“I’ve never felt quite like this though. Like I don’t know if I’m running away from something or to it. All I know is that I’m tired, so incredibly tired, of having to run at all.”
You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson brings forth classic prom shenanigans – with a twist. Campbell is a small-but-rich town in Indiana with a larger-than-life obsession with prom. Liz Lighty is the complete opposite of most of the residents: black, poor, awkward and (although she’s not out yet) queer. She’s got a great plan to get her out of Campbell, involving admission to an elite college and becoming a hematologist. The one last thing to set her on her path to the future is a scholarship, which unfortunately falls through. Liz needs that money, or she won’t be able to enroll at Pennington College next year, which is when her brother reminds her of the one benefit that may arise from this prom-madness of their town: a scholarship for her high school’s prom king and queen. Under no circumstance would Liz wish herself to be subject to constant limelight and scrutiny, but she needs the aid or her plans will fall apart. Undertone racism, a way-too-involved student body, and cruel contenders who have the status, money, and popularity to drown Liz make themselves known. It’s going to be a disaster, but with the support of her odd-ball friends and family, tentative friends, both new and renewed, and a cute girl who Liz can’t seem to turn away from, this year’s prom may not be as bad as she thinks it will be. It just might be even better.
“Granny is human, and so was my mother, and so am I. We are not above mistakes, not stronger than death, but we sure know how to love. Even if it isn’t always perfect, especially when it’s a little messy, we know how to love one another fiercely. With everything we have.”
Johnson delivers an honest story of a black girl trying to achieve her dreams. It’s happy and sad and messy and relatable. Liz is beautifully written, an intelligent girl with anxiety who learns throughout the book to be the brave, bold, beautiful young person she is. Her father is out of the picture, her mother died of the same illness her brother has, she’s been raised by her grandparents with not nearly the same amount of wealth the majority of the town has, but she learns to soar. Every aspect of her character, from her musical talent to her interests to her mental illness is carefully portrayed, and so very relatable. The other featuring characters, such as Gabi, Jordan, and Mack are wonderfully crafted to be real people. These kids on the cusp of adulthood make mistakes, hurt others and themselves, but they get back up and dust themselves off. Liz’s story is at the forefront, a lovely tale of young love and personal growth, but every character sees a little bit of change themselves. They challenge an unfair institution, laugh and cry, hurt and heal, and they grow up. Painfully relatable and true, this novel is the tale of a young woman figuring out how to leave her mark on the world, a young woman who learns to stand with her shoulders back and her head high, her crown shining for all the world to see.
“I kiss her with everything I have. Like I’ll never kiss her again. Because this is real, we finally made it to this place, and it’s better than any fairy tale. Because I’m done letting people stop me. Because here, always, we deserve this good thing.”
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