From the Bookshelf of The Introvert Readers…

Red, White & Royal Blue

Casey McQuiston

Start date: April 30, 2021

Finish date: May 31, 2021

Discussion: BOTM

Discussion leader: Maple

Why we're reading this: It won the May BOTM Poll
[close] It won the May BOTM Poll

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Showing 2 of 14 topics — 143 comments total

BOTM

* August BOTM Discussion: Caraval
By Anushka , The Feminist Reader · 2 posts · 18 views

last updated Aug 30, 2021 08:32PM

* August BOTM: Crooked Kingdom
By Anushka , The Feminist Reader · 3 posts · 21 views

last updated May 12, 2022 04:11PM

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What Members Thought

Mar 27, 2021 Charmel rated it it was amazing

Shelves: cotton-candy-fluff, lgbtq-rep, enemies-to-loverss, contemporary, diverse, found-family, demi-god-tier-faves

reread:

there's nothing more to say... i still love this smm 🤌

—♡—

“I hate this so much. I know. But we’re gonna do it together. And we’re gonna make it work. You and me and history, remember? We’re just gonna fucking fight. Because you’re it, okay? I’m never gonna love anybody in the world like I love you. So, I promise you, one day we’ll be able to just be, and fuck everyone else.”

I've been putting off this review for a month lmao. I don't really have things to say so here's a smol review.
I ...more

212 likes · Like · see review

Jul 01, 2021 alex rated it really liked it

this is the funniest shit i have ever read

34 likes · Like · see review

Feb 12, 2021 Anna Kate (Taylors Version) rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: dnfs

DNF!!!

I had REALLY HIGH EXPECTATIONS for this book bc everyone says they LOVED it. I’m sad to say this book FAILED MY EXPECTATIONS MISERABLY.

This Book was mainly just a DISAPPOINTMENT for me. I can’t really write a long review bc I only made it chapter 2.

I honestly don’t know what all the hype is a about this book. Ex) OMG I LOVED IT!!! or YOU HAVE TO READ THIS!!or THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS EVER!!! No it was awful it’s not one of the best books ever (my opinion) and no I’m not going to read ...more

17 likes · Like · see review

May 10, 2021 Maple rated it really liked it

Pretty Good :)
Alex and Henry are so freaking amazing!
It's not a favorite but was still great.

It kind of reminds me of Hearstopper and Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda but with more politics and more plot.

RTC. ...more

11 likes · Like · see review

Apr 22, 2021 ♡ Fen ♡ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

First of all: READING VLOG: https://youtu.be/XUYxU9X6urg
2022 update** 4/5 with reflection- I'm honestly growing out of a lot of books I thought I loved so my ratings will be changing from here on out.
Second of all
5/5 fucking stars
This book is everything and I can't put into words how much I love it, this was perfection,

Story: 5/5
A forbidden love between America's first son and the prince of england???
SIGN ME THE FUCK UP.
“You are", he says, "the absolute worst idea I've ever had.”
This story is l ...more

8 likes · Like · see review

Feb 03, 2021 Katherine Petrova rated it it was amazing

I'm not good at reviewing books but I loved this book which makes me wanna write a review so badly. To be honest, this is the first LGBTQ+ novel I have ever read. It's a must-read. No wonder it got a Goodreads choice award. Once again, I love this book to the core : ) Alex and Henry forever... ...more

4 likes · Like · see review

Jun 12, 2022 Juuso rated it liked it

Shelves: rep-lgbtq-plus, 2022, age-young-adult

I am aware that pretty much everyone has read this book by now and there is also a movie coming (also if any other Finnish person is reading this review, there should be coming a Finnish release soon, so also those who prefer reading with that language, should have the possibility to experience this story!)

Okay first of all, I want to note that 3,5 stars would probably be the most accurate rating, but since I am using Goodreads and I feel like my own reading experience was closer to 3 stars than I am aware that pretty much everyone has read this book by now and there is also a movie coming (also if any other Finnish person is reading this review, there should be coming a Finnish release soon, so also those who prefer reading with that language, should have the possibility to experience this story!)

Okay first of all, I want to note that 3,5 stars would probably be the most accurate rating, but since I am using Goodreads and I feel like my own reading experience was closer to 3 stars than 4 stars, so I will stick with 3 stars for now.

At the beginning I had a bit of a hard time grasping at anything, since for me it felt like I could not get a deep understanding of anything. There was too much happening. For an example this book mentions heavy drug use and a rehab but that fact for an example was a bit of stand out from the other parts of the book. The fact was just dropped there, but I personally do not feel like I could get really complex look on that.

This also may be just a ick for me, but I really do not like it when there is some deep feelings the characters of book should really discuss, but it just turns into heavy kissing and/or sex. And this book had a lot of it. I wish they boys would of just discussed the things they very CLEARLY should have discussed and then moved onto sex, but that did not really happen.

Also these characters had sex while they were drunk... I know everyone can have their own opinions on this thing but for me it felt a bit wrong. Also the fact how pushy Alex seemed and for me it looked like he only really cared about his own sexual satisfaction not really Henry’s. But once again, I may be the only one who felt this thing this way. Atleast, I have not really seen other reviewers point out these things from this book.

This also may be a bit weird comparison but on a way this book reminded me of the Swedish show ’Young Royals’, which I think everyone should watch if they have not yet. Both have a prince who falls for a boy (in this book the boy was the son of a president, in Young Royals the boy was just some average random boy.) They also both have quite risky sex (but in this book the boys remembered to keep their curtains closed.)

And while it seems like I only see flaws in this book, it is not the complete truth. I really did see the beauty most others seem to see in this story, but I do not think it is worth really writing about here since pretty much the whole world has already heard them from other people!

My thoughts are a mess and this review is probably more chaotic than anything I have written before, but I really want to sort my feelings out. Also, this review is probably more about my own feelings and what I enjoy, than the actual objective book, so please do note that before commenting anything under this review... ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Aug 18, 2021 yulina ☾ rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2021, romance, lgbt, my-ships, enemies-to-lovers

3.5⭐️
AGGHHH I finally finished this book after ... 5 (?) or maybe 6 (?) months ...

First of all, I LOVE ALEX AND HARRY, they're really fucking adorable !!! (especially in the emails > ^ < <33 I also had to laugh a lot reading these)
However, towards the end, I personally missed the interaction (which existed in the beginning and middle of the book) between the two characters...
Also, I had the feeling that all the other characters were very... similar to each other...like at some point I didn't k ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Feb 05, 2023 Hershey added it

Shelves: dam-i-got-feelings, hype-with-a-capital-h, lgbtq, my-heart-my-heart, yay-booktok, ahhhhhhhh, diversity-bi-ch, expectations-at-mt-everest, books-i-own, fluff-puff-and-jam

firstly, WHERE IS THE GODDAMN OXFORD COMMA
my hands shake, I can't explain, this is just so infuriating

it has reached peak gayness here

"History, huh? Bet we could make some.”

look I'm not complaining at all but this took me so long to finish (I was reading non-stop for 2 days) and like I couldn't get into it as much as I wanted to. So I'm just sitting in the corner of my house in my pajamas being gay and typing this and thinking what the hell is wrong with me?!?!

Other than the excruciating long h ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

May 04, 2021 Audrey Beadle rated it it was amazing

Shelves: contemporary, romance, adult, read-1-time, favorites, 5-star, 2021, reviewed

5/5 stars

Broad thoughts: This was seriously one of the cutest books I have ever read! This is my new favorite YA contemporary/romance book. It was just so, so good! I loved both of the main characters so much and over all, this book just gave me super warm, fluffy feelings. This book made me laugh out loud so much and I just really, really loved it!

Description: First Son, Alex Claremont-Diaz, absolutely despises Prince Henry of England (actually he has a super long title, but I'm not going to fi 5/5 stars

Broad thoughts: This was seriously one of the cutest books I have ever read! This is my new favorite YA contemporary/romance book. It was just so, so good! I loved both of the main characters so much and over all, this book just gave me super warm, fluffy feelings. This book made me laugh out loud so much and I just really, really loved it!

Description: First Son, Alex Claremont-Diaz, absolutely despises Prince Henry of England (actually he has a super long title, but I'm not going to find it right now, so he can just be Henry of England). However, when somethings go wrong at a royal wedding and Alex has to spend a whole weekend with Henry pretending to be friends, he and Henry begin to communicate privately. It doesn't take that long before both boys realize that they're falling in love with each other.

More specific thoughts: OH MY GOSH ALEX AND HENRY ARE MY LIIIIIIFE!!!! They're seriously just so cute together and I just love them so much. It's not just when they're being cute that I love them. They have a ton of deep conversations regarding different aspects of their lives, and I think that is just as great as when they're being super cute. I didn't really care for anything about the politics in this book, just their relationship. As it developed, I just got more and more invested.

Spoilery thoughts:

Okay, when the emails got leaked, I can't say that I was surprised- I did expect something like that to happen, but I was still sad. Alex having his only thoughts be on Henry and how Henry was coping felt very natural for, Alex's character, and I was just getting all of the feels.

Alex and Henry's emails back and forth were EVERYTHING!! A lot of times, they would just be really sweet. Other times, though, they'd be really deep (especially from Henry to Alex) and I loved it when they get really deep with each other.

Conclusion: This book was so, so, so good! It had very relevant issues regarding the LGBTQ+ community, and feeling the need to hide one's feelings, but it was also just really fluffy and adorable. Over all, this book had everything I needed, and I'm super happy with it! ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Jul 10, 2021 ~farnia rated it liked it

3.5

AHHH!!!
I love this book !!!
It felt like wrapping a blanket around yourself while drinking hot chocolate
So cute
MY HEART
as a hopeless romantic
I adore this book
I had such high hopes for it
But it wasn’t that AMAZING
so i think 3.5 stars is the best rating for it

Anyways
HENRY SUPREMACY
🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼

1 like · Like · see review

Apr 30, 2021 Lαυɾαღ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, 2021-bookshelf, re-read

I loved it! Really loved it!
It was cute and funny in the same time. I can't say any negativity about this book. I'll definitely re-read it sometimes, because it was not long and it was easy to read.
...more

1 like · Like · see review