You Should See Me in a Crown (novel) explained

You Should See Me in a Crown
Author:Leah Johnson
Country:United States
Language:English
Genre:Young Adult
Media Type:Print Hardcover
Pages:336 (Hardcover edition)
Isbn:9781338503265
Website:https://www.byleahjohnson.com/
Pub Date:June 2, 2020
Oclc:1111972556
Publisher:Scholastic Press

You Should See Me in a Crown is a debut young adult novel by Leah Johnson,[1] published by Scholastic in June 2020. The book was given a Stonewall Book honor,[2] and TIME magazine named it one of the best 100 young adult books of all time.[3]

The novel follows Liz Lighty, who hatches a plan to leave the "small, rich, prom-obsessed midwestern town" she lives in because she feels "too black, too poor, too awkward" to live her best life there.[4] [5] [6] [7]

Plot

Liz Lighty longs to leave her hometown of Campbell, Indiana and makes plans to start a new life at the elite Pennington College, where she aims to join their world-renowned orchestra and study to become a doctor. Liz hopes to enroll at Pennington with the help of financial aid but when the aid suddenly becomes unavailable, she reluctantly decides to join a contest at her high school which awards scholarships to the prom king and queen.

Even though Liz is afraid of being the center of attention, fears the possibility of being trolled on social media, and dislikes public events, she is fueled by the desire to follow her dream of attending Pennington College. When Liz finds herself falling for her prom queen competition, the bright and witty Mack, she is caught between the excitement of a new crush and the risk of losing a scholarship.[8]

Publication history

Reception

On its release, You Should See Me in a Crown received positive reviews and temporarily sold out across various retailers. Publishers Weekly included the novel in its Children's Institute 2020: Indies Introduce Debut Authors list, Forbes profiled it during Pride month 2020, and Time cited it as a fiction book that can contribute to anti-racism work through storytelling that centers Black people.[9] [10] [11] [12] Goodreads included it in its list of Popular Queer Young Adult Fiction list for June 2020 calling it "a self-love anthem for queer black girls everywhere."

Accolades for You Should See Me in a Crown!Year!Accolade!Result!Ref.
TIME's 100 Best Young Adult Books of All TimeSelection
2020Kirkus Reviews' Best Books of 2020Selection[13]
Goodreads Choice Award for Young Adult FictionNominee[14]
2021Stonewall Book AwardHonor Book[15]
YALSA's Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult ReadersTop Ten[16] [17]
YALSA's Best Fiction for Young AdultsSelection[18]

References

  1. Web site: Oldfield . Kate . 2020-08-10 . Leah Johnson on rom-coms, black queer representation and You Should See Me in a Crown . 2024-07-08 . United By Pop . en-US.
  2. Web site: 2021-01-25. ALA announces 2021 Youth Media Awards. 2021-01-25. News and Press Center. en.
  3. The 100 Best YA Books of All Time. 2021-12-21. Time. en.
  4. Web site: Meet the Authors of June's Popular Queer Young Adult Fiction. 2020-06-13. Goodreads.
  5. Book: You Should See Me in a Crown. 2020-06-02. 978-1-338-50326-5. en. Johnson. Leah. Scholastic Press .
  6. Web site: Gerike. Lydia. 'Black joy is at the heart of' author and Indianapolis native Leah Johnson's YA novel. 2020-07-15. The Indianapolis Star. en-US.
  7. Web site: Thomad . Summer . 14 February 2021 . Author Leah Johnson On Being Young, Black, Queer And In Love . 8 July 2024 . npr.
  8. Web site: Duster . Chandelis . 2023-11-03 . This bestselling author’s book was challenged in schools. So she opened a store for banned books . 2024-07-08 . CNN . en.
  9. Web site: Bussel. Rachel Kramer. 5 LGBTQ Authors On The Inspiration Behind Their Young Adult And Middle Grade Books. 2020-07-15. Forbes. en.
  10. Web site: Children's Institute 2020: Indies Introduce Debut Authors. 2020-07-15. www.publishersweekly.com.
  11. Web site: Spring 2020 Flying Starts: Leah Johnson. 2020-07-15. www.publishersweekly.com.
  12. Reading Anti-Racist Nonfiction Is a Start. But Don't Underestimate the Power of Black Fiction. 2020-07-15. Time.
  13. Web site: March 25, 2020. You Should See Me in a Crown. 2021-12-21. Kirkus Reviews.
  14. Web site: You Should See Me in a Crown. 2021-12-21. Goodreads.
  15. Web site: April 16, 2021. You Should See Me in a Crown Awards & Grants. 2021-12-21. American Library Association.
  16. Web site: 2021-01-05. 2021 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers. 2021-12-21. Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). en.
  17. Web site: 2021-01-05. 2021 Top Ten Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers. 2021-12-21. Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). en.
  18. Web site: NGILBERT. 2021-01-14. 2021 Best Fiction for Young Adults. 2021-12-21. Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). en.

External links

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