amaranth_wytch's review against another edition
3.75
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
- 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
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
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
james1star's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
That was a very short kinda summary of the plot and whilst this is a prominent part of the novel, it’s the characters and character studies that was my favourite bits. Queenie is definitely a flawed person, she does lots of things that make you want to shake her out of it, she’s a catastrophist for sure but I just wanted good things to come her way so badly. You fall head over heels in love with her and all her nuances, you get inside her head, go though what she’s going through, her thoughts and feelings and understand why she does the things she does. She is so real it’s unbelievable - Carty-Williams really did something by creating this character like wow!! Also her two best friends Kyazike and Darcy are nuanced but loveable too, they are such great friends and this bond, albeit strained at parts, was so lovely to read and they are also super realised. The other characters in the book are all so real too, like her grandparents, mum, cousin Diana, aunt Maggie, Cassandra and her family, Ted (ughhhh!!), the men (major eye roll inserted🙄), Janet the psychologist, Gina her boss and Yhh everybody was written so lifelike - they’re not all likeable, many in fact are portrayed so badly you actively hate them instigating a visceral response within.
Additionally, the outlook on life from Queenie’s POV is very refreshing and vital and I need to read more books from this perspective of women, but specifically black women in contemporary settings. She deals with a lot of everyday systemic racism, predominantly from the men she meets and so this is an attack directed at black women in particular, where they feel it’s okay to say things about her big black curves and dark skin, that she tastes like chocolate and lots of other horrible remarks. She also talks about how these men might not see her as a person but just a fetish or something to try and it’s definitely a hard read but necessary to understand how this thinking is not okay and we as a society need to condemn these attitudes. Hair is a predominant motif throughout the book, how black women care for their hair and what it represents but also how white people are astonished by it and in some cases feel a desire to touch it so much that it materialises and how that it’s just such a ‘no no’ like I was reading it like ‘what!? How can you really feel like you have the right to just go up and touch someone’s hair… ummm nope’ so Yhh overall it makes you think and understand the black female experience better. Being set in London (my city - the references and just everything I loved, when you know the places it really adds to the lifelikeness), the dialect and settings once again add to the realness of the book but it plays a part in how black people are seen internally and externally in a contemporary British way. Very very impactful and eye opening.
My only qualm was I felt it a little bloated in parts and somewhat repetitive in how certain scenarios and conversations occurred multiple times. Some plot points I wasn’t too happy with but overall I did really enjoy it. The character studies and Queenie’s POV was what I liked the most and I would certainly recommend giving this a read.
Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Mental illness
Moderate: Police brutality, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Infidelity, Toxic friendship, Domestic abuse, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Alcohol, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Miscarriage, and Drug use
chris_reads'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
4.25
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
plantybooklover's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Set in current times (but neatly avoiding the Pandemic) Queenie unfortunately starts quite a downward spiral after her breakup. Her work suffers, her friends have to listen to long ongoing discussions all revolving around her entirely and she starts to go out with just any man who happens to turn up. These men are hideous, and awful, and Queenie continues to blandly see them, and announce her wild sexual exploits at work. Eventually this catches up to her and she is wrongfully accused of sexual harassment and made to leave the office. Throughout the novel, Queenie highlights struggles faced by black women- being sexualized and fetishized, having their hair appropriated and touched by everyone and anyone, being stereotyped as a loud or angry woman. Queenie faces them all.
To be honest, I found myself not liking Queenie very much- for the most part- and through most of the story- Queenie is entirely focused on how Queenie sees the world and what/how the world can provide for Queenie. She seemingly has no insight into her own behaviors and no real interest in the lives of others- there's very little character development of any of her 3 friends or even her mother or aunt, probably because Queenie is only aware of Queenie. We have all had friend where it's their show 100% of the time.
That said, when Queenie essentially loses her job, she ends up in therapy. Through therapy- Queenie does develop a touch of insight, realizing some things about her very traumatic childhood, and is able to emerge from her downward spiral. She's reinstated at her job, and returns with an intention to actually work- which she follows through on. The ending recaps what Queenie calls her "nervous breakdown" and how things seem to be on the up and up- for her, her mother and most of her friends. By the end, I was cheering for Queenie, although honestly, I'm not sure I'd want to be her friend since it seems like it would just be a Queenie support role...
I think this book was so well written and it was very interesting. I did the audio book- which made the book much more palatable for me. I do recommend, but it strikes me as missing an intended mark and landing between a fun gal-pal beach read and a serious commentary on the situation of the world from the lens of a black woman.
Graphic: Sexual content and Racism
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Alcohol
marissasa'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: Medical content, Mental illness, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, Abandonment, Child abuse, Cultural appropriation, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, and Toxic friendship