A debut that shines brighter than the stars deep in the heart of Texas, Red, White, and Royal Blue is a tale about self discovery, love, and the weight of responsibility. The work follows Alex, First Son of the United States who’s hellbent on fast-tracking his way to the Senate, his troop of close friends, and an unlikely source of joy that threatens to derail his dreams. Casey McQuiston has a knack for storytelling, and that becomes clear as the plot progresses throughout this politically powered work. 

The work begins with an enemies to lovers type vibe, but it doesn’t stay that way for long. The two main characters eventually find their way to each other, but not without complications. I’ll leave the details sparse, but I thoroughly enjoyed how the ending plays out. Not only was the characterization of the relationship picture perfect, but the personal growth of the main characters is envious for anybody who doesn’t quite know where they fit in the world. 

This was the first time I had acquainted myself with the work of McQuiston, and boy so I regret it. The writing style is so effortlessly detailed, and the little nuisances that make the characters human were captured with such grace. I loved that they (meaning Alex and Henry) created their own world within the chaos of their lives, and truly found time to be together despite the consequences hanging over them like a stormcloud; their interactions (save for a few) were nothing short of sweet, and the inside look that readers get into their differing personalities was such a treat. 

However, I think my favorite part of this work was the implications that politics played. Oftentimes, there are books written like this, that politics kind of takes a backseat. Once the main characters become established presences in each other’s lives, but that was not the case here. The fact that each of these boys truly felt a duty to their countries and were willing to sacrifice each other for it demonstrates that McQuiston understands how heavy the weight of the world rests on the shoulders of Alex and Henry. Not only that, but the whole crew was involved in politics in one way, or another, And in today’s world, tactics that were used in the political sphere of the United States are not unseen. Not only does that make this more of a realistic portrayal, but I do think that it also gave readers a more comprehensive grasp on the nature of politics than most other works similar to this.

Overall, McQuiston impressed me greatly. I thought there were little touches of detail that made the work as great as it is, such as the emails and press releases and news articles throughout. It goes to show that McQuiston has immense control over maintaining a narrative, and in my book, that is a mark of a great author.

This book is also turning into a movie that is set to be released on Amazon prime at the beginning of August 2023, and this is a book more than deserving of a film adaptation. I cannot wait to see how this plays out on the big screen, And it’ll be interesting to see how people react to it and whether or not the book garners even more popularity after the release of the film.

I would give this book four out of five stars, and have already picked up another work by McQuiston that I cannot wait to read and review.