Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams

39 reviews

mariamsaidwhat's review

challenging dark emotional inspiring 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

3.25

So many of Queenie’s experiences were so brutal I really question the judgment of everyone who compared this novel to Bridget Jones because there is truly nothing similar in tone. I will say that while some situations felt forced, and I didn’t believe Queenie’s relationship with Tom at all, the dialogue all felt very real, which is so difficult to do. Seeing her growing relationship with her grandfather was nice, and I wish we could have seen more of that. 

I would also fully recommend checking the content warnings for this book if that’s something you need. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Racism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Self harm

Moderate: Miscarriage, Domestic abuse, Medical trauma, Child abuse, Medical content, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Infidelity and Eating disorder

sakisreads's review

emotional hopeful reflective slow-paced

• 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

Since I knew that the TV show was coming out, I knew I had to give it a go! 

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!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Child abuse, Body shaming, Mental illness, and Infidelity

pghtaylorsversion's review

fast-paced

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

4.0

This took me a while to get into in hard copy, but I loved the audiobook and finished it in a day once I switched formats. The narrator is excellent, and the book touches on a lot of really important topics. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Body shaming, Cultural appropriation, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Miscarriage, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence

jaywithwhiskey's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful 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

Although it did feel kind of long at times, I really enjoyed this book. The theme of mental health care is really important and done in such a genuine and heartbreaking way. We follow Queenie after a breakup through self-destruction and a long road to recovery afterwards. Overall this book is hard to read sometimes due to having to watch the characters go through some hard times, but ultimately it makes you feel warm and it's hilarious and you fall in love with Queenie and her friends and family.

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Content Warnings

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

quinn12_'s review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad fast-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

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

angryglitterwitch's review against another edition

4.5

Fave quote: So you see, we all know heartbreak. We just have to learn to live with it."

I just stayed up an extra 2 hours bc I couldn't put this down till I finished it. Such a good ode to being f*cked up in your 20s and dealing w/childhood trauma plus all the scary sh*t of trying to do career and relationships and everything else.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Medical content

marissab's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense 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: 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

emotional slow-paced

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

3.0

Overall, I didn't really care for it. I liked the growth of Queenie's character, but that's about it. Queenie made decisions that frustrated me a lot throughout, but I'm glad her character was able to work on herself by the end and get to a better place. I think I'm just the wrong audience for this book because there are very important discussions being made throughout in terms of race (especially race relations outside the u.s. in other predom white countries), trauma, and relationships. I just could've done without so much revolving around sex. 

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Content Warnings

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

paulawind's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad 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

4.0

This book was an emotional rollercoaster. Mostly in the horrific way. Queenie’s life was falling apart in front of her very eyes and we were accompanying her on the downward spiral. Shit, this was so rough. Thank god that she had some support network because the mere thought of going through all this slime alone is terrifying. Of course it was a bumpy ride, with her family initially not believing in mental health issues, the entire backdrop of Queenie not thinking that she’s lovable because of toxic mix of internalised fatphobia, casual racism she was enduring every day, fetishisation from all romantic partners, and ptsd from her childhood. She is so strong for putting herself back together, massive achievement. Quarterlife crisis hits all of us but she was hit with a tank load of it and emerged victorious even if at some point I was afraid she would pull through

Thank you for not having her end up with a man and having family and friends be the most important relationships in her life

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Child death, Fatphobia, Grief, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Acephobia/Arophobia, Infidelity, Medical content, Mental illness, Addiction, Racism, Rape, Violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, and Miscarriage

chris_reads's review against another edition

dark emotional funny 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Body shaming, Infidelity, Racism, Sexual content, Medical content, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Stalking, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Alcohol, Eating disorder, and Child abuse