Pretty Girl County

This book was definitely worth the five stars because I was hooked by the first chapter. Just seeing the mention of sims and fashion had me wanting to go and play sims again. Then seeing old friends reunite to help each other with going to their dream school 🥹 I was a proud auntie watching these girls achieve their goals. Also I definitely recommend the physical copy for the book Recs the author drops at the end of the book.

Title: Pretty Girl CountyBy: Lakita WilsonPub. Day: July 1, 2025Genre:Young Adult, Coming of Age, Contemporary, RomanceRecommended Ages:7th grade and/or 13 and upContent Warnings:NoneSummary:Reya finds herself in need of help from someone she never thought she’d turn to again…her long-lost best friend, Sommer, whom she left on bad terms. Sommer is everything Reya is not, yet Reya needs her talent. Driven by her own selfish desires, Reya is willing to disrupt Sommer’s life without a second thought. But can these two former friends put the past behind them and come together to chase something greater than themselves?Review:Lakita Wilson is a talented author whose writing relates to young adult readers. Pretty Girl County moves at a quick, engaging pace with characters that are easy to connect with and root for. It thoughtfully explores themes that connect deeply with young adults, like the value of community, rekindled friendships, a sense of belonging, and growing self-confidence, while also touching on important issues such as social class, equity, and race. While I found myself wishing for a few more unexpected twists, the story carries a heartwarming, feel-good tone that makes it a wonderful and age-appropriate read.Thank you to Lakita Wilson, PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group, Viking Books for Young Readers, and NetGalley for the opportunity of an Advanced Readers Copy. I am voluntarily leaving my personal review.#PrettyGirlCounty#LakitaWilson#PenguinGoup#PenguinYoungReadersGroup#VikingBooksforYoungReaders#Advancedreadercopies#ReluctantReaderReads#NetGalley#ARC

Firstly, thank you to Lakita Wilson & Penguin Teen for the ARC copy! 🥰 I always brag about where I’m from because they’re arent many counties in the US like mine; a predominantly Black melting pot. As one of the wealthiest Black counties in the country, PG County is just THAT girl and you can’t convince me otherwise.Lakita Wilson did an AMAZING job of capturing the nuances of PG—from Seat Pleasant to Woodmore to the lil beefs at Six Flags (RIP 😭) as only a true PG baby could. This was truly a love letter to the county that raised us! I can’t even count how many times I laughed at some DMV lingo I haven’t heard in YEARS.Sommer & Reya’s friendship needing fixing & it took a fashion show to do so. I loved that Sommer was constantly bringing Reya back down from the clouds cus miss girl forgot where she came from. I was rooting for Octavius ngl; Bowie Banits obvi did a number on me in high school LMAO. Overall, I loved loved LOVED this book. It reminded me that building community and making a difference where you’re from is the most important thing sometimes. 🤍

Really enjoyed this book and its two terrific protagonists. In particular, their voices - and the authorial voice over all - read really authentic and fully accessible for readers of whatever stripe, My background is very different from these two young women but I never felt excluded or confused, and I imagine readers whose backgrounds and life experiences are more similar to the world of this book will enjoy seeing Sommer and Reya's experiences reflected in such an honest and engaging way. It was a page-turner and I was a little sad when I finished. Looking forward to more books by author Lakita Wilson.

Pretty Girl County by Lakita Wilson#yaPublishing date 7/1/2025⭐⭐⭐⭐I don't usually move books up months on my reading roster. But I figured I might as well since its #blackhistorymonth and I already had this Black author's book about classism ready to go.This book is told in 2 POVs. Sommer and her one time next door neighbor and former BFF, Reya. Sommer feels left behind bc Reya has moved into a rich neighborhood and has gained new, rich friends. She really has been left behind. But can their relationship be mended? Maybe.There's a little angst and a little romance for each girl. They are 2 months from high school graduation and are both trying to figure out how their next year is going to go. Do they need each other's help to succeed? Of course they do.Enjoyable book. Easy reading. I'd definitely try another book by this author.#penguinyoungreadersgroup#prettygirlcounty #lakitawilson