Reviews tagging 'Terminal illness'

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

53 reviews

clara_h39's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book is one of the few BookTok books that deserves all of the hype. Genuinely one of the best written contemporary novels I’ve read this year; the author has a beautiful way with words, humor and wit, emotional vulnerability, and the ability to keep me on the edge of my seat reading about politics for gods sake. Henry and Alex and the supporting characters are wonderfully fleshed out; very realistic relationship and sexuality development. A MUST READ!!! And likely will reread time and time again.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Homophobia, and Outing

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexism, Terminal illness, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Death of parent

itsjayprobaby's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This is the book I needed to read years ago, back when I was a teenager struggling with my sexuality and gender identity.  Now, a couple of months off thirty, this book felt healing.  
A queer love story with believable, lovable, complex characters that takes balances just the right mix of drama and heartache and joy and hope.

There is definitely some reliance on predictable romance tropes, but I found it nice to view them from a queer perspective, and smiled and laughed and cried along with Alex and Henry the whole way through.

It's lovely to read a book that provides inclusion to so many without making it feel tokenistic, and where the queer characters get a happy ending.

Is it a literary masterpiece?  No.  But it's well written all the same, and culturally so important for all the young queer people out there that I can't give it anything less than 5*

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cursing, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexism, Terminal illness, and Death of parent

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Cancer, Drug abuse, and Sexual violence

yeoman014's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Outing

Moderate: Addiction, Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Minor: Cancer, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, and Sexual harassment

caitsamermaid's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Warm fuzzy feelings all the way through, though sometimes they were only an undercurrent. Thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Biphobia, Homophobia, Grief, Outing, and Classism

Minor: Addiction, Cancer, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Terminal illness, Death of parent, and Deportation

ethuiliel's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Outing

Moderate: Biphobia, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Stalking, and Alcohol

Minor: Rape, Terminal illness, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, Colonisation, and War

knockoffrainbow's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Cursing, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexual content, Grief, Outing, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Biphobia, Cancer, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, and Classism

Minor: Pedophilia, Terminal illness, Stalking, and Sexual harassment

swiftpool's review against another edition

adventurous funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Super cute and an easy read. June adds so much more depth to the story compared to the movie. Her character also lends depth to Ellen and the different ways she treats each child. I even at one point predicted June would, as a journalist, out her brother due to being jealous of the love and attention he receives. Instead we got a living older sister self sacrificing parts of her own life to be there for him, from giving up her relationship to leaking photos of her and Henry to dispel rumors around Alex and Henry. Her flirtation with Nora and Percy was also super cute, funny, and ambiguous, letting Alex and Henry take the spotlight. Seeing Nora being feral in the background of scenes was cute. Even Leo adds a tumultuous family relationship to the story the movie doesn’t have. Liam, too, adds a lot to Alex’s story and self reflection. I was glad he came back into his life as a friend - and after seeing the movie, them biking to Alex’s house makes much more sense with Liam around. The only real cons I have were with how Nora handled Alex coming out, and the scene where Alex barges into the palace. Honestly I didn’t love how Nora takes Alex coming out to her. Just because she’s queer and already guessed, doesn’t mean she should be so …. up front about it? Especially because even though we see her as logical and clinical, she is also said to be his best friend, and who he goes to for everything even above his sister. It felt like she was pushing him off, like, “yeah so what?”, despite coming to terms with sexuality being big and scary to Alex despite knowing he’d be accepted. As for the palace scene, it’s not that big of a gripe because it was very much written like a real fight - I just don’t happen to love Henry’s character in the moment. And they do, in the morning, clear up that he was an ass. But Henry lashing out at Alex despite being the one to fall first, kiss him first, and then ghost him multiple times and expect Alex to just accept that? Annoying. Definitely could use more communication skills.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Outing

Moderate: Homophobia, Mental illness, Sexual content, Grief, and Death of parent

Minor: Addiction, Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, and Alcohol

eyescanbecruel's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Outing, and Alcohol

Moderate: Addiction, Cancer, Cursing, Homophobia, Racism, Terminal illness, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Drug abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Medical content

_shreyasharma's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

Super cute book! Honestly was a bit skeptical going in, as I've been disappointed by booktok way too many times now, but this one is totally worth the hype. Lovable characters, nice plot and an extremely endearing relationship. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Outing

Moderate: Terminal illness

Minor: Addiction, Biphobia, Cursing, Homophobia, Mental illness, Stalking, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Classism

the_true_monroe's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful informative lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Biphobia, Homophobia, Sexual content, Death of parent, and Outing

Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, Grief, Stalking, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Gun violence, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Colonisation, and War