For fans of:
- Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
- Yes, No, Maybe So by Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed
- What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera
Review:
“We have to get better at seeing the person inside the monster. And maybe if we stop filling boys’ heads with so much nonsense, they won’t turn into monsters at all.”
Okay, I’m just going to say it. We all know that most of the people picking up this book are ones that heard it being compared to Red, White and Royal Blue. And while I do see the connection, I hesitate to recommend it to readers solely based on that because I think they’ll expect something different from this story. The State of Us has less of a romance-y feel and is more on the political side, offering answers to the question if two people with opposing views (or with families who have very different ideas of how US politics can be salvaged) can ever find common ground. I think there’s a certain pun in the title, not only because the state of “Us”, that is Dean and Dre is discussed in this book, but also the state of the “United States”. There’s a lot of focus on politics in this book which I enjoyed for the most part.
You can tell Hutchinson made an effort to showcase that just because your relatives have certain stances when it comes to issues such as equity and equality, that does not automatically mean that their children follow and believe in the same ideals. I also really liked that both Dean and Dre get involved in politics and fighting for their beliefs in more unconventional ways. What’s more, I loved how they both began as somewhat ignorant about each other’s beliefs but learned more about what makes the other one tick and that just because you believe certain things doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t see the very convincing arguments the other party has. In a way, they fall in love more because of their differences than their common ground and I really enjoyed that.
I also have to give it to Hutchinson, the ace rep in this novel is phenomenal. The discussion of the asexuality spectrum and Dean not knowing where exactly he is on that spectrum, but still developing and exploring feelings for Dre was so natural and relatable; it honestly made my heart soar a bit. There’s also some discussion about the stereotypes people on the ace spectrum have to deal with, namely that they’re robotic and just don’t ‘get’ feelings and I think Hutchinson did a wonderful job with how he made Dean not only deal with these misconceptions but also with the framing of the coming out process.
Though the pacing of the book left a bit to desired at certain points when it came to the political race between Dean and Dre’s parents, I think the ending especially will pacify a lot of readers.
The tagline For Love or Country perfectly encapsulates what Hutchinson has achieved in this book – in a political minefield, the overall message is that love wins – always. And that the way we raise the next generation of lovers and voters will determine not only the state of us but also the role we play in the world.
The State of Us is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of June 2nd 2020.
Will you be picking up The State of Us? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
When Dean Arnault’s mother decided to run for president, it wasn’t a surprise to anyone, least of all her son. But still that doesn’t mean Dean wants to be part of the public spectacle that is the race for the White House—at least not until he meets Dre.
The only problem is that Dre Rosario’s on the opposition; he’s the son of the Democratic nominee. But as Dean and Dre’s meet-ups on the campaign trail become less left to chance, their friendship quickly becomes a romantic connection unlike any either of the boys have ever known.
If it wasn’t hard enough falling in love across the aisle, the political scheming of a shady third-party candidate could cause Dean and Dre’s world to explode around them.
It’s a new modern-day, star-crossed romance about what it really means to love your country—and yourself—from the acclaimed author of We Are the Ants and Brave Face, Shaun David Hutchinson.
