In honor of Pride month  The Bootleg Book Club read You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson 

About the Author

Leah Johnson was raised on the west side of Indianapolis, Indiana. While in college at Indiana University Bloomington, she interned at the Wall Street Journal, WFIU, and WPLN. Johnson received her MFA in fiction writing from Sarah Lawrence College. Leah currently lives in Brooklyn, her debut novel helped her with accepting her queer identity,  it was a Stonewall Honor Book, the inaugural Reese’s Book Club YA pick, and named a best book of the year by Amazon, Kirkus, Marie Claire, Publishers Weekly, and New York Public Library.

Book Look

This book has a vibrant purple background with the profile image of a young black girl with natural hair, a crown on her head, and a smile on her face. This cover immediately showcases the wonderful joy and happiness a Black girl can embody.

Bookmark

• “The place in which I’ll fit will not exist until I make it” James Baldwin 
• I’m sorry I never told you to slow down when I saw how hard you were pushing yourself. … my little star. I never want to tell you not to burn as fast and as bright as you can”  246
• “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.” p.390
• “Just because it could be worse doesn’t mean you don’t get to acknowledge how much it sucks, you know.” p. 474

POV

Samantha’s favorite character/group was how the main character’s ,Liz’s, family unit worked together. Felicia’s favorite character was the band teacher and Mack. Both individuals were great people who truly supported Liz and ensured she knew her worth. Both Sam and Felicia agree that the obvious least favorite character choice is Rachcel the main villain in the story. 

Deep Dive

This novel was a great coming of age, young adult romance story. Leah Johnson writes with charisma and a unique tone that immediately gets readers interested in the book. Sam and Felicia dive into how this novel made them think about their high school memories and what it felt like to lack confidence in yourself. In addition, the co-host talked about how race, class, and sexual orientation impact the main character’s journey.