Excuse me while I go off-script for this review.
I had absolutely no problem with the angle that the author took with the two main characters. I requested to read the book for that very reason, because I think it is important to have books with strong characters in “alternative lifestyles” (or whatever the current proper phrasing is – it seems to change daily).
I actually loved reading about Alex’s awakening and Henry’s struggle, because I think both were indicative of all of the intricacies involved in life realizations. I thought their romance was tender and well-written, and that Henry was especially poetic. Some of his thoughts were among the most romantic I have read in a long time.
I liked how the girls counterbalanced the boys, and how Pez was sort of ambiguous. The characters were well fleshed out. I liked the plot (as improbable as parts may be). Putting the characters into extreme situations allowed the author to spotlight the challenges that many people face. I get all of that. And I enjoyed the journey up to a point. But then about halfway through, it jumped the rails.
What I did not like was that the author had to go full political and demonize the right, making them the evil villains and horrible people. I get that the author probably has an ax to grind, but the plot would have worked just as well if it had been a Democrat primary challenger who had pulled the crap that the Republican did.
Let me be clear, I understand why the author felt the need to make the GOP candidate the bad guy because let’s face it, that’s the cool thing now. What I do not appreciate in a work of fiction is the overreaching blanket assumptions that anyone who leans right is the devil. My notes in the book went from commenting on the characters and plot to wondering why the extra political opinions mattered so much, totally taking me out of the story.
When will people get through their heads that there are people who lean right who support LGBTQ+ rights and the importance of being able to love who you want to love regardless of gender or status or familial duty? That being Christian is not being ugly any more than being an atheist is? That these types of blanket statements and political partisanship can ruin what would have otherwise been a charming love story?
I still recommend the book, because most of my Christian, right-leaning, GOP-voting friends will appreciate it and see it for what it is because they are also open-minded and accepting…far more than people give them credit for being.
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuistonMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
This book had a lot of promise. The characters were engaging, and the plot was unique. I thought the author did a perfect job of handling the sensitivity of Alex’s realizations balanced with the sense of duty that both Alex and Henry felt to their family situations. The tenderness and romance between the two came through. What I did not like is that the author felt the need to go very political. I mean, I get it, Alex’s mom is the President, so I understand that there needed to be politics involved. But I like to read to escape, and don’t care for “real life” politics to enter. I felt that the journey that Alex and Henry took was strong enough to stand on its own without needing to rely on apparent bias. I would still recommend the book and would have been a solid 4 stars were it not for the above. For additional thoughts, visit my blog at Fireflies and Free Kicks Fiction Reviews. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a pre-release digital ARC.
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