stephmcoakley's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Cursing, Toxic friendship, Body shaming, Cultural appropriation, Racism, Religious bigotry, Rape, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Alcohol, Grief, Infidelity, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Stalking
sakisreads's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Candice Carty-Williams writes an incredibly flawed, human person and Queenie does all the things I think people easily do when they are unwell (mentally, physically etc.) 🥲 The ‘strong black woman’ idea was very strongly placed in the story as well, although we learned to navigate it when Janet came around.
Spoiler
I loved Janet and that moment where her and Queenie discuss what it means to be a black woman in the UK…I loved Darcy and Kyazike throughout the story.
Spoiler
I’m still frustrated that Cassandra was allowed to come back, even without her Guy, but friendships come and go 🤷🏻♀️I am giving it a 3.5 out of 5 stars as although many issues were covered, some of them did not go into depth and some of the time, I felt the book went a bit flat. In saying all this though, I LOVE Queenie’s ending and was happy to see her enjoying her family and friends’ company 🥰
Enjoy ✨ Thank you!
Graphic: Medical content, Child abuse, Body shaming, Mental illness, and Infidelity
jaywithwhiskey's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Violence, Fatphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Sexism, Racism, Miscarriage, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Medical trauma, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Infidelity, Medical content, Toxic friendship, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Grief
Minor: Police brutality
libraryghost's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Racism, Sexual violence, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic friendship, Sexual content, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Fatphobia and Alcohol
Minor: Suicide and Police brutality
quinn12_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Hate crime, Grief, Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, Toxic friendship, Suicide, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Gaslighting, Violence, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Domestic abuse, Body shaming, Abandonment, Medical trauma, Child abuse, Miscarriage, Stalking, Sexual violence, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Infidelity, Sexism, Racism, and Fatphobia
buffy87's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Sexual violence, Mental illness, Sexual content, Racism, Miscarriage, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Infidelity
marissab's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Abandonment, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Domestic abuse, Racism, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual harassment, and Sexual content
Moderate: Dysphoria, Miscarriage, Rape, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Infidelity, and Racial slurs
Minor: Cursing, Police brutality, Classism, Cultural appropriation, Gun violence, Pregnancy, Murder, Drug use, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicide attempt, and Violence
aformeracceleratedreader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Miscarriage, Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Alcohol, Infidelity, and Mental illness
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Medical content, Physical abuse, Child abuse, and Abandonment
serpina's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I do think it's a good book with a good message. Queenie is a 25 years old woman, who loses her boyfriend, job, one of her best girl friends and her dignity in a very short amount of time. Her life sucks, men are using her, she has to move back into her grandparent's house and all of this is coated with a thick layer of racism on top.
This is a good story, relatable in some parts and uncomfortably unrelatable in other parts (I'm a white woman). So why do I only give three stars? Because I hate contemporary stories. I dislike the genre and don't enjoy spending my time reading about normal people with normal problems.
If your job is bad, you better be a reaper. If your family is dysfunctional, your parents better be Lillith and the Archangel Gabriel. If your partner sucks, they better be a vampire, or at least a fae.
If I read books without any fantasy elements, they're usually at least some cozy mysteries.
But Queenie was a gift some Christmases ago and a) I plan to reduce my physical TBR this year significantly and b) in honor of Black History Month, I wanted to read it and I finished it, because I think the story deserves to be read, even though I don't like it much. I skimmed roughly two thirds of the book, but I followed the plot and the development. And if you like contemporary stories, I would recommend the book.
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Sexism, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Infidelity and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Miscarriage
teh_niarr's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Racial slurs, Fatphobia, Bullying, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Racism, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Sexism, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Domestic abuse, Body shaming, Gaslighting, Infidelity, and Child abuse