Book Review: Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

‘Red, White, And Royal Blue’ was Casey McQuiston’s debut novel. It was released in 2019, and was recently adapted into a movie on Amazon Prime.

The story follows an alternate version of international history, where instead of Donald Trump, a fictional Democrat, Ellen Claremont, won the 2016 US election, and in anticipation of the 2020 US election, Ellen Claremont-Diaz is running for a second term in the White House. Similarly, an alternative Royal Family hold power in Britain, with Queen Mary, a sitting monarch of NUMBER years, holds power, her daughter Catherine is next in line, followed by her children: Prince Philip, Princess Beatrice and Prince Henry. When President Claremont and her family are invited to Prince Philip’s wedding, a faux pas results in a £75,000 cake being destroyed and an international incident being declared. In a bid to soothe the controversy, especially in anticipation of an election, the responsible parties, Alex Claremont-Diaz, first son of the United States and Prince Henry of Wales, must now pretend to be friends.

I loved the way the rivals to friends to lovers dynamic falls into place. It was a delight to watch the walls come down, even as Alex and Henry fell in love. What I liked, though, was how the budding relationship wasn’t overshadowing the politics of the story, and the tightrope that both these young men in the public eye must navigate.

As usual, McQuiston’s command of character voice was incredible, and while I feel that she honed this skill with each release since. However, to know this was a strength from the get-go was so fun. I loved getting to see the ways that the Claremont-Diaz siblings cared for each other, and how it mirrored how Bea and Henry treated each other. It was lovely, but incredibly emotional to read about how June helicopter-sister-ed Alex in order to ensure he was safe, secure, comfortable, and doing what was best for himself. She had his best interests in mind, even when it ruffled his feathers. It felt real.

I would say, though, that there were elements in the ending that irked me; it all seemed a bit too perfect of a resolution. It is completely plausible that President Claremont-Diaz was re-elected. That didn’t phase me. What did, however, was the seeming lack of ramification for some of the characters that committed multiple felonies throughout the book. Some even committed treason – and yes legalities take a while to iron out, especially with public figures like politicians, but, even so, I would have liked things to have ended with some legal ramifications.

Regardless, I really enjoyed the read, and look forward to reading more of McQuiston’s work now I’ve exhausted the archive of her work.