BOOK REVIEW : Red, White and Royal Blue

Title : Red, White and Royal Blue
Author : Casey McQuiston
Release date : May 14, 2019

Date Read : April 18, 2019
Rating : ★★★★★

“By the way, in this relationship, I am absolutely the Han and you are absolutely the Leia. Don’t try to argue because you’ll be wrong"

The first thing one thinks about when going into a debut novel is : "lower your expectations". It's unconscious, you never really mean to think that way or underestimate someone's work, but it's always there, nevertheless, in the back of your mind, trying to protect you from disappointment, telling you no one can get it right at the first try and it may be good but it may not be brilliant. But it's okay, you have low expectations, it says, if it's not bad you'll like it just fine, but if it is, you won't be too sad because you weren't expecting much anyway. Debut novels are tricky, you often hear people say "don't judge a book by its cover", this saying could also translate into "don't judge an author by their first book", especially if it didn't do it for you; we all fail in the beginning, no one can get it right on the first try, right? WRONG.

I'm writing this review tonight with a full heart, happy to have been proven wrong, ecstatic, even. Because Casey McQuiston didn't just get it right on the first try, she hit it all the way, miles and miles out of every fucking park. 

Red, White and Royal Blue has been on my most anticipated books of this year ever since I heard about it back in november, I mean, a first son and a prince fall in love? Against all odds? I can safely say it's never been done in young adult.. or any other genre ever for that matter. So of course I added it and started waiting for it impatiently as soon as I discovered it.

But as I mentionned before, debut novels are tricky, not to mention ones you're really really excited to read and that have a great premise. You just hope for the best while expecting the worst. 

Casey McQuiston delivers the best.

This, is by far, one of the best books I've read this year, I'd even go as far as saying one of the best books I've read ever. 

Alex and Henry's relationship is impossible not to fall for. I have felt their love with every shared word, every smile, every kiss, every jab, every heartbreaking fight to stay together, every breath they drew and every sacrifice they made for each other. The odds are against them, but they just won't let them win. Their relationship had me smiling, crying, laughing, my heart was beating out of my fucking chest with pure joy during their scenes because they are just adorable without being over the top cheesy. You just HAVE to root for them, you just want them to be happy, because they're both good people who went through tons of shit and deserve a break... with each other. 

Not many authors will make you feel the way Casey McQuiston does with her words, especially when it's contemporary. Personally, it takes a lot to make me FEEL the words on the page. But when reading Red, White and Royal blue, it felt like I didn't need much, because the writing it just effortlessly THAT good. It's ridiculous, it's incredible and it's fucking poetic.

“I thought, if someone like that ever loved me, it would set me on fire.
And then I was a careless fool, and I fell in love with you anyway. When you rang me at truly shocking hours of the night, I loved you. When you kissed me in disgusting public toilets and pouted in hotel bars and made me happy in ways in which it had never even occurred to me that a mangled-up, locked-up person like me could be happy, I loved you.
And then, inexplicably, you had the absolute audacity to love me back. Can you believe it?"

But what makes this book even more unbelievably good is that the romance, although incredibly, perfectly heartwarming, isn't all this book is about, it also is about family. And oh God does Casey know how to play with your heartstrings in both the love and family departments.

The scenes between Alex, his sister and their best friend were just hilarious, satisfying, touching and flawless. Their friendship just puts a constant smile on your face and keeps your heart warm, you can tell it's not a fleeting one, you can tell that these three would gladly go through hell for one another, no matter what the reason is. 

When Alex comes out, none of them is surprised and they are both incredibly accepting and fully supportive. None of them even has a second of hesitation, they just want him happy. As it should be. And they're the first to root for him and Henry, to support them, to help them. They both not only say, but show, that they believe Alex couldn't have found a better match.

“You have so much in you, it's impossible to match it. But he's your match, dumbass."

One of my favorite scenes in the entire book is when his mother finds out. It's so incredibly laugh out loud funny, I had tears in my eyes while reading it. It is impossible to guess, but it's just.. perfect. Comedy gold. Honestly, I'd even go as far as saying his mother might be my favorite character after Alex and Henry. She is just the absolute best.

Just as to not go into a tangent and a never ending review about this masterpiece, I'm going to take a page out of Alex's book (HA!) and make a list of all the things I loved about it :

1. Obvifuckingously the romance, Alex and Henry have surely joined my "couples I would die for" list so incredibly fast and there are no regrets to be had. 
2. THE PRESIDENT IS A WOMAN!! A WOMAN YOU GUYS!!! A  W O M A N (and the best person please)
3. The family dynamics are GOLD. (Alex, his sister and their best friend, Henry and his sister, The Diaz-Claremont siblings and their mother and so on and so on)
4. The banters (between Alex and Henry as well as between them and their families) are to die for and so clever. 
5. Alex's relationship with his mother (I know I mentionned it before but it's so worth repeating)
6. Henry's relationship with his sister  
7. Alex and Rafael Luna
8. Zahra 
9. Shaan
10. Zahra and Shaan
11. The writing
12. The representations
13. THIS ENTIRE FUCKING BOOK.
    
     
    “Someone else's choice doesn't change who you are."

And before I stop myself, I just want to mention the angst at the end that had me at the edge of my seat and the election that stressed me out I was pretty sure my heart stopped a couple times. THE WRITING IS SO GOOD THAT IT GIVES YOU THE FEELING THAT ALL THIS SHIT IS REAL AND MY HEART COULDN'T TAKE IT. I just never wanted it to stop.

Casey McQuiston is one talented woman and deserves every ounce of hype this book is getting. Because yes, it is just THAT good. And I can't wait to see what she has in store next.