A Royal Conundrum

Lisa Yee is an award-winning author who is known for writing middle-grade novels that often feature misfit protagonists and their efforts to navigate personal challenges and complete journeys of self-discovery. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Yee credits her upbringing in a multicultural environment for strongly influencing her storytelling, particularly her portrayal of diverse characters and themes of identity, belonging, and resilience (“About Lisa Yee.” Lisa Yee). Before becoming a full-time writer, she worked in advertising, owned a creative products company, and wrote for television. As of 2025, Yee has published 22 works, primarily in middle-grade and young-adult fiction.

Yee’s debut novel, Millicent Min, Girl Genius (2003), won the Sid Fleischman Humor Award. This story follows an academically gifted but socially awkward girl who is struggling to connect with her peers. This theme of feeling like an outsider recurs throughout Yee’s works and is prominently featured in The Royal Conundrum, in which protagonist Olive Corbin Zang grapples with loneliness and a lack of belonging until she joins a group called the Misfits. Like Millicent Min, Olive is intelligent and resourceful, but she struggles with isolation, and her journey toward greater friendship and teamwork becomes a central focus of the novel.