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A review by luhsoona
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
4.0
I'm rating this 4.5 stars and rounding up. I will actually be talking a lot about politics.
I have a lot of thoughts. I said I wasn't going to mention politics in here but it gets pretty knee deep in it in the latter off. The one con to this book is that I think someone who doesn't have some understanding of American Politics would be completely lost, and not really care or feel the tension of year of an election this book takes places around.
And I'm going to be honest, the book lost me at this too. This isn't because I'm naive of politics, quite the opposite. I used to be in a job where I consumed digital political content for hours a day, I knew it all, and I was deeply embroiled in it. I won't go into detail more than that, because being in that position in a post 2016 world is tired and honestly has left me exhausted. However, this book is very idealistic about it's politics and I can see how that bothered some people. The main character and his world was like how all the young college aged Texans talked about Beto in 2018 or Biden in 2020: we can WIN Texas. Which makes me laugh and laugh. I'm also a Mexican born in Texas, and I know friends and acquaintances with this mindset, progressives who believed in something to get away from the terror of 2016, and it's heart breaking knowing none of that is true. I don't know if it'll ever be true, and I can see now why some reviews 3 starred this book because of these ideals.
However, I enjoyed it immensely. Whenever I was away from this book, I thought to myself "this isn't my thing, it's too happy, too sugary sweet, I don't think I like it that much" and then I stay up all night listening to the audiobooks. I never laughed out loud at the banter between the couple, but I did grin from ear to ear, especially as Alex also made some friends along the way. The romance between these two IS sugary sweet, and everything IS wrapped up very nicely, but that's what I'm looking for in a romance. I rooted for these two the whole time, and it was just very nice. I believed in their love very deeply, and I admire that about this book. There were a lot of times where I was like: "ugh the writing is TOO much for me, all this coming of age stuff sounds so young adult" and I'd keep listening away. I can see the flaws in this book, but I don't honestly care.
I think some reviewers can like the romance and remove themselves from the politics in the background, and I did try but I couldn't. Whenever I thought of Alex, I thought about those idealistic Mexican activists in Texas around my city, around the state, and realized that idealism shapes this book. Do I think it's a deep dive into politics and necessary to have that background to understand the book? Hardly, but my background is very political and like, I'm also a bisexual Mexican who lives here dammit. I'm all for believing into everything this book wants to believe.
I think the belief in this type of world is what makes this book help you grin, and I don’t think it’s life changing and there’s a lot of suspension of disbelief, but I get it. I think I get how a book can be shaped by a simple belief of love and a better world.
Edit 12/7/21: I want to do a re read of this book after reading One Last Stop because I'm finding issues in that book and recalling some other issues in this book. I think as a bisexual, it was easier for me to believe in the romance sold here, but I couldn't suspend my disbelief in One Last Stop. I think it's important to be critical of books (and it's fun for me) when we get a new perspective. I lowered my rating to 4 stars because I think I'll still enjoy it, but I think some things in this book were actually glossed over that I think shouldn't have been. I'll be more specific if I ever do a re read of this book. I'd still recommend it, but it isn't deserving of a favorite or 5 star placement.
I have a lot of thoughts. I said I wasn't going to mention politics in here but it gets pretty knee deep in it in the latter off. The one con to this book is that I think someone who doesn't have some understanding of American Politics would be completely lost, and not really care or feel the tension of year of an election this book takes places around.
And I'm going to be honest, the book lost me at this too. This isn't because I'm naive of politics, quite the opposite. I used to be in a job where I consumed digital political content for hours a day, I knew it all, and I was deeply embroiled in it. I won't go into detail more than that, because being in that position in a post 2016 world is tired and honestly has left me exhausted. However, this book is very idealistic about it's politics and I can see how that bothered some people. The main character and his world was like how all the young college aged Texans talked about Beto in 2018 or Biden in 2020: we can WIN Texas. Which makes me laugh and laugh. I'm also a Mexican born in Texas, and I know friends and acquaintances with this mindset, progressives who believed in something to get away from the terror of 2016, and it's heart breaking knowing none of that is true. I don't know if it'll ever be true, and I can see now why some reviews 3 starred this book because of these ideals.
However, I enjoyed it immensely. Whenever I was away from this book, I thought to myself "this isn't my thing, it's too happy, too sugary sweet, I don't think I like it that much" and then I stay up all night listening to the audiobooks. I never laughed out loud at the banter between the couple, but I did grin from ear to ear, especially as Alex also made some friends along the way. The romance between these two IS sugary sweet, and everything IS wrapped up very nicely, but that's what I'm looking for in a romance. I rooted for these two the whole time, and it was just very nice. I believed in their love very deeply, and I admire that about this book. There were a lot of times where I was like: "ugh the writing is TOO much for me, all this coming of age stuff sounds so young adult" and I'd keep listening away. I can see the flaws in this book, but I don't honestly care.
I think some reviewers can like the romance and remove themselves from the politics in the background, and I did try but I couldn't. Whenever I thought of Alex, I thought about those idealistic Mexican activists in Texas around my city, around the state, and realized that idealism shapes this book. Do I think it's a deep dive into politics and necessary to have that background to understand the book? Hardly, but my background is very political and like, I'm also a bisexual Mexican who lives here dammit. I'm all for believing into everything this book wants to believe.
I think the belief in this type of world is what makes this book help you grin, and I don’t think it’s life changing and there’s a lot of suspension of disbelief, but I get it. I think I get how a book can be shaped by a simple belief of love and a better world.
Edit 12/7/21: I want to do a re read of this book after reading One Last Stop because I'm finding issues in that book and recalling some other issues in this book. I think as a bisexual, it was easier for me to believe in the romance sold here, but I couldn't suspend my disbelief in One Last Stop. I think it's important to be critical of books (and it's fun for me) when we get a new perspective. I lowered my rating to 4 stars because I think I'll still enjoy it, but I think some things in this book were actually glossed over that I think shouldn't have been. I'll be more specific if I ever do a re read of this book. I'd still recommend it, but it isn't deserving of a favorite or 5 star placement.