e-ARC, 336 pages
Release Date: June 2, 2020
Published by: Scholastic Press
Read from: May 30- June 6, 2020
Stand-alone
Source: Edelweiss (I received a copy of this book from Edelweiss and the Publisher in exchange for a just and honest review. This did nothing to influence my review.)
TW: Panic Attacks, Anxiety, Homophobia, Death of a loved one, chronic illness in a family member, & Forced Public Outing
For fans of: Contemporary Romance, LGBTQ, Prom, Sparkly Covers, Realistic Fiction, YALiz Lighty has always believed she’s too black, too poor, too awkward to shine in her small, rich, prom-obsessed midwestern town. 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.
But 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. 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.
The only thing that makes it halfway bearable is the new girl in school, Mack. She’s smart, funny, and just as much of an outsider as Liz. But Mack is also in the running for queen. Will falling for the competition keep Liz from her dreams . . . or make them come true?
*MY THOUGHTS*
There is SO MUCH about this book that is wonderful! I cried, I felt seen, I laughed, all of it! So glad I could start Pride month with this read!
“When you already feel like everything about you makes you stand out, it just makes more sense to fins as many ways to blend in as you can.”“1%
Liz Lighty just knew she was going to get the band scholarship she worked so hard for and go off to college at her dream university. But things don’t go as planned and she has to make a back up plan. And that just so happens to be finding a way to become prom queen to get the scholarship that’s attached to it. But Prom is as big there as football is in Texas, and she’s so different from what everyone thinks should win. Can she pull it off? Or is this another chance to be disappointed?
“I’m nobody’s Prom Queen.”“7%
The number one thing about this book I loved was the diversity! I related so hard to Liz over the smallest things! Like what she put in her hair and the use of the word “fam,” and the bigger things like be yourself because you are enough. It may seem small, but I felt seen. This is the power of Own Voices. I felt really seen, so I can only imagine how the teens, who this was intended for, feel after reading it.
“There isn’t a day that goes by that doesn’t remind me just how bad my odds are in this place.”“7%
I loved their family as well. Granny was not there to play and Robbie was sweet. I would have liked to see more of Granny. I know she was working and trying to keep up with Liz and Robby, but I would have liked to see more of her and grandad.
“Remember: There are no real allies in war, only people who are valuable enough at the moment to delay the inevitable destruction they will eventually face at your own hands.”“13%
I did feel like the plot dragged a bit. And then when it finally got to the end at Prom, the moment this whole book was leading up to, it felt like it was rushed. Maybe its just me, but I wanted to see more of that. More of them happy.
“I’ve never felt quite like this though. Like I don’t know if I’m running away from something or to it. All I know is that I’m tired, so incredibly tired, of having to run at all.”“33%
The characters definitely made this book for me. I loved the friendship that Jordan and Liz had and I loved the romance between Liz and [redacted]. I do wish we had seen more of the romance tho. Although I know this book was mostly about Liz and her growth, I do wish we had seen them together more.
“The best education is the one you get in the world.”“51%
I felt so connected with Liz in so many ways. Thank you Johnson for bringing this book to us! I can’t wait for everyone to read this and love it as well!
Overall, I give this
What about you? Have you read this? Did you love it like I did? What LGBTQ+ book did you start Pride with?
This is my next audiobook, and it was one of my anticipated releases. Sounds like there were way more pros than cons, and I am very excited to meet Liz, Robby, and Granny.