ARC Review: Red Girl, Blue Boy (If Only... #5) by Lauren Baratz-Logsted
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Series: If Only... #5
Author: Lauren Baratz-Logsted
Published October 20th 2015 by Bloomsbury USA Children's
Goodreads Synopsis
Enjoy Red Girl, Blue Boy and the other standalone titles in Bloomsbury's contemporary If Only romance line centred around an impossible problem: you always want what you can’t have!
Sixteen-year-old Katie and Drew really shouldn't get along. After all, her father is the Republican nominee for President of the United States while his mother is at the top of the Democratic ticket. But when Katie and Drew are thrown together in a joint interview on a morning talk show, they can’t ignore the chemistry between them. With an entire nation tuned into and taking sides in your parents’ fight, and the knowledge that—ultimately—someone has to lose, how can you fall in love with the one person you’re supposed to hate?
This title in the If Only line is a frank and funny romance that shows how sparks fly when opposites attract.
Goodreads
Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.
The characters of Katie and Drew were very different, but still as enjoyable as each other. Katie was very naive, in my opinion, but I guess that's due to her being involved in the political sphere since she was four years old, and hardly had time to be a proper kid, with a proper childhood. I felt as though she grew the most as a character in the book, as her relationship with Drew introduced her to what being a teenager is all about, how having friends make you feel. Drew, on the other hand, has only been involved in politics for two years, and can still remember what normal life is like. His family had very little money until his father invented a computer programme, which was when his mother decided to run for office, so being thrust into the rich and political life was quite a shock. I felt as though Drew and Katie both sort of mellowed each other, and really brought out the best in each other. I was completely invested in their relationship, and felt all the feels. Just what you want from a wonderful YA contemporary romance.
The other characters in the books, especially the parents, were quite non-existent, and when they were around, all they, especially Katie's dad, cared about, was winning. Once they discovered their children's relationship, which were crumbling, they decided to use it to their advantage. Basically, it's like their pimping out their kids to gain popularity - not exactly what I'd call good parenting.
One major issue I had with the book was the ending. It just stopped. We never found out who won the election - though I hope it was Samantha, the Democratic nominee - she seemed to really care, and want it more, and she was the better parent. All the angsty issues had just been dealt with, and we get one final cutesy scene with Katie and Drew, and then it's done. I just need more. I find this issue quite common with YA contemporary romances, and it's something that makes me dislike the genre at times.
Otherwise, I'd definitely recommend Red Girl, Blue Boy to lovers of YA contemporary romance. It had the perfect amount of feels, angst, and plot. I've not read any of the other instalments in the If Only... series, but I really want to try them now. I also want to read more of Lauren's YA books, so if you have any recommendations, let me know.
Dates Read:
October 27, 2015
Rating
5 Stars
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