Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams

52 reviews

amaranth_wytch's review against another edition

emotional

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Physical abuse, Stalking, Child abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Classism, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Racism, and Sexual harassment

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

brianareads's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Toxic friendship, and Racism

pamxramirez's review

dark emotional reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.0

i found the first half quite difficult to read, but once I understood the author's intentions (and noticed the bookis in the Fleabag genre), everything settled into place. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual harassment, Racism, Racial slurs, Misogyny, and Mental illness

Moderate: Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, and Self harm

Minor: Toxic friendship, Miscarriage, Classism, Fatphobia, Body shaming, and Alcoholism

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

applesaucecreachur's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful 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

5.0

Yep, this one was a winner. 
I checked Queenie out thanks to a bookstagram account that claimed the audiobook version was a masterpiece. Niether the author, Candice Carty-Williams, nor the narrator, Shvorne Marks, disappointed. Non-speculative contemporary fiction isn't usually my vibe but the voice acting, humor, tragedy, and occasionally even the joy covered in this story lead me to devour the book in four days flat. The titular Queenie is a deeply flawed woman who makes questionable decisions and has skewed priorities. She is also a woman who's been forced to rise to the occasion time and again, and is physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted by it all. For every misstep Queenie makes, it is ten times more frustrating to watch the world respond to her mere existence.

Spoiler

The pool scene was one of the rawest and most devastating bits of fiction I've consumed in years. It gave a voice to how one person's, particularly one white woman's, casual action can crumble another human.

Also, Shvorne Marks? Talented. Her range of accents and unique voices for each character elevates this book even further. Queenie was everything I didn't know I needed from fiction. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Domestic abuse, Racism, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Violence and Toxic friendship

Minor: Fatphobia

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

martamae77's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful 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: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Sexual harassment, Racism, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, and Toxic friendship

libraryghost's review against another edition

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

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

suzynotsontag's review against another edition

tense fast-paced

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

3.0

It was a little shallow for me, which I think is why it was such a breeze to read. There weren’t many times I had to put the book down to process what I’d just read, but that may be because I’m already well versed in the subject matter. More than anything it was infuriating and triggering as a black person that has lived experience as a woman. At times it felt like

Spoiler

it was just completely pointless, like there wouldn’t be any development on Queenie’s part. That’s why the ending felt rushed, with her going to therapy and getting her act together. Also just the fact that absolutely everyone she encountered was just a massive dick with absolutely no positives seemed a bit unrealistic.  I’m also very very salty that Cassandra got back into her life, she was a toxic presence since the very beginning.

All in all, I don’t regret reading it because there were quite a few instances that made me laugh and I cried twice. Can’t say I’d eagerly recommend it to anyone though

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Sexual violence, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Miscarriage, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship