Bibliographic Information:
Title: You Should See Me in a Crown
Author: Leah Johnson
ASIN: B0868WKW76
Publisher: Scholastic Audiobooks
Release Date: June 2, 2020
Narrator: Alaska Jackson
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Romance, Realistic Fiction
Awards: Stonewall Honor Book, the inaugural Reese’s Book Club YA pick, named a best book of the year by Amazon, Kirkus, Marie Claire, Publishers Weekly, and New York Public Library, and one of TIME’s 100 Best Young Adult Books of All Time in 2021 (Johnson, n.d.)
Reading Level: Ages 14+ (Kirkus, 2020)
Plot Summary: Liz Lighty couldn’t care less about prom, even if it is the social event of the year in her small Indiana town. But when she fails to get a $10,000 scholarship for her dream college, and the prom queen gets an equivalent amount, it seems like something worth considering. Her friends band together to make her party-ready, but it’s not an easy path. And when the competition is as varied as her ex-best friend Jordan, who dropped her like a hot rock when they started high school, and the infectiously charming new girl, Mack, who’s as talented on the drums as Liz is on the clarinet. But what do you do when you HAVE to win the crown, but you live in a close-minded small town and you’re black, you’re queer, and you have a crush on the competition?
Author Background: Leah Johnson knows whereof she speaks. Born and raised in Indiana, she is intimately aware of Midwestern small-town high school dynamics. She has an MFA in fiction writing from Sarah Lawrence College, and writes essays and criticism in addition to middle grade and YA fiction. She currently lives in Brooklyn, “amongst amongst every other struggling writer” (Johnson, n.d., para. 2).
Critical Evaluation: This book takes the classic prom romance and twists it in a delightful way. The characters are nuanced and complex, adding depth to what could be a cliched, straightforward story. Johnson grapples thoughtfully with various social dynamics (trying to fit in, friends urging Liz to change who she is, broken and mended friendships, and being a proud gay Black teen in a place where neither is celebrated). Liz’s mother died from Sickle Cell Anemia, and her younger brother also suffers from it, adding an extra dose of reality and yet another way Liz has extra burdens that she shoulders gracefully. Thompson’s writing is both thoughtful and funny, and her pacing is swift, making this an easy but satisfying tale. Alaska Johnson’s narration does the story justice. While she doesn’t do unique voices for every single character, I rarely found myself confused and quickly picked up when she was reciting text messages rather than dialogue. Her warm and wry voice perfectly matched Liz’s narrative style, making this an excellent book to listen to. Kirkus Review (March 25, 2020) called it “the queer prom romance you didn’t know you needed,” but I suspect there are many young queer readers who knew it was exactly what they needed; everyone else will enjoy it too.
Creative Use for a Library Program: Given that prom is a fixture at nearly every high school (though most don’t take it nearly as seriously as Campbell High), this would lend itself well to a mini-prom party. Participants can dress up, cast ballots for king and queen, and have a dance party with food and drink. (This would require a fairly engaged teen community as there’s nothing lonelier than a three-person prom, so sign-ups should be required to gauge interest, and if there is a YA Steering Committee, they should be involved in planning the event.) The Free Library (2014) suggests a themed prom party that appeals to both genders and encourages silly costumes, like “Zombie Prom” or “Geek Prom.”
Speed-Round Book Talk: Liz Lighty cares more about music and becoming a doctor than being popular. But when the prom scholarship is all that stands between her and her dream college, she decides to attempt the impossible and win that crown. Will she have to hide everything that she is to win?
Potential Challenge Issues and Defense Preparation: While there’s nothing inappropriate in the story, the fact that Liz is Black and queer may raise red flags for some people in some places. It is on a list of challenged books for 2020 (ALA, n.d.). However, given that this is a high-school aged book, I would feel very comfortable arguing that it’s an important representation, and its popularity and inclusion on many, many recommendation lists mean that I would have plenty of support to back it up.
Reason for Inclusion: I included this audiobook because it’s a straightforward queer romance. While it doesn’t shy away from heavier topics (chronic illness, discrimination), it’s fun and romantic and is a wonderful addition to the YA romance genre. The audiobook doesn’t have extra bells and whistles (like multiple cast members), the production quality and the narration are excellent, making it a good choice for those who prefer to listen rather than read.
Fun Fact: The book title was inspired by the Billie Eilish song (Johnson, n.d-b.):
References
ALA (n.d.) Banned books list 2020. Retrieved from https://www.oif.ala.org/oif/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/BannedBooksList2020.pdf
Free Library, The (2014). Host a library prom! Retrieved from https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Host+a+library+prom!-a0424529621
Johnson, Leah. (n.d-a.). About. Retrieved from https://www.byleahjohnson.com/about
Johnson, Leah. (n.d-b.). @byleahjohnson. Retrieved from https://www.instagram.com/byleahjohnson/
Johnson, Leah. (2020). You should see me in a crown. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc.
Kirkus (March 25, 2020). You should see me in a crown [review]. Retrieved from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/leah-johnson/you-should-see-me-in-a-crown/
YALSA (2021). 2021 Amazing audiobooks for young adults. Retrieved from https://www.ala.org/yalsa/2021-amazing-audiobooks-young-adults
Leave a Reply