Red, White & Royal Blue Review || 3 Stars ⭐ *UPDATE* it’s more like a 2 star book

Поділитися
Вставка
  • Опубліковано 15 лис 2024

КОМЕНТАРІ • 71

  • @jaziybabe
    @jaziybabe 5 років тому +32

    I’m with you! I actually just DNFed this around 220 because it wasn’t what I was expecting and I just didn’t care anymore....glad I’m not the only one.

    • @alliewithbooks
      @alliewithbooks  5 років тому +6

      I kind of wish I had dnf'd it as well. I had been hoping the end half of the book would give me something worthwhile, but it was pretty underwhelming.

    • @jaziybabe
      @jaziybabe 5 років тому

      alliewithbooks well I’m glad to know I won’t be missing much!

    • @ellierichardson1616
      @ellierichardson1616 2 роки тому +1

      I dnf'd jn the exact same place

  • @biancasalinas9500
    @biancasalinas9500 4 роки тому +39

    For the book, I felt that the word choice was really odd. I did not like how they constantly cursed in the book. It felt weird that the adults would talk to Alex and his friends that way and also vice versa. I felt like the author inserted curse words to make it more "funny" but it made it a bit cringy. I was slightly disappointed that it was the third person bc I felt it could have been better with the first person. As for the Latinx representation, as a Latinx I did not relate to it at all it, felt like Alex was a token and spoke Spanish just to remind the audience. One thing I was thrown off by was when Alex said "vato" he said it like twice and the first time it was addressing Rafael Luna and it was just odd he would address on an adult in that manner. I may be getting nitpicky but I felt sort of odd to me along with how the characters talked to one another. I understand how Latinx can like the representation but it didn't really do it for me.

    • @alliewithbooks
      @alliewithbooks  4 роки тому +3

      Yeah I felt a lot of what you brought up was strange too!! I'm not fluent in Spanish, but that "vato" thing with Rafael felt very strange to me as well. And I'm totally fine with people enjoying the representation, it just didn't do it for me either.

  • @DaisyXMachina
    @DaisyXMachina 5 років тому +27

    Heh, our reviews are very similar! Although I didn't really mind third person present tense once I got used to it, my main issue was the plot which also seemed to go nowhere after the first third of the novel, which you felt as well. Anyway, it's nice to know I'm not alone in my thoughts but am really happy for those who loved the novel and I'll look forward to the inevitable movie!

    • @alliewithbooks
      @alliewithbooks  5 років тому +2

      I was really hoping it would grow on me, but I think because I took a break from reading it smack dab in the middle, it was like getting acquainted with the style all over again which was rough. I REALLY hope there's a movie because I can only imagine how good it would be!

    • @bxjeweled
      @bxjeweled 3 роки тому +1

      honestly i can't wait for a movie because even tho the book was bad the concept of the plot was great and it would have been incredible if only it was well developed so I rlly hope that they make amovie where they use the same storyline and add more depth / take away some of the useless scenes / tie it all together (basically re edit it),, if they do (also the movie will b shorter that 400 pages so the plot will probably b more focused on whatever the storyline was and less all over the place) it'll be cool af imo

    • @DaisyXMachina
      @DaisyXMachina 3 роки тому

      @@bxjeweled I'd definitely watch the movie!!

  • @katienay3657
    @katienay3657 3 роки тому +9

    I felt exactly the same. The only thing you didn’t say that I thought was that the author would skip big events by just said “and then he graduated.” the first son’s graduation from Georgetown could have been a fun plot point that could create a tense near miss with Henry or something.
    I also disliked the 3rd person present tense combo. It took me over a week to read this and usually books like this take me 2 days.
    Great comprehensive and balanced review!

    • @alliewithbooks
      @alliewithbooks  3 роки тому +2

      I agree! I felt like the pacing was strange and there were definitely scenes I thought would have been interesting that were skipped in favor of scenes I didn't find as interesting.
      Yeah the 3rd person present was such a shock. I feel like it completely slowed down the book for me, too.

  • @jeanette792
    @jeanette792 5 років тому +19

    Yes you explained what I couldn’t! I was also so confused by all these little plots at one point I was like where is this book going? What’s the point ? Yes! The third person writing was kind of weird I kind of wish we had different perspectives. Also, I enjoyed that there was mexican representation, but I, as a mexican, didn’t really relate to much of it.

    • @alliewithbooks
      @alliewithbooks  5 років тому +4

      I feel like this book would have definitely benefited from having multiple perspectives. Felt like a lost opportunity.

  • @artistaaliyah7842
    @artistaaliyah7842 3 роки тому +16

    YES you summed up my feelings of this book perfectly! I honestly felt like a heartless witch when I finished this book and didn’t really like it whereas so many people were gushing about it! Also what did you think of the characters? Not gonna lie, I felt like Henry had the personality of dry toast and Alex felt kind of self absorbed and so I never connected with the characters :(

    • @alliewithbooks
      @alliewithbooks  3 роки тому +7

      I totally felt bad too! But I was just so disappointed when I didn't end up liking the book. I also felt like Henry was boring, but I at least liked him more than Alex lol

  • @n_2289
    @n_2289 5 років тому +12

    Idk I kind of connected to Henry’s character. I also kind of don’t like the third person pov. I kind of hoped that they have their own povs because I also wanted to know how things went in Henry’s palace or something

    • @alliewithbooks
      @alliewithbooks  5 років тому +6

      I wish we had gotten Henry's perspective tbh I feel like we didn't get to know him well enough.

  • @christinaoates4584
    @christinaoates4584 5 років тому +14

    I agree with you the writing style was a bit strange... and sometimes the spanish felt thrown in but otherwise I really enjoyed myself. I'm glad you did this video though because it helped me see that it wasn't just me about certain aspects of the book

  • @quitesimplyreading6763
    @quitesimplyreading6763 5 років тому +7

    Okay wow honestly I have all the same thoughts you do. Contemporary really isn't my genre but I love a good hate to love and this was getting amazing reviews but it should not be sold as a hate to love... The hate to love was so good though so I'm so disappointed it wasn't explored more because there was so much potential and so much that could have been done.
    I feel like the plot and pace were all over the place and I literally didn't pick this book up for 2 weeks after getting to about 80 pages. It was sad because I was thinking this was going to be my new favourite for about 50 pages. The characters are so GREAT I LOVE alex.
    This review is really well done you're so well spoken 💕✨

    • @alliewithbooks
      @alliewithbooks  5 років тому +2

      I really wish the hate to love had been explored more, it was truly one of my favorite parts of the book! And yes, I love Alex too!!
      Thank you for watching 😊

  • @PaolaMancera
    @PaolaMancera 5 років тому +7

    I love these kinds of reviews bc they give me a whole new perspective on what to expect/hope for if I decide to pick up the book in question. Thank you for this, Allie!

    • @alliewithbooks
      @alliewithbooks  5 років тому

      Thank you!! I was hoping I could help give a different perspective.

  • @madelinelungley3558
    @madelinelungley3558 4 роки тому +5

    I completely agree with you! At the time I couldn't put my finger on what was off, but the third-person perspective just didn't work as well as it could have. I also felt that the representation of the royal family, and England in general, wasn't as accurate as it could've been. As a Brit, I feel like lots of stereotypical assumptions were made about the royal family and the British media. I also struggled to understand the American political system at times and feel like it could've been explained more for the non-American people. However, I did love the romance between Alex and Henry (even if the hate to love romance didn't feature as much as I would've liked it too). Loved your review :)

    • @alliewithbooks
      @alliewithbooks  4 роки тому

      I had a feeling the British aspects were stereotypical, but I wasn't totally sure since I'm not British. I also felt like the American politics weren't explain well, even as someone who has a pretty good understanding of American politics. I'm glad you liked my review and thank you for watching!!

  • @iLiviesimone
    @iLiviesimone 5 років тому +6

    Yesssss! Love hearing all sorts of perspectives! And it just so happens, I agree with you a lot on this one
    The hate to love was not in this nearly as much as I was expecting- and if you really look at it, it never really truly was one to begin with, just masked as one. I wish that last longer though
    Also the scenes were so all over the place after a certain point. I remember like half way through I thought wow I still have half the bok left? Yay for the romance (loved!) but also.... what else?
    Great video expressing your thoughts!!!

    • @alliewithbooks
      @alliewithbooks  5 років тому

      Thank you! The romance was very sweet 😊 Henry is such a little muffin and I love him lol

  • @evam6961
    @evam6961 5 років тому +4

    If only i saw this video before i got the book 😐 oh well i also gave it 3 stars

    • @alliewithbooks
      @alliewithbooks  5 років тому +1

      Yeah, I wish I had had seen a 3 star review before buying it too lol

  • @shelblr
    @shelblr 5 років тому +6

    I’m so happy that I’m not alone for my differing opinion! Great vid!

    • @alliewithbooks
      @alliewithbooks  5 років тому +2

      I had a feeling there had to be other people with similar opinions on the book. Thanks for watching!

  • @nellikoivu505
    @nellikoivu505 5 років тому +7

    I also gave this book 3 stars, and I was quite dissapointed, but it still had some parts that I did like. Really loved your review😊

    • @alliewithbooks
      @alliewithbooks  5 років тому +4

      Thank you! I'm definitely a huge bundle of mixed feelings about this book, but I really hope it opens doors for more mainstream NA books in the future.

  • @axolottymaybe4532
    @axolottymaybe4532 3 роки тому +3

    Honestly I just wish there was a warning for the NSFW content. I understand it’s an adult book, but as someone who just didn’t want to read that I wish it could have had some kind of warning. This also might be me just being forgetful but I feel like a lot of the names characters weren’t important.

    • @alliewithbooks
      @alliewithbooks  3 роки тому +3

      I think that's totally fair, but I will say that RWRB didn't have more NSFW content compared to other adult romances. It seems pretty par for the course imo.

  • @theatricalreader
    @theatricalreader 5 років тому +5

    I really enjoyed hearing your thoughts on this. I do want to that I did enjoy the Mexican representation. Granted, they were small but i found that Casey using “Cente” for Vicente Fernandez was very accurate and Alex saying “Pa” for his father was a small thing but I love reading that in books with latinx characters. There are other examples that I adored in this book but those are the first things that popped up in my head.
    Those little things really made the book so amazing for me but I can understand why you weren’t fond of this book.

    • @alliewithbooks
      @alliewithbooks  5 років тому +3

      There were definitely things about the rep that I liked, and other parts where it just didn't feel fully authentic. I did like Alex using "Pa" for his father, too! I think rep is going to feel different for everyone, and even though I couldn't connect with it in this book, I'm glad it exists :)

  • @Usselton
    @Usselton Рік тому

    I Absolutely fell in love with this book Red White and Royal Blue I wanted to read it over and over again I read it 2 times already and I absolutely fell in love with this book the second time to it show’s that the second time is just as good as the first time

  • @frankikatz
    @frankikatz 4 роки тому +2

    This was a really thoughtful and in-depth review. I felt & agreed with a lot of things that you pointed out, but my personal experience was that it was very fun, which made me happy. Thanks so much for sharing!

    • @alliewithbooks
      @alliewithbooks  4 роки тому

      Thank you. I’m glad that you enjoyed the book! That’s what matters the most 😊

  • @bxjeweled
    @bxjeweled 3 роки тому +1

    honestly i can't wait for a movie because even tho the book was bad the concept of the plot was great and it would have been incredible if only it was well developed so I rlly hope that they make amovie where they use the same storyline and add more depth / take away some of the useless scenes / tie it all together (basically re edit it),, if they do (also the movie will b shorter that 400 pages so the plot will probably b more focused on whatever the storyline was and less all over the place) it'll be cool af imo

    • @alliewithbooks
      @alliewithbooks  3 роки тому

      I totally agree!! From reading both of Casey’s books, I think their concepts will work so much better as movies/shows.

  • @edxenvertigo6701
    @edxenvertigo6701 3 роки тому +2

    i was a bit odd about it i did not understand the hype as much because ive already seen a lot better LGBTQ novels to even being with although its kind of good so far

    • @alliewithbooks
      @alliewithbooks  3 роки тому +3

      I totally agree. There are so many better LGBTQ books out there.

  • @nickiviloria
    @nickiviloria 4 роки тому +1

    Omgggg I am late for this review, but I just finished it and I couldn’t agree more!!!! Honestly, I was enjoying the beginning so much. The idea was great!!!! But then boom like they loved each other instantly.... what????? Yeah, I gave it 3 stars too. I just feel that it didn’t make sense like wth they were kissing all the time, which I could understand buuut in other circumstances. I just didn’t buy it because I felt the whole thing went so fast. I would have preferred them falling in love progressively... 🤷🏽‍♀️

    • @alliewithbooks
      @alliewithbooks  4 роки тому +1

      I was soooo surprised at how fast they fell in love. Maybe I just really prefer slowburn lol

    • @nickiviloria
      @nickiviloria 4 роки тому

      alliewithbooks absolutely!!!! Me too

  • @catcmbe
    @catcmbe 5 років тому +8

    I also felt like the odd one out while reading this especially the first like 100 pages. At that point it was a 3 stars. It was definitely longer than it needed to be. By the end tho, I’m going between a 3.75 and 4 stars lol. The Latinx rep was a bit cringe for me as a Latinx reader but others seem to be okay with it 🤷🏻‍♀️

    • @alliewithbooks
      @alliewithbooks  5 років тому +2

      I’m glad I’m not the only one who felt a little off about the Latinx rep

  • @ornachia2489
    @ornachia2489 4 роки тому +1

    I agree with you about that 3rd person telling the story.

    • @alliewithbooks
      @alliewithbooks  3 роки тому

      3rd person just really doesn't work in contemporary with only one perspective and I stand by that lol glad you agree!!

  • @bxjeweled
    @bxjeweled 3 роки тому +1

    you at the beginning of the video: I don't want to invalidate anyone's opinions,
    me: *has never felt so validated*

    • @alliewithbooks
      @alliewithbooks  3 роки тому

      Haha I'm so glad you liked the review!!

    • @bxjeweled
      @bxjeweled 3 роки тому

      @@alliewithbooks bae this one is not a review anymore it's my comfort vid u don't know how many of my irls I had to show this vid to in order to make them understand my pov aaa u're a life saver

  • @bxjeweled
    @bxjeweled 3 роки тому

    YES YES YES THE WHOLE "THE BOOK DIDNT G THROUGH ENOUGH EDITING" THINGS YES EXACTLY IT FELT LIKE A FCKING DRAFT, THE PLOT BEING ALL OVER THE PLACE, THE MAIN STORYLINE BEING LONG FORGOTTEN & REPLACE BY RANDOM EVENTS THAT HAPPENED IN THEIR LIFE ! ALSO, ABSOLUTELY AGREE W NEEDING TO ADD MORE DEPTH BOTH TO THE PLOT & TO THE CHARACTERS OMG SO SO TRUE

    • @alliewithbooks
      @alliewithbooks  3 роки тому +1

      The entire story felt really disconnected and all over the place. I think the author really improved in their second book, but they still have a ways to go imo

    • @bxjeweled
      @bxjeweled 3 роки тому

      @@alliewithbooks yup yup, i mea if this one was their first book the ofc it's great but its still not even remotely as good as everyone is making it to bee

  • @maggiespages
    @maggiespages 5 років тому

    this is the first three star review i've heard of this book! i think it's so interesting that there are mixed reviews about it and honestly makes me want to check it out for myself even more

    • @alliewithbooks
      @alliewithbooks  5 років тому

      I think you should definitely check it out.

  • @lecturaslunares926
    @lecturaslunares926 5 років тому +3

    im really glad i found your review, i have similar feelings to you and i also gave 3 stars to the book. I can see where the hype is coming from but definitely not the book for me.
    Im also mexican, and i didnt connect with Alex at all, i feel like the representation was just scattered in little pieces through the book. I dont know maybe its because i dont live in the US?

    • @alliewithbooks
      @alliewithbooks  5 років тому +2

      Yeah, for me the rep felt kind of like manufactured Disney Channel-esque kind of rep. It didn't feel super genuine to me.

  • @bxjeweled
    @bxjeweled 3 роки тому +1

    i was nodding sm while watching this video, especially the enemies to lovers part and the whole "the plots gets resolved in the first 50 pages" thing jsjdjd I've liked this book but objectively it is a mediocre book , literally had to search up rwrb sucks in order to find some reviews that shared my views djdjjx

    • @alliewithbooks
      @alliewithbooks  3 роки тому +1

      I always get nervous when I bring up RWRB because so many people love it, but it's nice to know that this review connected so well! I'm glad my video came up when you searched "rwrb sucks" lmao that's so funny!

    • @bxjeweled
      @bxjeweled 3 роки тому

      @@alliewithbooks ahshshshsbh IT DID I'VE WTAHCED IT SO MANY TIMES LITERRALI I COUDLN'T AGREE MORE

  • @uilliamunknown4844
    @uilliamunknown4844 3 роки тому +4

    I’m only 6 hrs into the audio book and yeah... I’m not impressed. As a* gay minority I can tell you first hand that this is not how the gay scene works for gay and bi* men, especially men of color. It’s grim all around; politically and romantically. Gay men are petty.
    For me personally this novel reads like some wish fulfillment fan fiction. Which is fine, except that the synopsis makes you think you’ll be getting some Megan Markel and Prince Henry type drama along with their love-hate relationship. Like you have a biracial, bisexual First Son hooking up with a very traditional Prince of England... that’s a recipe for a good drama, not a whimsical rom-com.
    Thus far this novel definitely could have went another round of editing and a more clear direction. Like, the idea of the story is good however for me personally I think I would like the story better if there was more realism and drama and some serious consequences involved.
    But Idk maybe the last 6hrs will change my mind.

    • @alliewithbooks
      @alliewithbooks  3 роки тому +1

      I totally agree!! I feel like there wasn't a whole lot of direction in the novel even though it tried to establish a plot. It felt like the author was trying to write a few very different books but couldn't find the connection between them.

    • @uilliamunknown4844
      @uilliamunknown4844 3 роки тому +1

      @@alliewithbooks
      I finished the book. It wasn’t bad for what it was. I still think the book could have gone another round of editing because it shuffled between young adult and contemporary. Not to mention read like an outline with all the underdeveloped plots and characters. Again just my opinion. For those who loved it. That’s great. I’m glad you enjoyed it. I just needed a little more oomph.
      Then again my mind is still in sci-fi/fantasy mode as seeing how I did just binge read “The Song of Achilles,” “The Priory of the Orange Tree” and “Vicious” the last few weeks so idk lol.

  • @kailiasage
    @kailiasage 5 років тому +1

    I really enjoyed this review. It’s disappointing to me that it’s not entirely a hate to love romance. At this point I will skip this book because your issues with the book sound like things that would bother me.

    • @alliewithbooks
      @alliewithbooks  5 років тому +1

      I definitely feel like if I had known that the hate-to-love was such a small part of the book and resolved so quickly I wouldn’t have picked it up, so if that’s something important to you I would recommend not picking it up.

  • @sobaseb6952
    @sobaseb6952 4 роки тому +1

    bro same