Red, White, and Royal Blue

By: Casey McQuiston

5/5 History, Huh?s

This book was so absolutely wonderful, it's made me want to change the way I write reviews. The average review is so predictable. Two to three paragraph summaries and then a brief blimp of what the reviewer thought about the book as a whole. Since no one even reads this blog anyway, I decided to write how books make me feel; more so for my own documentation than the pleasure of others.

Red, White, and Royal Blue was a book I 100% devoured. I read it during a road trip and could NOT put it down! I was actually rushing through meals so we could get back in the car and I could resume reading. At one point, I even woke up at 5 in the morning so I could have some peace and quiet to finish the book.

So, how did this book make me feel? Well... it made me feel like I've been missing out on so much my entire life. I've mentioned living a conservative family in a previous post. My parents never overtly limited what I could read; I want to make that clear. I even have a few gay relatives, so my family is by no means homophobic; however, it was commonly said "if you can't relate to the book, why read it?" This sentiment followed me throughout my reading journey. Honestly, I agreed with it until taking Young Adult Reading and Literature last fall.

Red, White, and Royal Blue is yet another book that's made me realize how much I'm missing by sticking only to readings I can relate to. No, I'm not gay, but yes, I am in love. And love is love. This book just solidified that for me. The relationship between Alex and Henry had me swooning. I'll even admit that I thought this book would make me uncomfortable simply because it wasn't what I was used to. The only parts of this book that made me uncomfortable were the parts that made the characters uncomfortable. The parts where I felt justice escaped those who deserved it most.

Reading this book made me feel like a whole world opened up to me. Suddenly it was clear that I could read anything whether or not I relate to it. Just thinking about the books I've missed out on in years past makes me cringe. I'm so glad that I've opened up my reading breadth and that Red, White, and Royal Blue was the book that I chose to start with. It's been two weeks since I've finished, and I still find myself thinking about passages, considering the characters, and dreaming of a world where all love can be agreed upon as beautiful.