chanitaxmas's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
laurenjpegler's review against another edition
4.0
i really enjoyed this! i’m not one to read books that follow the life of someone living in the now, but this was so engaging and it brought up some really important conversations on race, womanhood, family and mental health. the main character was frustrating at times but that’s what made her feel so real.
i just wasn’t a fan of the slang and colloquialism - that’s one of the reasons i don’t like reading books set in modern society. it just makes me cringe a little, even though people obvs do speak like that - i just don’t like reading it idk?
i just wasn’t a fan of the slang and colloquialism - that’s one of the reasons i don’t like reading books set in modern society. it just makes me cringe a little, even though people obvs do speak like that - i just don’t like reading it idk?
ktxx22's review against another edition
4.0
You ever read a whole book and afterwards you realize the book wasn’t written for you. This is one of those books. I was very conflicted while reading this and if I’m honest I was confused as to why this book had me feeling all over the place. And then.... I finished the book and realized it’s actually really a brilliant book about self care, therapy, and acknowledging the people in your life whom you love. This is a book for black women by a black woman. As a white woman I really can’t have commentary on the parts of this book I don’t relate to, and just because I don’t relate to a book is NOT a good reason to review it in a negative light. I bumped a 3/5 to a 4/5 because the more I think about this book the more I like it and for the reason above I acknowledge this book wasn’t written for me.
cel_'s review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- 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
3.5
angpetk's review against another edition
4.0
*Giveaway free copy review* I gave this book four stars, though it could be a half star less. The end of the book really made me like this book a lot. I didn’t really begin to enjoy this book until the end. Although it is an easy read in terms of language and prose, it does delve into some heavier topics like racism, sexual assault, abuse and mental health issues. I found this book to be, at times, light hearted. There is humor to be found in what should be rather dark subjects. However, I also found the book to be problematic in that certain aspects seemed to be glazed over such as her appointments with Janet, the therapist. While the reader is to assume that Queenie went to many appointments, I feel like the novel lacked in really digging into her past and how it’s impacted her current mentee. Are we to assume that a few breathing techniques are to magically make her feel better? I will note that I deeply enjoyed how the author covered race, especially in Britain. As an American, I am unaware how tragic events within the African American community impact internationally. It was really eye opening to see that these events have impact thousands of miles away, and rightfully so. I enjoyed reading the author and Queenie’s perspective and found it important that issues such as microaggressions in the workplace, fetishizing of black and curvy female bodies, obvious racism (especially by doctors!!) and sexual assault were highlighted. I would love to read a second novel about Queenie to see where she is at as it ended on a promising note for her!
ajteyn's review against another edition
4.0
I very nearly didn't stick with this because I found Queenie's near breakthroughs frustrating, but I'm glad that I did. The eventual character growth spoke to me and I realised that the things I disliked about Queenie were things I thought I had fully worked through about myself.
vinylbookgirl's review against another edition
2.0
What did I just read here?!?
I am very, very disappointed by this book to say the least..
This was advertised as a modern adaption of Bridget Jones and it couldn't have been further from it. If anything it reminded me of Grown Ups (which I also didn't like, so maybe this is on me).
If this book made me realize one thing than it's how much older I actually am despite not feeling like it (even though I am the same age as Carty-Williams).
Yes, there were a lot of things that reminded me of my own twenties that I've spent living in Europe, but that's about the only nice thing I can come up with when describing this book.
Reading Queenie was not enjoyable at all. It read and felt like a collection of long-winding, depressing diary entries paired with therapy sessions (that I was inappropriately eavesdropping on).
It was unsparing, uncomfortable ( which came to mind many times while reading) and way too raw. In my opinion the vulgar details with which the promiscuous sex scenes were described were absolutely not necessary in order to tell Queenie's story.
What's even more sad is that it could have otherwise been an important voice regarding #blacklivesmatter. But it just felt rushly squeezed into the rest of the story and got lost in between all the profanity as well as the (once again) unnecessary and uncomfortable sex scenes.
I am very, very disappointed by this book to say the least..
This was advertised as a modern adaption of Bridget Jones and it couldn't have been further from it. If anything it reminded me of Grown Ups (which I also didn't like, so maybe this is on me).
If this book made me realize one thing than it's how much older I actually am despite not feeling like it (even though I am the same age as Carty-Williams).
Yes, there were a lot of things that reminded me of my own twenties that I've spent living in Europe, but that's about the only nice thing I can come up with when describing this book.
Reading Queenie was not enjoyable at all. It read and felt like a collection of long-winding, depressing diary entries paired with therapy sessions (that I was inappropriately eavesdropping on).
It was unsparing, uncomfortable ( which came to mind many times while reading) and way too raw. In my opinion the vulgar details with which the promiscuous sex scenes were described were absolutely not necessary in order to tell Queenie's story.
What's even more sad is that it could have otherwise been an important voice regarding #blacklivesmatter. But it just felt rushly squeezed into the rest of the story and got lost in between all the profanity as well as the (once again) unnecessary and uncomfortable sex scenes.
definitelynotnatalie's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-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
sargar114's review against another edition
4.0
This is not one that I would have picked up and even at the beginning thought it was one I was going to like. I’m glad I persevered (much like our heroine), as this ended up being a beautiful journey...while rocky for a good chunk of it, I’m glad to have seen the whole picture.
nattyjanereads's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
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
4.5