American Royals

July 1, 2019
Grab a cup of mead and gather round for a story of kings, queens, princes, princesses, lords, and ladies: the modern ruling families of America. With the ease of a curtsy, McGee (The Towering Sky, 2018, etc.) has established a monarchy made up of the direct descendants of George Washington. There's enough palace intrigue, royal shenanigans, and even a smidgen of sex to satisfy anyone who loves a bit of gossip. Set in the contemporary United States, there are characters we love to love, love to hate, and those we want to send to timeout. Princess Beatrice, who will be the first queen regnant, her twin siblings, Princess Samantha and Prince Jefferson (those noble scamps), Jefferson's wicked ex-girlfriend, and a couple of commoners who make falling in love with the wrong person too easy all tell their sides of the story in alternating third-person chapters. Critical questions tantalize readers through the foibles and flaws of characters who are frustratingly human. Crown jewels aside, the events of the story are as familiar as college parties or family dinners. Not all questions are answered, and readers will eagerly await the next installment to find out whether true love will win or stodgy tradition will triumph. A Latinx main character with two mothers lends a bit of diversity to the majority white cast. An entertaining royal family modeled after the residents of Buckingham Palace. (Fiction. 14-19)

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July 22, 2019
In this drama’s reimagined United States of America, George Washington was crowned king rather than becoming the country’s first elected president. Now, hundreds of years later, his descendent, Princess Beatrice Georgina Fredericka Louise of the House of Washington, the first female heir to the crown, is 21 and expected to find a husband. Her parents, the King and Queen of America, have vetted several potential candidates, whom she is expected to meet at the upcoming Queen’s Ball. There, her tabloid-headline-grabbing twin siblings, Samantha and Jefferson, 19, who have just returned from a postgraduation tour around the world, will make their first official public appearance. Samantha invites her childhood best friend, Nina, as her guest, but Nina is secretly in love with Jefferson, whose ex-girlfriend, meanwhile, has a plan to win him back. Written from multiple perspectives, McGee (The Thousandth Floor) crafts a deliciously soapy American royal family. Though much of the doomed-relationships story arc feels familiar, McGee’s characters are well-crafted and flawed, giving the narrative emotional texture that elevates it above the dramatic formula. Ages 14–up.

August 1, 2019

Gr 7 Up-Imagine if, after the Revolutionary War, George Washington became the king of America instead of its president. Fast forward to the present, when America's beloved Princess Beatrice will one day be the country's first queen. It is no longer only a man's role, since Beatrice's grandfather abolished the law so that the first-born could take the throne. But this princess's life isn't all glamor and no drama. Having fallen for a commoner, she must learn to sacrifice for her country, even her true love. Her sister, Princess Samantha, must learn to live in Beatrice's shadow, though she has big problem coming in second in any situation. Her brother, Prince Jefferson, struggles to determine which girl truly loves him and not his title. Readers will be hooked as the three siblings navigate royalty and the struggles of being a teenager, including the inevitable romantic complications and friend squabbles. With so many dynamic characters and enticing story lines, the multi-narrative arrangement works well to put readers into the heads of more characters. VERDICT A fun twist on history as we know it, and the ending will have readers hoping for a sequel.-Jessica Perovich, US Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit Library

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