Reviews

Queen Bee by Ciara Geraghty

marthakiser's review against another edition

emotional funny informative inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

At time laugh out loud funny. Very enjoyable. 

sarakfarns's review against another edition

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

bianca89279's review against another edition

5.0

I haven't laughed this hard in years!

Queen Bee by Ciara Geraghty is about a menopausal Irish writer, Agatha Doyle, who's about to turn fifty.
She's bamboozled by the changes in her body that include: insomnia, hot flashes, night sweats, extreme moodiness/crankiness, brain fog and many other smaller and bigger irritations. Why didn't anybody warn her? How is she going to write her next historical novel when she's got brain fog, and can't concentrate on anything?

This novel was delightful, that rare combination of unintentionally funny, sarcasm, language play and situational humour, with a splash of Irishiness, which made it even more charming.

From one contrary woman to another, Agatha Doyle, I salute you!

Shout-out to Angeline Ball whose splendid narration made me feel like I was in the room with Agatha.

This is going to be on my 2023 favourite reads of the year.

adamskiboy528491's review against another edition

5.0

Lay on the couch for a brief nap. Woke up an hour later, the witch trials book I’m reading stuck to one side of my face. Pretending not to be menopausal is exhausting.

Queen Bee by Ciara Geraghty examines the different pressures on women of a certain age (such as the working class, family class, etc.). It'll make you laugh and misty-eyed as the story goes on. It's Bridget Jones's Diary of the next generation of women in the new century. It's ironic, given that this whole novel is written in an epistolary format.

When fifty-year-old Agatha Doyle started keeping a diary, it only recorded how she didn't know who she was anymore. Her glorious empty nest is full of people. And her head is full of brain fog. All it takes to tip her over the edge is a pair of red velvet heels and a man who won't stop talking. Standing up for herself, Agatha unwittingly becomes a heroine for midlife women everywhere. But with a distant husband and an even more distant sex life, can she also become the heroine of her own life?

Now, I may not be a woman, so diving into this from a male perspective may be challenging. Still, it was an enjoyable read and will surely be a universally relatable book that resonates with so many women.

lazza1825's review against another edition

informative inspiring medium-paced

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

3.5

mimosaeyes's review against another edition

4.0

I'm 26, but apparently that's not too young to find Agatha Doyle's crabbiness relatable and funny. And the humour is just scratching the surface. Underneath it, there's emotional depth - about everyday change, loss, nostalgia, love. A thoroughly enjoyable read.

eht_ratcliffe's review against another edition

Found it boring and repetitive. 

mamakayb's review against another edition

emotional funny informative reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

bookmadbarlow's review against another edition

challenging funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Agatha is an author, she is also menopausal, she is trying to ignore it, but at a panel one day she rants about how she is feeling, how she is treated etc and she goes Viral.
Struggling with writers block and now an online sensation, she gets asked on to talk shows all whilst her marriage is hitting a tough spot.
This is a diary of her life after that point, it's funny in places, poignant in others. I would expect most women would be able to relate in some way to Agatha as a character.
It is great that menopause is appearing more in contemporary literature and being talked about more, I am all for it. This book doesn't offer any advice, but does make you feel that you aren't alone in the experience.

susie_dance's review against another edition

funny hopeful fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.5