A review by claudiaque
American Royals, by Katharine McGee
3.0
What a fun concept that just kind of got bogged down into too many characters and storylines.
American Royalty is an alternate timeline contemporary novel that presents what would have happened if America established a new regency instead of a democracy after the revolution. Well we would of course have a totally drama filled royal family! The novel follows Beatrice, the oldest daughter and heir to the throne after a recently enacted rule allowing women to inherit over sons. Then we have the wild child second princess, Samantha. Then Samantha’s ‘commoner’ BFF, ….whos name I have forgotten. Then we have lower royalty Daphne who is determined to climb to the top.
That’s a lot of ‘thens’. The chapters are short which make it easy to read but unfortunately leave us pretty disconnected from between the storylines when we are constantly swapping. Beatrice’s romance was the only one that felt like it was more deeply written. Daphne and Commoner BFF vaguely fight over a character that could be replaced by a cardboard cut out. Samantha’s is an insta-love that makes a really big deal out of making out in a coat room.
But anyways, I never really felt like I got to know any of the characters well enough, even from their own perspectives. Beatrice and Daphne were the most interesting since they fell into such easy to follow tropes that you could fill in the blanks but BFF and Samantha didn’t feel rounded so I cared very little about any of their drama.
This book could have very much used a singular focus and I think it would have been great. High drama, fun setting, interesting character set ups but as it was, all of the stories felt like a quarter of one that never really made a whole.
American Royalty is an alternate timeline contemporary novel that presents what would have happened if America established a new regency instead of a democracy after the revolution. Well we would of course have a totally drama filled royal family! The novel follows Beatrice, the oldest daughter and heir to the throne after a recently enacted rule allowing women to inherit over sons. Then we have the wild child second princess, Samantha. Then Samantha’s ‘commoner’ BFF, ….whos name I have forgotten. Then we have lower royalty Daphne who is determined to climb to the top.
That’s a lot of ‘thens’. The chapters are short which make it easy to read but unfortunately leave us pretty disconnected from between the storylines when we are constantly swapping. Beatrice’s romance was the only one that felt like it was more deeply written. Daphne and Commoner BFF vaguely fight over a character that could be replaced by a cardboard cut out. Samantha’s is an insta-love that makes a really big deal out of making out in a coat room.
But anyways, I never really felt like I got to know any of the characters well enough, even from their own perspectives. Beatrice and Daphne were the most interesting since they fell into such easy to follow tropes that you could fill in the blanks but BFF and Samantha didn’t feel rounded so I cared very little about any of their drama.
This book could have very much used a singular focus and I think it would have been great. High drama, fun setting, interesting character set ups but as it was, all of the stories felt like a quarter of one that never really made a whole.