Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams

180 reviews

angievansprang's review

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I really enjoyed this read. Queenie is a young, Black, 20-something trying to find her way in London while coming to terms with some realities about her life. There are LOTS of terrible men, beautiful female friendships, complicated family dynamics, and most importantly, the rocky journey towards self love & self acceptance. Though Queenie is by no means perfect, I found her to still be a lovable character. You want everything to work out for her in the end. Check trigger warnings before picking this one up because there are definitely scenes that are hard to stomach, especially when you as the reader can recognize Queenie’s self-destructive behavior before she does. I thought the mental health representation of anxiety & panic disorders was completely on par in this book and I appreciated that rawness from the author. It was one of the many ways in which Queenie comes alive off the page.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Racism, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Toxic friendship and Mental illness

Minor: Child abuse, Suicide, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, and Physical abuse

justcallmeemily's review against another edition

funny sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

If it wasn't for book club, i would've DNFed a long time ago. Definitely not my kind of book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Racism, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Cursing, Child abuse, Alcohol, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, and Mental illness

Minor: Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Drug use, and Suicidal thoughts

sandysmith's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

I'm gradually adding books I've read in 2021 to give a true reflection of the books I've read since keeping records.  This was the first book I read in 2021, and is what kick started my reading journey having put reading on the back burner whilst bringing up the children, previously being an avid reader.  Queenie is a black journalist navigating her life. Its about live, race and relationships. She and the other characters are not very likeable. She badly navigates the dating scene. Mysogony and racism make uncomfortable reading. I wanted to shake her to make her come to her senses. After counselling it does get better fo  her, but I really disliked some of the characters and situations she found herself in. It's a Bridget Jones type book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Racial slurs, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Sexual content, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Panic attacks/disorders, and Miscarriage

rockyreading's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

In full transparency, I saw a lot of myself in this book. A lot of my darkest times and worst decisions is reflected in Queenie and what she went through. We're human, we're not perfect, and sometimes we go on paths of self destruction before coming back out of the rubble and realizing who we are and what we deserve.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Panic attacks/disorders, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Racism

brigitta_anna's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, and Racism

lizzybobizzy23's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

An important and wonderful read. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this since I picked it up. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse

Moderate: Sexual violence

Minor: Miscarriage

773victoria's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective relaxing sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, Sexual violence, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Mental illness, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Racism, and Infidelity

Minor: Gun violence and Miscarriage

jawillis's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, and Racism

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

sarah_reading_party's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

the good:
-queenie's jamaican british family, their dialogue/slang, and the way they care for each other
-queenie's friend group, the corgis... nothing like a good group of friends :)
-queenie's determination to improve her mental health and seek the therapy she needs

the bad:
-graphic abuse & sexual content - queenie put herself into bad situations and men put her into bad situations. that could have been shown without such graphic content/descriptions. i had to skim some large portions of this book. :(
-some of the workplace things queenie deals with could have been avoided if she just, ya know, worked. alas....

i probably would not have finished this book if it had not been a book club selection. the author is a talented writer and i'd consider reading another of her books in the future!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Grief, Medical content, Miscarriage, and Sexism

andrearuthelyn's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Toxic friendship, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Racism, and Sexual content