Speak For Yourself
Girl meets boy.
Girl has crush on boy.
Girl gets friend to help win boy.
Boy has crush on friend . . .
Skylar’s got ambitious #goals. And if she wants to make them come true, she has to get to work now. (At least she thinks so . . .) Step one in her epic plan is showing everyone that her latest app is brilliant. To do that, she’s going to use it win State at the Scholastic Exposition, the nerdiest of academic competitions around.
First, she’ll need a team, and Skylar’s not always so good with people. But she’ll do whatever it takes to put one together . . . even if it means playing Cupid to set up her teammates Joey and Zane, at Joey’s request. When things get off to an awkward start for them, Skylar finds herself stepping in to help Joey. Anything to keep her on the team. Only Skylar seems to be making everything more complicated. Especially when she realize she might be falling for Zane, which was not a #goal. Can Skylar figure out her feelings, prove to the world her app’s potential, and win State without losing her friends-or is her path to greatness over before it begins?
Reviews
"A clever cyber-age novel[...] Johnson successfully conveys the pitfalls of following too narrow a path in a novel whose wit and relatable crises keep pages turning."
"Group chats, goal lists, press releases, and emails replete with coding and app-creating language give this charming romance a modern feel. Readers will enjoy the authenticity of the friendships and the crush drama as they read between the lines."
"[A] gripping novel that combines academic competition, app creation, and a hint of romance to create a story that will have readers cheering on Skylar page after page."
"Skylar is the perfect storm – ambitious (overly), caring (to her own detriment), and smart as can be"
"Brimming with sharp banter and heartfelt confession in equal measure, Speak for Yourself is a love letter to everyone who's ever held their goals so tight, they nearly missed what life had to offer. Skylar Collins is a delight, and Lana Wood Johnson is a modern Jane Austen for the iPhone crowd."Adib Khorram, author of Darius the Great Is Not Okay and Darius the Great Deserves Better
"A love story like no other, filled with teen angst, drama, academic decathlons, high school crushes, and characters you'll love."Mason Deaver, author of The Ghosts We Keep
"Speak for Yourself is relatable, witty, and delivers the perfect twist on a classic romance trope. Johnson captures the messy awkwardness of teen life with refreshing honesty. This geektastic book had me grinning until the very last page!"Julian Winters, award-winning author of Running with Lions
"One part an homage to nerdiness, one part love story with a dash of rom-com goodness, Speak for Yourself will appeal to anyone who's a go-getter, a ride-or-die friend, or most importantly, a dreamer."Kosoko Jackson, author of Yesterday Is History
"Speak for Yourself perfectly interweaves crucial facets of the high school experience into a nerd-perfect soufflé of banter, chat threads, and lunchroom dynamics."Sarah Henning, author of Throw Like a Girl
"A warm and witty rom-com about coding, missed connections, and letting yourself want more than you think you deserve.Amanda Sellet, By the Book