Pretty Girl County by Lakita Wilson

Pretty Girl County

Lakita Wilson

Penguin Young Readers Group · Hardcover · July 1, 2025

A KIRKUS BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR "Irresistibly fun and authentic, Pretty Girl County is a luminous showcase of community, friendship, love in all its complexities, and the ways we blaze our own paths.

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Who it’s for
A polished, contemporary YA romance with a slightly comic edge and a clean, readable pull.
Genres
Friendship for Teens, Contemporary YA Romance, African American YA
Published
Penguin Young Readers Group, July 1, 2025

About this book

A KIRKUS BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR "Irresistibly fun and authentic, Pretty Girl County is a luminous showcase of community, friendship, love in all its complexities, and the ways we blaze our own paths.

Continue reading

A sparkling, must-read delight!"—Julian Winters, award-winning author of Right Where I Left You The glitz of Gossip Girl meets the hustle of Leah Johnson's You Should See Me in a Crown in this charming and hilarious story of ex-BFFs from PG County, Maryland, perfect for fans of Joya Goffney and Elise Bryant. Girls like Reya Samuels always come from Prince George’s County. Reya is rich and she’s not afraid to show it—she wears designer clothes, drives a custom pink Audi, and lives in a neighborhood tucked behind a fancy cast iron gate. She works hard, but she can get anything she wants with a snap. Sommer Watkins is from Seat Pleasant, where the cast iron gates are significantly smaller—and attached to the windows, where most folks are still trying to make ends meet. Every day for Sommer is a hustle, working at her dad’s bookstore, and using her art skills to scrounge up enough scholarship money for her dream school, Spelman. Reya and Sommer used to be BFFs—back when Reya lived in Seat Pleasant, too. Now the girls are from different stratospheres—but when Reya desperately needs help to prove to FIT admissions officers that she has what it takes to make it in fashion, the only person who can help is Sommer. Reya promises to help Sommer in return—she’ll pay her for her services, helping Sommer afford the school her parents can’t. As the girls work together, slowly they begin to trust each other again. But when new relationships push them both, and Sommer’s dad’s bookstore is suddenly in danger of closing, old wounds bubble up. Can the girls find a way to repair their friendship and stay true to themselves along the way?

Polished Spark

A polished, contemporary YA romance with a slightly comic edge and a clean, readable pull.

Come here for

  • author-follower curiosity
  • serious-leaning contemporary romance

Expect

  • romantic-comedy energy
  • teen-life stakes in a polished package

Where it sits

African American YA54%
Contemporary YA Romance40%
Friendship for Teens30%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • African American YA
  • Contemporary YA Romance
  • Romantic Comedy for Teens
Authors
Lakita Wilson
Publisher
Penguin Young Readers Group
Published
July 1, 2025
Format
Hardcover
Reading lane
African American YA