Reviews

Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams

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smiley7245's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring 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

2.75

Queenie was incredibly hard to like as a main character because you were watching her self destruct and there was nothing you could do about it. I just wanted to shake her and tell her to stop. But, at the same time she was hard to not like because she was so relatable. Now, I have never had to deal with the micro-aggressions or blatant racism that she faced, but I have spiraled because of a boy so I get it, to an extent.

I HATED Cassandra. She was a bully and a taker. I liked it better for Queenie when they weren't speaking because she struggled enough with her doubts, she didn't need the extra negativity in her life. Her other two friends were great; they vocalized their worries for her, acknowledged the situation, and helped her. When she finally started therapy they were supportive. I liked that her grandfather was her biggest supporter about starting therapy; and that his support changed the minds of everyone else in her family. It was good to see Queenie grow, learn to use the therapy skills in life, and share them with her mother, which in turn helped her rebuild her relationship with her mother. I did not like her boss; but came around to her in the end with how she handled the letter from Ted and apologizing about the whole situation.

I wanted more of a happy ending. This just ended; it felt unfinished. Queenie's story was not done with the end of this book, but it did not seem like there was a set up for a second book either. I would have liked it more if the ending felt more complete.

Part of me wanted her to get back together with Tom. Yes, she had the big revelation where she deleted his number, but even that felt incomplete. I was glad she was able to go on the date, realize she didn't like him, and leave without sleeping with him. I wish she wouldn't have gone back to his place, but that wouldn't have been as impactful for her.

I'm just not satisfied. Queenie had all of this growth, but her story doesn't feel complete.

charl0ttelucy's review against another edition

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4.0

I didn’t love this book in the beginning, it was difficult to get into but as I carried on reading the greatness of this book creeped up on me. I’m grateful to read a book that doesn’t revolve around romantic relationships, instead it focuses on sexual relationships, friendships and mental health.

Queenie as a character is admirable, I found myself relating to her self destructive behaviours, and grew to love her. She educated readers and gave an insight into the lives of a traditional Jamaican family whilst also trying to steer away from this. It details her declining mental health, and follows her journey trying to combat this as well as all the other obstacles in her way; a failed relationship, one night stands, her job and her dysfunctional but loving circle of friends.

In the end I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I didn’t want it to end. It gets a solid 4.5/5 stars as it was gripping and I couldn’t put it down.

staceface75's review against another edition

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4.0

Good book, funny. Sometimes it was hard to decipher the slang. Other than that, an easy read. Queenie is very likeable and I found myself constantly rooting for her. Her girlfriends are a great supporting cast.

emmalevs's review against another edition

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1.0

Very disappointing read. Incredibly heavy-handed and unnatural in terms of its discussion of racism in my opinion; so often, Queenie felt like the mouthpiece of the author’s sociopolitical views as though she was reporting them in a Buzzfeed article newspaper (perhaps fitting, given Queenie’s job). The abysmal level of tact these serious, multifaceted issues of race and gentrification and feminism were tackled with was laughable. Additionally, I was upset by the depiction of the only Jewish character in the book; she was an absolute villain, completely unlikeable, a spoiled princess, and literally labeled by her ability to lend Queenie money. How is this okay? In a book meant to identify the struggles of being a contemporary black woman, of being labeled by your racial identity, of trying to navigate a prejudiced world, how in the world could this author portray a Jewish person in such an offensive way?

jreading's review against another edition

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emotional funny 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

angievansprang's review

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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.

Content Warnings