Book Review: Royals by Rachel Hawkins

Y’all…y’all…this book is balm for your soul. Are you looking for a fun read where you invest in the characters and their circumstances without being worried that the world might end? Then this book is for you.

I’ve been going through a bit of a reading slump for the past several years (I know, it’s driving me crazy.) But this book…this book was everything I’m looking for. The main character, Daisy, is wonderfully complex and self-aware without falling into any of those ‘flawed heroine’ tropes I get so tired of. Her sister (the one dating a prince, the one who drives most of the action of the story) is complete and compelling in her own right. The journey Daisy takes to understanding Ellie, and vice versa, is one of the best sister narratives I’ve read in a long time.

Honestly, everything about this book is wonderful. It is delightfully well written, tuned into the current issues of concern for teens, and a fun read on top of it all. I would encourage everyone to try it. Bonus points for coming out at such an opportune time.

From the publisher:

Meet Daisy Winters. She’s an offbeat sixteen-year-old Floridian with mermaid-red hair; a part time job at a bootleg Walmart, and a perfect older sister who’s nearly engaged to the Crown Prince of Scotland. Daisy has no desire to live in the spotlight, but relentless tabloid attention forces her join Ellie at the relative seclusion of the castle across the pond.

While the dashing young Miles has been appointed to teach Daisy the ropes of being regal, the prince’s roguish younger brother kicks up scandal wherever he goes, and tries his best to take Daisy along for the ride. The crown–and the intriguing Miles–might be trying to make Daisy into a lady . . . but Daisy may just rewrite the royal rulebook to suit herself.

You can find my reviews of other titles by Rachel Hawkins here, here, here, and here. Why yes, I do love her books. She’s also quite a fun follow on Twitter, if you’re into that sort of thing.

Filed under: Book Reviews