Liz 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.
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GENRE:
Young Adult, Contemporary
PAGES:
328 pages
PART OF A SERIES?:
Standalone Novel
RELEASE DATE:
June 2nd, 2020
PUBLISHER:
Scholastic Press
SOURCE:
Owned E-Book
YOU CAN PURCHASE THE BOOK AT YOUR LOCAL BOOKSTORE/LIBRARY OR THE FOLLOWING LINKS:
GOODREADS SUMMARY:
Liz 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 REVIEW
This book has been on my radar basically since the moment it released in June – everyone I knew was posting about it! I was stuck in the throes of the worst reading slump I’ve ever been in (I’m not convinced that I’m out of it yet…) and so I marked it “to-read” and just left it at that. I’m not sure what drove me to read it but I bought it on Kindle and immediately dove in. I fell in love SO quickly!
How could this happen, you ask?
Well, here’s the thing. I’d barely started the book and immediately I was in because three of my favorite things in the world were mentioned. First off, there’s a mention of Captain Marvel and Wonder Woman, who we all know that I’m OBSESSED with. Seriously I love those badass ladies so much. Then within a few pages after that, someone in the book quotes my favorite Shakespeare quote “Though she be but little, she is fierce” – you know, the one I have tattooed on my left bicep. Add in mentions of Avatar the Last Airbender (yup, tattooed) and Harry Potter (I’ve lost count of how many HP tattoos I have…), and I just KNEW that Leah Johnson and I were kindred spirits. Then I realized it was a GAY love story too – I hadn’t read the synopsis beforehand – and I was, like, okay but can this book get any more perfect?
And honestly, it really could. It was SO enjoyable and its exactly what I needed. I need a fun, hopeful, happy read. I mean, don’t get me wrong, the book has its ups and downs like any other book and there are harsh realities in there with racism and homophobia and chronic illnesses and there are definitely some seriously emotional moments. But on a whole, this book just made me feel so GOOD after I read it and I feel like I was SO overdue for that.
I identified with Liz SO much and I think that’s a huge reason that I just loved the book so much. I know exactly what its like to feel like you’re just too…much of everything. Too loud, too noticeable, too passionate. My boyfriend grew up in an affluent, white neighborhood so all of his friends tend to be very white and very rich and its so awkward to be around them, Mexican, loud, poor, bisexual, short, fat. I really identified with Liz and her struggle to just sort of keep herself invisible but I loved that story unfolded with her becoming more and more herself and more and more visible because she was HAPPY with who she was and she was learning to be CONFIDENT in who she was and that was genuinely one of the best parts of the story. She struggles in this middle-of-nowhere town with being black and being gay but I loved that despite there being speed bumps, it was a happier ending and it was so hopeful.
I also really liked Liz’s relationship with her family, most notably her brother and her grandmother. I like stories with close family relationships – I even have a brother named Robby – and I grew up in my grandmother’s house from 10 years old until I finally moved out at 29 years old. I loved that they were a close knit family that supported each other and that lifted each other up and that just loved and cared about each other genuinely. Don’t get me wrong – familial drama can be great in a book but its nice to see strong, family bonds. Liz wouldn’t be who she was without her family and that’s definitely shown again and again.
Lastly, I really really like Mack and Liz’s relationship with her. Seeing Mack through Liz’s eyes really made me have a crush on Mack – she seems like such an awesome girl and totally crush-worthy. But I loved that their relationship was so real and genuine and so sweet. It was nice to read a first love story that was just so incredibly sweet. I really liked their friendship and how they grew to be more and how things unfold. Its a nice change from the dramatic love stories and it made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I truly finished this book feeling so so happy and warm inside and I’m so glad I listened to everyone’s recommendations and FINALLY read it. I’m SO insanely excited for her next book because I’m sure its going to be GREAT!
RATING:
4 out of 5 Stars
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