Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams

16 reviews

stephmcoakley's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective fast-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

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

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

sydapel's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

The comparisons to Bridget Jones and Fleabag are apt, but Queenie is also a character so unique to herself, it doesn't quite merit comparison. Carty-Williams is a master of dark humor and narrative voice, so much so that we as the reader don't even begin to understand the deeper trauma underneath Queenie's recklessness until she herself unpacks it. This is a triumphant story about heartbreak, grief, burnout and our very lowest points. But most importantly, it's about the long work of getting better. If you can handle chaotic and messy main characters, I cannot recommend this enough. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Racism, Sexual violence, and Mental illness

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Physical abuse, Grief, Abandonment, Violence, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Miscarriage and Police brutality

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

hippiequeen's review

dark emotional funny 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

5.0

This book was great; what pulled me in were the promised “Bridget Jones vibes” but I definitely got way more than that. Reflective about race, mental health and identity. A portrait of the Millennial generation, I think it was great. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Child abuse, Grief, Miscarriage, and Racism

lectrixnoctis's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative reflective tense 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

Queenie Jenkins is a 25-year-old Jamaican British young woman living in London, perching two cultures and slotting into neither. She works at a national newspaper, where she is frequently forced to compare herself to her white middle-class equivalents. After a messy break-up from her long-term white boyfriend, Queenie seeks comfort in all the wrong places, including several hazardous men who do an excellent job of occupying brain space and a bad position of establishing self-worth.

As Queenie reels from one debatable decision to another, she wonders why she is doing all this or why does she not stop, although it might not be something she wants —all of the inquiries today's women must encounter in a world trying to reply them for her.

This story is incredibly raw, and I think that everyone in his early adulthood would enjoy this piece of fiction. I can see why this novel has won the award. I found it fascinating to read about all these different characters and how they intertwine in the story, but the focus is still on the protagonist herself. I think it has so much nuance that you probably don't get in mainstream books by white authors.

How the author approaches tough topics like anxiety or racism is astonishing, and  I cannot get enough of her writing style. Although it was so raw, it was so beautifully written that I just wanted to keep reading; although it was so natural, it was so beautifully written that I just wanted to keep reading. 

Sadly, I had a big reading slump; however, I finally found the time again to pick it up and finish it in one go, and I think it has a lot to do with the book itself. I don't believe that every reader could've done that; I did not have a reading slump because of it.

Overall I highly recommend this book. When you're in your early 20s are becoming an adult, you should read this book. All women or female-presenting people can relate to a situation somehow. The nuance with interracial dating and racism was so interesting that I will read more of the works.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Grief, Rape, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Domestic abuse, Medical trauma, Medical content, Miscarriage, Alcohol, Cultural appropriation, Eating disorder, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, and Sexual harassment

maggie_atwood's review

emotional funny 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content, Abandonment, Grief, and Mental illness

rebeccaxpaige's review

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• 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: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Racial slurs, Sexual harassment, Abortion, Racism, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Misogyny, Infertility, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Miscarriage, Sexism, Suicide attempt, Bullying, Classism, Colonisation, Gaslighting, Grief, and Suicide

almoralesv's review

dark emotional funny medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Violence