Praise for Leah Johnson:
"Leah Johnson is a star; her writing is joyful, funny, and heartfelt. I can't wait to read every single book she writes." Jasmine Guillory, bestselling author of The Proposal
Praise for Rise to the Sun:
"Rise to the Sun is a sweet, funny, and effervescent gem of a book." Nicola Yoon, author of the #1 New York Times bestsellers The Sun is Also a Star and Everything, Everything
* "Johnson's strengths are on full display in snappy dialogue that sings, heart-stopping romance, and realistically flawed Black teen characters learning from their mistakes, one by one . . . Johnson pens a love letter to the healing power of music, enduring friendship, summertime love stories, and hard-won resilience." Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Rise to the Sun is a novel that will show Black girls just how brightly they can shine, and that love, like music, is a True Thing." Ashley Woodfolk, author of The Beauty that Remains and When You Were Everything
"Leah Johnson seamlessly harmonizes fear with hope, tragedy with healing, and betrayal wtih redemption. This book is an anthem for every queer Black teen who's ever been told they're underserving of their happy ending." Julian Winters, award-winning author of Running with Lions
"A solid sophomore novel celebrating love that begs for a soundtrack." Kirkus Reviews
Praise for You Should See Me in a Crown:
A Reese's Book Club YA Pick
A Stonewall Honor Book
A Junior Library Guild Selection
A Well-Read Black Girl June Book Club YA Book Pick
* "Pitch perfect romcom...The queer prom romance you didn't know you needed." Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"Johnson's pacing is perfect as the story unwinds at dizzying speed...Readers will fall in love with this refreshing book that celebrates the beauty of individuality." School Library Journal
"Johnson puts a fresh spin on this novel with an unlikely romance, heartwarming friendships, and the tension of being Black, poor, and queer in a small town. A feel-good title for sure." Booklist
"Filled with humor, heart, and swoon-worthy romance." Kristina Forest, author of I Wanna Be Where You Are
"A love story worthy of a crown." Mason Deaver, author of I Wish You All the Best
"With characters I adore and a romance that brought tears to my eyes, You Should See Me in a Crown absolutely stole my heart." Kacen Callender, author of This Is Kind of an Epic Love Story and Felix Ever After
"You know when a book is like the ideal friend? You Should See Me in a Crown is that kind of book. Juicy, sharp, romantic, big-hearted, real. I loved it." Anna Godbersen, author of the New York Times bestselling Luxe series
"You Should See Me in a Crown is a powerful, absolutely relatable story that reminds Black, queer girls they have the power to do anything they want." Camryn Garrett, author of Full Disclosure
"With a refreshing voice and an unforgettable main character, Leah Johnson has written a stunning debut. Liz Lighty is smart and hilarious." Sabina Khan, author of The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali
2021-05-11
Queer Black girls fall in love at a summer music festival.
When dating the top basketball recruit in Indiana turns disastrous, ruining her socially, emotionally, and in her mother’s eyes, perpetually in love 16-year-old Olivia Brooks begs her best friend, Imani Garrett, to take a summer road trip to the Farmland Arts and Music Festival in Georgia. Imani agrees on one condition: Olivia cannot hook up with anyone on the trip. Meanwhile, Toni Jackson is heading to Farmland for the first time without her musician-turned-roadie dad, who was killed 8 months ago. Joined by her best friend, Peter Menon (whose surname cues him as Indian), Toni is trying to figure her life out—college or something else? She believes that if she performs in the festival’s Golden Apple amateur competition, the truth will become clear. The four meet in Georgia, and when all the solo slots in the competition are full, Toni and Olivia agree to enter as a duo and help each other with their individual quests—Toni’s to perform on stage, Olivia’s to be distracted from the upcoming judicial hearing over violating behavior by her ex-boyfriend and to win the prize of a much-needed car. Although Imani and Peter feel more like devices than well-developed characters with substantial relationships to the protagonists, the exploration of Olivia’s tendency to adapt to others’ expectations of her is wonderfully nuanced, and her relationship with Toni is delightfully swoon-y.
A solid sophomore novel celebrating love that begs for a soundtrack. (Fiction. 14-18)