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abidabi's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
oddgreyhound's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
i went into this book with some low expectations (the reviews in my audiobook app basically said it was disappointing compared to RWRB) but i had them far exceeded.. as an ace person it was so refreshing to get all the romance and cuteness and such without the tons and tons of steam.
it just made me laugh a lot, and the ending was phenomenal!! i had a really, really good time with this book!
it just made me laugh a lot, and the ending was phenomenal!! i had a really, really good time with this book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia
katiebolin's review
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.0
lyn04's review
3.0
I understand many people’s frustration with this book and I get why people are mad about it and I do question if it’s only good because it’s a book about gay teens. I more so read it just as a pleasure read, and wasn’t really concerned about how the author went about creating the characters and their identities. I guess looking back at it I can see how problematic it was, but I still really enjoyed this book. It is frustrating that authors struggle to represent minorities in a way that truly flushes out their character. I don’t really feel like this book is a revolutionary book, I went into it more as a feel good romance book then something that would be informative. I’m not mad about the book but I’m also not like oh my god that was so crazy good.
tbreader08's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
bysoleilceline's review
5.0
★★★★★
The State of US by Shaun David Hutchinson is about Dean Arnault and Dre Rosario and about their parents, who are both candidates running for President of the United States of America. But, one a Democrat, and the other is a Republican. At first Dean and Dre hate each other, coming from different political families in a partisan world they think the worst of each other. But as the story develops the two boys begin to fall for each other, hard, and they begin organizing ways to meet up and see each other. A third party candidate starts to stir up some trouble for both Dean and Dre’s parents, and the two of the get caught up in the mix.
The State of US contains: queer, asexual, demisexual, gay, and lesbian representation.
As a Political Science student I was so excited to read another political romance, especially between the sons of Republican and Democrat candidates for President. At first I was cautious. I was afraid the story wouldn’t be an accurate representation of either political side, or that it would end up as a happy-go-luck story that brought everyone to the same side and wasn’t realistic. I was also afraid that my hopes were too high and the book wouldn’t live up to my expectations.
But this story lived up and exceeded my expectations. I’m so happy and honored I received an ARC for review from Harper Collins Teen. This story meant a lot to me.
The story was an accurate representation of the political identities it presented and mirrored the current political landscape. There were many instances that called back to events that occurred throughout the last four years, between 2016 and 2020. While I do believe the story was told in more of a rose-colored lens than reality may present, I’m quite that the intention was to create a more hopeful picture for the future.
This love story was beautiful told and I devoured it within a day. I highlighted the entire book with moments I laughed and cried. Shaun David Hutchinson brought up a lot of meaningful conversations and I believe this story needs to be read.
The State of US by Shaun David Hutchinson comes out on June 6. If you enjoy political romances or queer love stories, this is absolutely the book for you.
The State of US by Shaun David Hutchinson is about Dean Arnault and Dre Rosario and about their parents, who are both candidates running for President of the United States of America. But, one a Democrat, and the other is a Republican. At first Dean and Dre hate each other, coming from different political families in a partisan world they think the worst of each other. But as the story develops the two boys begin to fall for each other, hard, and they begin organizing ways to meet up and see each other. A third party candidate starts to stir up some trouble for both Dean and Dre’s parents, and the two of the get caught up in the mix.
The State of US contains: queer, asexual, demisexual, gay, and lesbian representation.
As a Political Science student I was so excited to read another political romance, especially between the sons of Republican and Democrat candidates for President. At first I was cautious. I was afraid the story wouldn’t be an accurate representation of either political side, or that it would end up as a happy-go-luck story that brought everyone to the same side and wasn’t realistic. I was also afraid that my hopes were too high and the book wouldn’t live up to my expectations.
But this story lived up and exceeded my expectations. I’m so happy and honored I received an ARC for review from Harper Collins Teen. This story meant a lot to me.
The story was an accurate representation of the political identities it presented and mirrored the current political landscape. There were many instances that called back to events that occurred throughout the last four years, between 2016 and 2020. While I do believe the story was told in more of a rose-colored lens than reality may present, I’m quite that the intention was to create a more hopeful picture for the future.
This love story was beautiful told and I devoured it within a day. I highlighted the entire book with moments I laughed and cried. Shaun David Hutchinson brought up a lot of meaningful conversations and I believe this story needs to be read.
The State of US by Shaun David Hutchinson comes out on June 6. If you enjoy political romances or queer love stories, this is absolutely the book for you.
bethersjayne's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
sarful's review
4.0
3.5
I enjoyed this book from beginning to end, I’m not entirely sure why there are so many bad reviews.
During a lockdown at a debate Dean and Dre end up becoming friends, despite their initial dislike of each other, purely because their parents are rival candidates.
It too entirely too long for their relationship to get passed the initial messaging and getting to know each other. Sometimes Dre and and his friend get a little preach. The 3rd party candidate is super carbon copy villain as well as Dean’s republican mother.
But! I really did appreciate and enjoy the back and forth between Dean and Dre. I appreciated how they saw each other, how they understood each other once they really listened to each other. I appreciated the conversation about sexuality, as well as the issues raised about sexual identity: Dean doesn’t feel his sexuality is a defining aspect of him, while Dre very much feels his sexuality is defining. And I liked this added detail.
I enjoyed this book from beginning to end, I’m not entirely sure why there are so many bad reviews.
During a lockdown at a debate Dean and Dre end up becoming friends, despite their initial dislike of each other, purely because their parents are rival candidates.
It too entirely too long for their relationship to get passed the initial messaging and getting to know each other. Sometimes Dre and and his friend get a little preach. The 3rd party candidate is super carbon copy villain as well as Dean’s republican mother.
But! I really did appreciate and enjoy the back and forth between Dean and Dre. I appreciated how they saw each other, how they understood each other once they really listened to each other. I appreciated the conversation about sexuality, as well as the issues raised about sexual identity: Dean doesn’t feel his sexuality is a defining aspect of him, while Dre very much feels his sexuality is defining. And I liked this added detail.
emeraldawn's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
mylareis_'s review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75