My heart often hurt for Liz, because she’s so good at expressing how she feels like an outsider. Luckily her friends are there for her, with style advice, parents that own a print shop, and an algorithm to stay on top of Liz’s standing in the race. If Liz is going to make it from invisible to part of the prom court within three weeks, she’s going to need some major help. Some of the boys in her school make elaborate ceremonies of their promposals (my new favourite portmanteau, for prom + proposal), even going so far as to include a musical number. Liz compares the level of fanaticism to football in Texas. Of course, if she tells them she didn’t get financial aid, they WILL sell the house, so the prom scholarship is the answer to her prayers. Liz and her brother live with their grandparents, and while they’re all getting by just fine, there’s no way her grandparents can cover the gap in funding for college without selling their house.

This book totally delivered because I adore Liz Lighty, her journey, and how everything turns out for her.Īs the blurb says, You Should See Me in a Crown is about Liz going outside of her comfort zone to run for prom queen so she can win a scholarship.

or make them come true?Īwkward, Black, queer girl finding love while trying to become prom queen? Oh yes, please. Will falling for the competition keep Liz from her dreams. But Mack is also in the running for queen. She’s smart, funny, and just as much of an outsider as Liz. The only thing that makes it halfway bearable is the new girl in school, Mack. 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. 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.īut 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. Liz Lighty has always believed she’s too black, too poor, too awkward to shine in her small, rich, prom-obsessed midwestern town. Then I read the blurb and knew I had to have it. The first time I saw this cover, I fell in love.

You should see me in a crown novel