If you don’t recognize that name, buckle up, because today we’re going on a wild ride talking about her most recent novel, American Royals, an alternate history story about what the life of the First Family would be like today if George Washington had become king.
While I wouldn’t consider American Royals high literature or even much of a challenging read, it was one of my most fun reads of 2020 so far. The plot was original, the characters were distinct, and the drama was addictive.
But before we get into the actual story, can we please talk about that cover? One word: masterpiece. I mean, seriously, before I bought it, I’d had my eye on it since practically its release because everytime I went to the bookstore, it stood out to me. It’s almost entirely red, white, and blue (of course), with a gorgeous print of Beatrice, one of the main characters, and--it gets better—when you take the dust jacket off, the back is a really nice strong red; the front, a navy with a crown indented on it. I’m obsessed. And don’t even get me started on the French edition or the sequel’s cover!
So, basically, just looking at the book makes me happy. Makes all people who have the good fortune of seeing it happy. Onto plot, shall we?
While some of the events might have followed teen drama formulas best known by viewers of shows from people like Josh Schwartz (Gossip Girl, The OC) and Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (Archieverse), the idea behind the book was original, and it was fun drama.
Many authors would have taken it a different way, focusing on the effect of America’s changed political system, but McGee, being a true fan of shows like Downton Abbey and The Crown, chose to focus on the dynamics of the royal family and the power struggles in the high court.
I liked that she did that, and the book was clearly advertised as a drama, so it didn’t come as a surprise to the readers. She added enough changes to the world, like royal lingo and most other countries still being monarchies, that it was believable. There was enough nitty-gritty political stuff to satisfy but not overwhelm the reader, making it easy to focus on the piping hot tea going on.
The plot was just one long sip of tea (and I’m sorry for my excessive use of that word today, but it’s accurate, so get used to it). I think Nina’s plotlines interested me the most. She was always likable, which is hard to say for some other characters (*cough* Jeff *cough*). She was genuine and most relatable to the reader. (Unless, of course, the reader is in some royal family. In which case they’d probably relate to her the least.)
At one point, Nina was in a major argument with Sam, and I think Sam’s problems were valid, and she’s allowed to be in a bad place, but Nina’s reason to be mad at her made so much sense. Sam had been focusing only on herself when Nina was going through a lot of bad press—I mean, Sam barely batted an eyelash. I get that, as the spare, Sam might have had bad press her whole life and can ignore it generally well, but Nina can’t, and to expect Nina to take all of this in stride just because Sam had her own problems going on was selfish.
So, yeah. Sorry for that random opinion. We can get into that in the characters section.
Which, actually, we can move into now. Plot section over. I said everything I have to say about it, and I have a separate section for drama, so there’s nothing else interesting to add here.
American Royals is told through four different perspectives: Beatrice, the first female heir; Samantha, the spare with a rebellious streak; Nina, Samantha’s best friend and Prince Jeff’s sort-of girlfriend; and Daphne, Prince Jeff’s social climbing ex.
If you read my review of One of Us is Next, you know that it’s important to me that the different perspectives have clear voices, and I feel like that box was half-checked in this book. It was told in limited third person, which is cool, I guess, but if I lost track of whose chapter I’m on because when multiple narrators were in the scene, there is no “I did this” to refer to, so I had to go back to the start of the chapter to see whose turn it is. That was really annoying.
The voices were slightly distinct, though. Daphne for sure was always noticeable. Sometimes I got stuck between Sam and Nina, especially since they’re best friends, so there would be scenes between just the two of them, and they behave and think similarly enough that their narratives weren’t very different. Half-check seems valid.
Like I said earlier, Nina was my favorite character. When she had a problem with someone, I’d just be like, “Yeah, that’s valid. I’d be mad too.” And I think she’s cute with Jeff, but she’s also way too far above him because of his lack of a brain when it comes to Daphne.
Jeff was… stressful, to say the least. He’s a good guy for sure, but he could be so thickheaded. It’d probably be easier to love him if he were a narrator, but he’s not, so I can’t. Not getting his perspective, it just kind of seemed like he couldn’t or wouldn’t understand that Nina is scared of the ever-present gossip centered on the royal family. There’s a scene where Nina is freaking out because Daphne totally ripped on her, and when she told Jeff that Daphne’s crazy, he defended his ex. Um, I don’t know about you, but to me, rule number one of a happy relationship is trust. He seriously can’t at least try to believe Nina? He literally just said that she shouldn’t be jealous, and then when she broke up with him because she wasn’t being jealous, she was being right, he just kind of walked away. He didn’t talk to her about it, ask for the full story, or do anything a functioning human being would do. He just, like, left, and then let Daphne--the literal reason they broke up—comfort him as he got really drunk.
Dude. Get it together. Find your girlfriend—or, I guess ex now, after he was stupid—and talk to her. Actually listen to what she’s saying, and don’t dismiss her like you did the first time.
Anyway. He bothers me. When it comes to handling hard situations, he fails. I mean, I’ll definitely be chill if he grows in the second book and Jeff-and-Nina (anyone got a ship name?) are endgame, but he needs a reality check first.
I was fine with Daphne. I mean, she sucks, and she makes Nina unhappy, which is, like, girl, so much as glance at her and I will end you, but she’s a fine character. A trope for sure, but who isn’t, in this book? And, let’s be real, we love a good trope.
As a person, though, I hate her. She does a lot of mean things to my girl Nina while Nina is just trying to be happy. Like, back off. Nina did nothing to you—all of your problems you pretty much brought onto yourself--so stop projecting.
Beatrice was conflicting. She was trying to do what was best for her country, but I feel like in real life she would have picked a different suitor after she found out Sam likes Teddy. I mean, she’s supposed to be the responsible, best-choice-for-everyone-but-me character. The best choice for everyone but her is to let Sam and Teddy date and to pick one of the other eleven options. I don’t get why she didn’t think of that. I don’t get why that wasn’t the solution she came up with.
Especially since she’s having an affair with her bodyguard. Which, for some reason, gave me bad vibes. I think it’s because, in my head, there’s an age difference, even if McGee made it very clear that, at most, they’re only two or three years apart. But it’s confusing because the rest of the characters are either graduating high school or are freshmen in college, and she’s not even close to that age. I think. Wait, now that I’m thinking about it, Sam is taking a gap year, eighteen, I think, and she had a thing with Beatrice’s fiance… so how old is Beatrice? Old enough to be out of college, because she isn’t in school and definitely went, but also young enough for her high school sister to be in love with the guy she’s marrying.
This is so confusing. I’m so confused. Maybe my brain is melting in this quarantine. I don’t know.
Anyway. That was kind of way off topic. If you understand their ages, please contact me. Back to characters.
Teddy was probably my second favorite character, after Nina. He had his act together—unlike Jeff—was adorably in love with Sam, and had the cute storyline where he was putting his family first for everything. I’m excited to see his relationship with Sam grow in Majesty (the sequel).
Ethan confused me. What part of Daphne does he find appealing? I guess she’s smart in a manipulating, mean kind of way. Maybe he can tell that she feels conflicted about playing Jeff? But does she? The reader gets a clear shot into her mind with her narration, and, sure, she’s human, her heart isn’t an actual stone, but that doesn’t mean any part of her is nice. That doesn’t mean any part of her is likeable. I’d like to get a scene in the next book where he explains why he likes her to Jeff.
That would actually be a really cool scene. Jeff will have found out that Daphne has been sabotaging his relationship with Nina the whole time, but he feels like he can’t win Nina back, and he blames Daphne 1000% for that even though it’s also entirely his own fault. He’s talking with Ethan about it, who admits he loves Daphne. When Jeff tries to tell him that he only thinks he loves Daphne, and she’s actually a lying snake, Ethan explains why he likes her.
I need this to happen.
That’s about it for the characters. There aren’t really many others of importance.
Finally the drama section.
Just because I strongly dislike Jeff doesn’t mean I don’t like the tea between him and Nina. And he does have good parts.
Like their first date. He tried to take her to the fancy sushi place, but she felt uncomfortable, so instead they went to Wawa and drank chocolate milkshakes with double M&M’s. That was adorable, and he was adorable, and they were so perfectly in love.
Same with the trip to Telluride. When they were skiing, he knew that she’d miss the turnoff and waited for her. He said some pretty freaking adorable things about wanting to shout to the world that she’s his girlfriend. All good things, all good things.
And when he went to that frat party to win her back—a million gold stars for that. That was perfect. He literally brought her her favorite milkshake! I’m dead.
Sam and Teddy were a surprisingly cute relationship. He makes her so much more—not to sound rude, but—reasonable? And he gets her better than pretty much everyone else in the book.
Sam is prone to being extra about her problems, and I can see him being a rock for her, supporting her in everything but also talking her down when she gets over the top with her drama.
They didn’t get many scenes in American Royals because of the whole engagement thing, but I really hope they’re endgame. I know in the blurb for Majesty it says someone else is catching her eye, but hopefully that makes him jealous and realize how in love he is and that he wants to be with her, duty or not. I hope McGee steps up her Sam-and-Teddy game (we need a ship name for them, too) in Majesty.
Overall, great book. Fun read, and would recommend for sure to anyone who likes a solid tea-filled teen romance. Hopefully my next review is soon. I’ve already started it but only have the very beginning done—and, no, before you ask, it’s not Queen of Nothing, and I suck and I’m sorry. Today’s review wasn’t as… heated as my regular, at least except for that rant about Jeff. What do you think? Keep them chill like today, or go back to my four page freak-out sesh? Stay safe, stay home, and keep reading, readers.