Reviews tagging 'Cancer'

You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson

12 reviews

avacadosocks's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.25


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laurenfro22's review against another edition

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emotional funny inspiring
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

"I never needed this race, or a hashtag, or the king to be a queen. I was born royalty. All I had to do was pick up my crown."

Of the contemporary YA books I've read, this is certainly my favorite. Johnson does a fantastic job getting the reader into the headspace of a queer, Black, teenage girl navigating high school and the looming transition into college. The characters are vibrant and I could feel the immediacy of their struggles. High school is often a lot of small fish feeling big in an even smaller pond. Johnson captures those weird interpersonal struggles, cliques, hopes, dreams, and heartbreaks in a way that feels real and true to the high school experiences.
 

The scenes of conflict, particularly about Liz's queerness, were very stressful. Especially being outed so publicly; high schoolers can be awful and as painful as that was to read about, it felt realistic. Johnson's depiction of Liz and Mac's push and pull, young love, breakup, and reunion is classic, and wonderfully specifically queer. The book has a good message and great characters delivering that message. 
 

I think some folks may see the story as cringe-y or struggle to get into it - I think it's not for everyone. As someone who came out later in life, this is a book I wish I had in high school, a story where I could see my emotions and tumult reflected back to know I wasn't alone. Despite the story being centered around prom and its lead up, I appreciated the depth Johnson gave to her plot through her side characters and the clear importance of music, discussions around mental health, and very frank examination of intersectionality.

This is well worth the read. It is a feel good YA novel with heartbreak and love, bravery and growth, and deserves every golden crown.

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brookey8888's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This was so cute. Sometimes you just gotta read a cute diverse romance/contemporary. 
I honestly loved all the topics discussed and all the different relationships. I felt like that was really relatable(the friendships). I thought the romance was super cute and it wasn’t the center of the story. This is mostly just a story about a black lesbian coming into herself and being more confident, which I just love and am happy there are stories like this. 

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astoryofpages's review against another edition

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emotional funny inspiring lighthearted relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I really enjoyed this reading! The plot goes beyond a simple competition to become prom queen. I had a great deal of empathy for Liz, whose adventure is even harder because she is a queer girl of colour. It also made me aware of the difficulty for young Americans to continue higher education, especially because of the price to pay (we have much more financial help in France). It was the first time I read a contemporary, and I loved it! I loved the way it was read (audiobook), I really had the feeling Liz was sitting next to me to tell me her story. I think it's a perfect book for summer ☀️

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thetealdeal's review

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4.0


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lennie_reads's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5


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zombiezami's review against another edition

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emotional funny inspiring lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0


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elinmln's review

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emotional funny inspiring lighthearted sad medium-paced
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5


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competencefantasy's review

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adventurous emotional funny lighthearted relaxing fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

This is so much fun. I never thought anything could make me want to engage with football culture, but the events in this sounded like a hoot. There was also more serious content, especially in the MC's backstory than I anticipated and it really helped balance the book out.  All of the characters, even the minor ones really seemed to work. The ending really hit the level of cultural catharsis I didn't know I was hoping for, and there was a scene near the end with a teacher that had me yelling out loud with delight. Overall this is a really great romp, and I'm so glad I gave it a try. 

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leahlovesloslibros's review

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emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Liz Lighty never thought she'd run for prom queen. She's not exactly what most people would consider popular, and she definitely doesn't fit the stereotype for the gorgeous rich white girl who normally dons the crown at her upper-class Midwestern high school. Rather, she is a nerdy, average-looking black girl who is being raised by her middle-class grandparents, and who depends on a large scholarship if she's going to attend the prestigious music school of her dreams on the way to becoming a pathologist.

When her scholarship falls through, and the only way left for her to pay for college is to win the scholarship that comes along with being crowned prom queen, Liz is forced to put herself in the running. The new girl at school, Mack, is also in the running....and Liz is falling for her. Can she land both her dream school and her dream girl, or will she be forced to choose?

I found Liz to have many relatable qualities, at least for me personally. I was raised in a middle-class family where both of my parents worked and we depended on financial aid to help us through college, while many of my peers came from upper-class families that included a lot more privilege than I would ever know. Additionally, I was a total music nerd in high school, and never would've considered myself someone who would run for prom queen, much less actually win the title. Finally, I can remember so many of the feelings that came along with my first "real" (self-aware) girl crush and the relationship that followed; the dynamic between Liz and Mack bright up some nostalgic moments for me. Overall, I enjoyed not only the story, but the fact that the minorities fought for what they believed in, even when the school tried to shut them down.

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