Review: Red, White and Royal Blue

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By JT Thomas

Hello all! As I've been saying for the past couple months, we at the Penn State College Democrats are trying to make this blog more fun. So, to that end, I've got something special for our first post in October: a review of the novel Red, White and Royal Blue, by author Casey McQuiston.

This book is set in an alternate version of the year 2020, one where a certain baby-man dipped in Tang mix didn’t win the 2016 election, but is replaced by the fictional democrat Ellen Claremont. The story itself is about her son, Alex, and his rivalry/friendship/romantic relationship with Prince Henry across the pond.

Yes, you read that right. Screw the enemies to lovers and friends to lovers tropes, this book is full on enemies to fake friends to real friends to friends with benefits to lovers.

Filled with interesting geopolitical dynamics, Red, White and Royal Blue is sure to keep fans of US politics and the British crown entertained. It’s also an incredibly powerful love story, and an indictment of British Imperialism.

Let’s dive in, shall we?

McQuiston’s romance is a star when it comes to representation. She showcases women, POC, and LGBTQIA+ people in positions of power. Examples include Senator Oscar Diaz, a Mexican-American man and Alex’s father, Senator Rafael Luna, a gay Mexican-American man, Ellen Claremont, the first woman president, and Percy “Pez” Okonjo, Henry’s best friend and the heir to a Nigerian biomedical company.

Red, White and Royal Blue is, at its heart, a queer love story. Alex is bisexual, and Henry is as gay as they come. The two boys often foil each other. Henry has known he’s gay for a long time, but Alex has quite the identity crisis when coming to terms with his newfound attraction to Henry. These two characters also underline the two opposite ends of coming out stories: Alex’s family is completely accepting of who he is, whereas Henry’s grandmother and older brother want to keep his sexuality under wraps.

One thing I love about how McQuiston's book is her portrayal of Alex’s bisexuality. There is a ton of biphobia and bi erasure both in and outside the LGBTQIA+ community. Positive representation can be hard to come by, but thankfully in recent years there have been more and more creators fighting back against that stigma, and doing it well. McQuiston is one.

And that’s not all. There’s also a heavily implied wlw relationship between June, Alex’s sister, and Nora, the VP’s granddaughter. In my opinion, there are also several scenes that imply a polyamorous relationship between those two and Pez.

But queer stuff aside, McQuiston has given voice to many her issues in her novel. She highlights the effects of grief and divorce. She openly discusses addiction struggles, as well as showing that there’s a way back. Pez wears pink clothes and paints his nails and is incredibly flamboyant, but he’s not gay. She shows that guys can be feminine and straight. Black men in particular are often stereotyped as hyper-masculine and dangerous. Pez's character is important in that he helps to break down that dangerous and blatantly false stereotype.

In terms of style, McQuiston's prose is a double threat. Most of the book is written from Alex's point of view; his wit and charm are brought to the fore. Despite that, McQuiston manages to show us chinks in his armor, and to weave subtle threads of insecurity that make him a very well rounded, dynamic character. We don't get much from Henry's POV, but McQuiston does write emails in his voice. The prince is a poet, something that is clearly evident whenever we get these snapshots of Henry's world. Seriously, I cried. A couple times.

That all being said, I do have some content and trigger warnings for Red, White and Royal Blue. There’s swearing and sexual content, as well as mentions of attempted sexual assault. Still, McQuiston's novel is truly a piece of art. It’s a monument to the fact that love can and will happen, especially when you least expect it. Give it a read, or watch the movie (which is in production) when it comes out! You won't regret it.

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