really cute fast-paced book that still gave you the satisfaction of a slower burn. I’m all for a poc sapphic story but I really loved how this one included the struggles of sickle cell disease. I’m so glad I finally took this off my tbr and read it!

[Nuclear Caribou · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was masterfully done. This book was so elegant and wholesome. The author manages to talk about serious topics in a way that blends with the story. The characters feel real and their development is really interesting. I really loved it so much. I'm sad it is over now.

[Jane · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Boring. Nothing special, interesting or original. I don't recommend. Waste of time. Nevertheless the narrator did a great job - this is the only plus of this audiobook.

[David Maxell · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book so much! Such a great read!