Leah Johnson
Scholastic, 2020
324 pages
Grades 9-Up
Realistic Fiction
Liz Lighty has her future all figured out. She will graduate and attend the near-by private college that her late mother went to thanks to a music scholarship and then become a doctor to try to help kids, like her brother, who struggle with Sickle Cell. When the scholarship falls through, it is time for action. Liz does not want her grandparents to sell their home in order to raise the tuition money, so she turns to plan "B": become prom queen. Prom is a big deal in this small mid-western town and the queen is awarded a hefty scholarship to accompany the glitzy crown. Liz is not prom queen material. A girl of color has never made the ranks, let alone a "band nerd". To top it off, Liz likes girls, a fact that is known only by her family and best friends. Never the less, she throws herself into the competition and with the help of her friends, and by reconnecting with a former friend, she begins to make headway. Then Liz meets new girl Amanda and is thrown off her game. Getting voted as prom queen seems impossible enough. Does she dare to add a girlfriend to the equation?
Debut author, Johnson, pens a timely novel that teens will enjoy reading. I saw this book on many "best of the year" lists and decided to give it a try with no expectations. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it and was actually moved to the point of tearing up a few times. Liz is an unlikely prom queen and a champion for nerd everywhere. The high school me would have loved this book and the grown-up me wishes it was around then. Ironically, I read this the same week my family watched the movie Prom on Netflix, which visits similar themes and I also highly recommend. This book offers character growth, redemption, humor, heart-warming bits, and a happy ending, all while taking on homophobia, racism, and traditional prom culture. Some readers will see themselves in the story, others will possibly see the world a bit more kindly after reading, but everyone will feel something. Liz is a great character who learns to trust the adults around her and share the burden of her life to finally embrace who she is, love that person, and allow herself to have a bit of fun. On top of all of this, it is a great story, with a great plot that would make a great movie if something similar didn't already exist. The irony is that it features the 2020 prom, which turned out to be a bust for last year's seniors. At least we will always have this fictionalized version...
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