Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

American Royals by Katharine McGee

4 reviews

ashlikes's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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keysmashhh's review

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emotional lighthearted reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Plot: 4/5
Character: 4/5
Relationships: 3/5
World-Building: 3/5
Genre: 3.5/5

Plot: Most parts of the plot made sense and were paced really well, the only part I was sceptical of was Nina and Sam's resolution - to me, it felt like they made up too quickly without really addressing the issues of their friendship. The ending though! :0 I both saw it coming and didn't, even if it was a little predictable that didn't stop me from getting goosebumps when everyone bowed. 
Character: Jeff was my favourite character, it was slightly frustrating that we never got a chapter from his perspective as I feel that could have really helped me get on board with his relationship with Nina. Nina was a likeable enough character however I did get frustrated at her actions. Although he was a minor character Ethan also intrigued me, I would have liked maybe one or two chapters from his POV (maybe about him and Daphne) Daphne was an unlikable character but I understood her motivations. Beatrice was an interesting character that definitely grew on me. Teddy, I really liked him, I just kind of felt he got lost amongst the rest of the stronger personalities - I'm hoping we see more of him in Book 2. In terms of Diversity, I felt it lacked in POC and Queer characters (other than Nina and her parents) - I think a plotline where one of the royals has to explore the implications of having a queer relationship in America would have been really impactful and added a different sort of storyline. 
Relationships: Some of them were alright (Ethan and Daphne's complicated relationship really interested me, I have to say Jeff and Nina's got a little too boring but them splitting up made it more interesting. 
World-Building: An amazing premise, I liked the small hints at America's history we got through conversations with Bea and the King - I would have loved to know more about the history of this distorted America
Genre: Young Adult. Contemporary. Romance. - a genre filled with cliches and tropes - the royalty trope will always be fascinating to me. I liked the romance features (THERE WAS ONLY ONE BED!) but I felt that sometimes it was the only thing anyone was talking about. The moments of solidarity between Bea and Sam felt so genuinely real and I liked it but I felt that some scenes had so much emphasis on the romance that we lost the friendships a little bit, I would have loved to see a scene where Teddy, Jeff and Ethan hung out or Sam met Nina's college friends. 
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esterix's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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mostlypoptarts's review against another edition

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lighthearted slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

if i could rate on enjoyment alone… this score would be way different. it’s trash, but it’s MY trash.
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