You Should See Me In A Crown is a f/f romance contemporary. There’s drama, friendship, racism and homophobia involved in this prom themed story.

Warning, trigger warnings may contain spoilers:

trigger warnings: death of a parent (off-page), loved ones with chronic illness, racism, homophobia, bullying, illness, mental illness (panic and anxiety attacks), vomiting

Introduction To You Should See Me In A Crown

Liz Lighty has never fitted in her small, rich town. So getting a scholarship to attend college, play in the orchestra and become a doctor is all part of her plan to leave.

Except that doesn’t work out. But plan B includes running for prom Queen to get a school scholarship.

It’s definitely not for Liz, but there’s always a positive. The new girl Mack, seems smart and fun. Except she’s also running for prom Queen.

The Plot Of You Should See Me In A Crown

I absolutely adored this book!! It made me laugh with all the pop culture references, and get emotional because of all the injustices BIPOC and queer people have to go through. Usually with contemporary books, I find that they can be a bit unrealistic especially within a high school setting. However, You Should See Me In A Crown is an exception for sure! So many important messages were expressed in this book and the representation for both BIPOC, mental health and disability makes my heart so happy. This is the diverse representation we need and others deserve.

The romance isn’t the main plot and I’m not mad about that at all. Instead, readers watch as Lizzy discovers herself and becomes proud of her identity and won’t be silent anymore. I appreciated how the conflict in this book wasn’t always aimed towards Liz’s sexuality too. Also, this book continued to break stereotypes in so many ways! The panic attacks in this book were written so well, also showing that Black people can feel pain and that mental health should really be taken seriously.

I think what I loved most about this book was how realistic it is. It wasn’t too mean girl or too cliquey. The conflicts were solved by the characters in ways that often put them or other characters in a difficult position. And when characters had problems with each other, not everyone in their school knew because it’s not their business and high school isn’t always what the media portrays.

Characters Of You Should See Me In A Crown

The characters in this book made me feel so wholesome. Lizzy is positive, smart and so relatable! I love her wit and sarcasm and her determination to succeed in life despite having everything against her. She’s authentic and strong, yet carrying sensitivity with her head held high.

The playful banter between her and Mack was adorable! They both crush on each other hard and their issues between them were solved so maturely!

Mack is bold, fun and so outgoing! I appreciated how she understood that Lizzy couldn’t be as out there for her own sexuality. She stood up for Lizzy on multiple occasions and is a perfect example of being an ally for BLM.

Also, platonic friendships between a girl and a boy- it’s a yes from me! Jordan was such a supportive friend and helped Lizzy a lot, especially when dealing with her family and mental health.

Lastly, from Lizzy’s family to the “mean girls”, everyone was developed so well and there was more to them then a stereotype. Lizzy had such a close bond with her family and she treated her brother right despite others not. A lot of the time families are absent in books, so I appreciated this!

Conclusion Of You Should See Me In A Crown

Overall a five star read! I can’t wait for more people to pick up this book and find themselves represented. I only really have minor issues about a certain character, but that wasn’t enough for me to lower my rating. Also the audiobook experience was amazing! The narrator was fantastic and I definitely found myself laughing at loud too.

I’d love to know if you have any recommendations for other books which seem similar to this one! Also, your thoughts if you’ve read this book!

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