Queenie

Loved the book, the female protagonist is likable and really flawed struggling to deal with trauma and life as a black woman. You can’t help but root for her but you also get to see the pain that she causes because she can’t deal with her own pain and trauma.

Finished in a day, really beautiful.

3,5*
Tři a půl hvězdičky, s tím, že větší část knihy jsem si myslela, že to budou dvě. První dvě třetiny knihy sledujeme Queenie, jak se snaží zaplnit díru během pauzy se svým (ex)přítelem tím, že spí s naprostými slizouny, kteří se k ní chovají příšerně. A zároveň říká, jak nesnáší doteky lidí, celkově. Je vidět, že tam něco neštimuje. Jenže až do poslední čtvrtiny knihy, kdy se Queenie vydá na terapii, haleluja, nevíme proč a proto mě její chování neskutečně frustrovalo a chtělo se mi s ní pořádně zatřást, nerada vidím jak si lidi hází sami sobě klacky pod nohy. Mám pocit, že kdyby se nějaké náznaky vysvětlení proč se děje, co se děje, mihly už během prvních tří čtvrtin knihy, třeba v podobě mini-vzpomínek nebo flashbacků (jako to bylo s vyobrazením vztahu mezi Queenie a Tomem), byla by většina knihy mnohem snesitelnější.

Nešťastný chování hlavní hrdinky bych řekla, že je pro mě největším mínusem a protože trvá fakt velkou část knihy, tak to shodilo z hodnocení tolik.

Klady!
✨úvodní scéna mi přišla skvělá, úderná, vtipná
✨Queenie rodina - sestřenka Diana jako kontrast oproti zbytku rodiny, který je konzervativnější hlavně v přístupu k psychickému zdraví, děda, co tajně fandí i babička a teta se svými výstřednostmi
✨skupina kamarádek okolo Queenie
✨moc mě bavilo využití SMSek jako dalšího formátu, navíc to dodávalo na realističnosti
✨Queenie BLM aktivismus, i když mám pocit, že se dal víc využít/dalo se jít víc do hloubky, připadal mi tam tak trochu bokem

Doporučuju ♥ ale obrňte se trpělivostí na první dvě třetiny.

I enjoyed the second-half even more than the first half. Loved it.

3.5 ⭐ rounded up because I think I would have liked this better if I had read it vs listened to it. I had a really hard time with her decisions at times

cw: miscarriage, racism, harassment, cheating, child abuse, anxiety, depression, violent sex, fatphobia, fetishizing black women.

protect queenie at all costs

cw: miscarriage, racism, harassment, cheating, child abuse, anxiety, depression, violent sex, fatphobia, fetishizing black women.

Messy and relatable. I love how our main character is portrayed with a healthy amount of doubts on her actions and her questioning even her own motives during unsavory situations. The authors writing capabilities propped this kind of a story well and I found myself loving it.

I really appreciate an author whose willing to “go there” and instead of glossing over tough conversations or tough scenarios they get themselves in it. A gem for the messy girl antic novels.

This book was a little tough to get into but the last 100 or so pages made it completely worth it. A truly beautiful story about dealing with trauma.

Review to come.

“Queenie” by Candace Carty-Williams is not just any book—it's a journey. With a solid 5/5 rating, it's impossible to put down. You're not just reading; you're living alongside Queenie as she navigates the messiness of life, love, and finding herself amidst the chaos of London. Candace's writing brilliantly balances the weight of addressing mental health, racism, and the search for identity with wit and humor that keeps you hooked. It's rare to find a book that feels like a conversation with a friend, one who's flawed, fierce, and utterly relatable. “Queenie” does just that, making you laugh, cry, and everything in between. A must-read that's as insightful as it is entertaining, leaving a lasting impression long after the last page. Definitely a must-read if you're into books that feel like a warm, albeit sometimes chaotic, hug. Couldn't recommend it more if I tried!

3,5

What I like about this book is the audiobook narrator was great and Queenie brings a black perspective which I want to explore, and eventually Queenie gets herself together a bit by going to therapy.


I mostly found this book really frustrating.

Even though Queenie is black and will stand for some principles but become flimsy at anything else. She can not stand up for herself. Also there is a line that said she refused to date black men (this is when I checked to make sure the author isn't white?? they're not!) and queenie will just white men can do whatever harm they want to her the entire fucking book. I'm not sure if this the intentional hypocrisy to provide an example of how bad queenie needs to get her life together...or just a hypocritical sentiment. What am I missing?

It's a rough journey with Queen's discover of self-worth because you'll read over and over her failures as white men keep emotionally and sexually use her up. She just lets these white men abuse her it is extremely disturbing when health professionals tell her about internal bruises and rips. So, essentially this masquerade of consensual sex is not at all. The casual sex thing i'm not a fan because I think it strengthens male privilege compared to female empowerment - but this is more of an opinion thing

I put this in the romance bookshelf because I thought maybe this is a common dating problem? All the book is literally about casual sex and men. (although, the sex sense are not satisfying because of the abuse) And maybe a hint of love your self! IDK

If you're looking for a bad ass feminist, this isn't for you. If you are looking for a rough loooong journey with somewhat satisfying ending then I would recommend!

I'm going to be lazy by quoting the Goodreads description and agreeing with it: “Americanah meets Bridget Jones Diary” is a super apt description for this book. Queenie is at once so relatable in the mid-late 20s anxieties of work life, dating, and struggling with anxiety and not relatable (but certainly informative) in being a Black woman in London from a different ethnic/cultural background. It was a fun read and the actual text message bubbles and formatted email chains, which could have veered into tacky, worked well here. An enjoyable read overall.

Initial Thoughts:

This book could have been great, and was great at parts but structured poorly. It really dragged and was very repetitive for the first two thirds but the final third was fantastic. Touched on a lot of issues and addressed them well, as well as having great representation for therapy.

Non-Spoiler Review:

‘Queenie' by Candice Carty-Williams focuses on Queenie as she navigates modern society after a break up with her long term boyfriend. She encounters numerous social issues as she does so and it feels like every decision she makes is the wrong one as she tries to find herself in the modern world.

Queenie is not a character you will like for a large portion of the book, she has several traits that make her quite frustrating to read. She does have positive traits but sometimes they feel outweighed by the negatives, and it does take over the first two-thirds of the book to see any character development.

The book is difficult to enjoy as it deals with a lot of heavy topics including sexual harassment at the work place, racism and dubious consent to name a few - I don't recommend you read this if any of those are serious triggers for you. There are starts to important discussions in this book surrounding race, and particularly how black women experience racism, however not all the discussion are fully fledged out and not all feel complete. Yet, Carty-Williams covers a lot in one book well and it is commendable.

There's also fantastic mental health and therapy representation, particularly surrounding childhood trauma and recovery in terms of mental illnesses.

The reason this book is a three stare read for me is because it's poorly structured. In just over the first two thirds of the novel the same events take place over and over again with different people, but it's the same storyline. It's an important storyline but it's repeated a lot. We don't see any true plot progression or character development until nearly three quarters of the way - that's a long time to read the same thing happening over and over again. It makes the book drag and a frustrating read.

Overall, this isn't a bad book - it could have been a great book, unfortunately it wasn't structured well enough to be great.

Spoiler Review:

Boy, this was a tough read.

I spent the first two thirds of this book feeling very conflicted. I really didn't want to rate this low as there were important discussions being started and Carty-Williams was exploring the hyper-sexualisation of black women well. But, I wasn't sure how many times I could read about Queenie having violent and aggressive sex with white men who fetishised black women; then going to work and promising to do better at work but not working hard; to then going back to the same sex clinic that judged her repeatedly for having unprotected sex. It brought up really important topics, but the same events took place with different characters in different scenarios for about two-thirds of this book - and that's too long for nothing to change. It detracts from what you're trying to address if it happens so often your reader becomes used to or numb to it.

Queenie repeatedly makes the same mistakes just with different people, and it makes it difficult to like her as she's self-destructive and unable to hold onto her resolutions or listen to anyone . However, I do think we saw some good character development with Queenie in the last quarter of the novel, and she was a far more likeable and a relatable protagonist by the end.

The issues of mental health and mental illnesses were addressed really well through Queenie. It was also wonderful to see accurate representation of therapy and mental health recovery, and I liked how the concept of therapy and whether it worked was explored with Queenie's family and herself.

Carty-Williams attempts to address a lot of social issues surrounding race but also surrounding being a women in this novel. All are handled well, however I do think we saw more the start of discussions with a lot of the issues addressed, rather than a full discussion on them - sometimes it felt like more could have been said, especially on the topic of gentrification. Gentrification impacted Queenie and her family as Jamaican Britons living in London quite a lot, but it didn't feel like the discussion went very far beyond that.

The real issue however is how poorly structured the narrative is. This book could have been a great read and we could have seen some even better growth in Queenie if not so much time had been spent with the same events taking place over and over again for the first 200 to 300 pages of this. It left only 100 pages for any real plot development or character growth, and I feel like that's not enough time for an author to truly grow and move a character forwards.

Read my full review here: https://moonlitbooks.home.blog/2020/04/06/botm20feb/

I only knew this book was more dark than I was expecting from perusing other reviews before I started this one. And it really does sneak up on you- you think it's going to be a certain type of book, but it ends up being something so much more raw and honest. I think this is a really honest telling of what it is like to lose your way, especially in your 20s. You can't help but root and ache for Queenie, even when she makes terrible choices.

4.5 Really enjoyed this audio. So honest and of the moment, realistically veering from the truly funny to the very real work of dealing with mental health and trauma, with a main character who grows and learns through the arc of the book. 20s me found much to relate to here! The female friendships were great and relatable but I do wish she had explored more of Darcy's relationship story, because there were always hints it was bad but that thread was left hanging. Kyazike and Cassandra's stories felt more fully realized. Will definitely be looking out for what Carty-Williams' writes next .

I loved this and parts of it really spoke to me. Several times, while reading, I was reminded of the same feelings I had while watching Fleabag. Part of me still wants to put my arms in the book and give Queenie a hug. A large part of me wants a grandmother to love me as much as Queenie's loved her.
I think we need more novels like Queenie, novels that feature a struggling female lead.

I wanted to read this book since I shelved it at the library. The cover really draws you in, so well done to the designer.

I borrowed the audibook and quickly checked out the ebook so I could alternate listening and reading. I kept wanting to find out what happened, and I'm not disappointed in the result.

I don't want to spoil the book for anyone, but I will say that we meet Queenie when she's at her lowest point, and then things go even lower. Queenie, to me, was instantly relatable in the way she sought validation from men, distanced herself from her family and friends who would support her, and fought any, much needed, help. This is a story of heartbreak, mental illness, and recovery. And it isn't pretty. The self-destructive behaviors Queenie exhibits are so parallel to my own that I cringed with memories while reading this.

While not for everyone, and potentially triggering for a lot of people, I think anyone who had a hot mess period and a lot of damaged relationships will see a lot of themselves in Queenie, but thankfully her story doesn't end there.

There really ought to be a “stick with it, it gets better” warning sticker on some books: had I followed the one-hundred-minus-my-age rule I would've missed out on this gem. The first third was tedious: high-drama young woman with abandonment issues makes poor life choices, chronicles it with snark and sass but ultimately it's just an uninteresting and sad story.

But my flight was canceled/rebooked. I had many more hours of travel, this was the only physical book I brought with me, and it was a library book with good references. (Plus, Carty-Williams's writing is addictingly engaging.) I stuck with it and am grateful. Queenie redeems herself with grace: the other two-thirds are sweet, thoughtful, deeply moving—and relevant. Carty-Williams tackles abuse (physical and psychological), trauma, mental health, self-care and -love, and does so with tenderness and humor.

I can't say anything good about this book, to be honest. It doesn't mean that it's bad, it's just not for me.

Uh oh it's my kryptonite, a story about a flawed woman struggling due to unresolved trauma! She may alarm and frustrate those around her, but that won't stop me from rooting for her aggressively. In fact, quite the opposite. Other examples include [b:Eleanor Oliphant 31434883 Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine Gail Honeyman https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1493724347s/31434883.jpg 47327681] and [b:Convenience Store Woman 36605525 Convenience Store Woman Sayaka Murata https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1528893919s/36605525.jpg 51852264]. Queenie also has some in common with [b:The Poet X 33294200 The Poet X Elizabeth Acevedo https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1498766234s/33294200.jpg 54024746], as both discuss the specific objectification of Black women.Queenie, a novel named after its protagonist, features an unreliable narrator of sorts. She's probably more reliable than most unreliable narrators. But Queenie fails to see a lot and hides a lot, from both herself and others. Her boyfriend Tom says they need a break, and she starts spiraling. She neglects her work, she drinks heavily, she has lots of unprotected sex with men she's never met, who are by and large the absolute worst. Her resolve and standards are low. She has trouble valuing herself. I liked how Carty-Williams explored Queenie's self-destructive tendencies but kept the character sympathetic. She doesn't reduce Queenie to a cautionary tale. She doesn't argue that casual sex is inherently rooted in underlying damage. She makes everything relative, she makes everything depend. The only thing she insists on is that Queenie deserves better. The book is spent trying to convince Queenie of this. I knocked off a star for a few reasons. I saw one of the bigger twists coming from 100+ pages away, so that took some suspense out of it. Also, sometimes the pacing got to me. Readers and secondary characters alike will spend most of the book just willing Queenie to please stop doing this to herself. You can also tell there are things going on in other characters' lives, bits we never get to because Queenie's thinking is so restricted. I can see some getting impatient, expecting Queenie to cave sooner and end the book having changed more.But this is quite a strong debut in my opinion. It's pretty dark, but there are funny and touching moments to offset it. It's humanizing, and I liked that it doesn't compensate with an idealistic ending. And obviously, the cover is gorgeous.

Pitched as a cross between Americanah and Bridget Jones's Diary. It's been quite a long time since I read BJD, but I watched the movie over and over (and over) in college - when I couldn't sleep, it's what I'd put on because I knew it well enough that I didn't have to watch it, could just listen with my eyes closed and inevitably would wake up in the morning with the gentle DVD music playing in the background.

Which is to say, I get why publishing houses pitch books the way they do, but I don't think BJD is an apt comparison, and it took a bit for me to figure out why. Bridget seems to make poor decisions, which is also true of Queenie. But I don't get the sense that Bridget uses those poor choices as a means of trying to self-destruct.

I don't normally do summaries of books when I review, but I think this is an important addition to the blurb: it says a messy breakup (“we were on a break!!!”) causes a bit of a spiral for Queenie, but (not a spoiler, this is mentioned right at the beginning) a lot of this book hinges on a miscarriage, though Queenie didn't realize she was pregnant until after she'd lost both the baby and the relationship. I can't say I was thrilled about this being a plot point, especially since none of the reviews I'd seen beforehand mentioned it, but so much of Queenie's later behavior makes way more sense to me in the context of grieving.

So yes, Queenie makes awful decisions that are a detriment to her health, her body, her self-worth, her job. But does any of it surprise me when it comes down to it? No. In the first few weeks after we lost Nora, I remember telling Matt that I wished I had more self-destructive tendencies, because all I wanted was to feel that pain on the outside and not just the inside. This book is self-destruction actualized. I can't fault her that. She gets help, eventually, thankfully.

I personally think that all these aspects of grief are the primary factor in this book, tbh, and no one else seems to have made it a big priority in their reviews. But that's all I have to add to the conversation about this book.