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leontyna'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
4.0
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Body shaming, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Medical content, and Classism
Minor: Domestic abuse, Suicide attempt, and Abandonment
aayshaa's review against another edition
2.0
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Racism, and Sexual content
holliesatchell'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
3.25
Graphic: Body shaming, Child abuse, Cursing, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment
mari1532's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Brief Summary: Queenie is a woman trying to find herself after a devastating breakup. However, the more she tries to avoid her problems the more problems she seems to have.
Thoughts: If I was rating this book simply on writing it would be 5 out of 5. Carty-Williams writes with such emotionally vivid gripping detail that you can't help but sympathize or empathize with her characters. That being said this book was a lot. The book blurb describes it as Bridget Jones meets Americanah and I did not get the quicky, cheery vibes of Bridget Jones until the last 10 pages of the book.
I appreciated how this was written to read as if we were reading Queenie's thoughts as if she were writing in a journal because it made her seem vulnerable and relatable. There were quite a few points where I was yelling at Queenie to not do that thing. Carty-Williams wrote her in such a way that you immediately felt that Queenie was your friend and you wanted the best for her. I think the nuance of Queeni and every other character in the book was my favourite part.
Of course, there were a few people I did not like in this book even though they were well-written. Men whose names start with T, random Guys, and backstabbing friends were the villains of this book. On some level, I do think these subplots highlight the mess of being a woman in your 20s and on another level that some people truly never leave high school.
I also really liked the journey that Queenie went on with therapy and her family. The arc of that plot line was beautiful to see and highlighted how people can sometimes surprise you.
This was a really good book and I would recommend it as a read. However, this is more a coming-of-age story and what it takes to discover who you are as a person, rather than a rom-com. It is exquisitely written.
Graphic: Addiction, Body shaming, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Grief, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
kquixotic'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: Mental illness and Sexual content
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Grief, Cultural appropriation, and Abandonment
The main character’s experience of Racialized sexualization and exotification by men, and her complicated relationship to these encounters, is what made this book stand out to me. I’ve not found contemporary literature to grapple with these themes in such a relatable way.quasinaut's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
I appreciated seeing the development of Queenie and her relationships with her friends, her grandparents, aunt, and cousin, her mother, her boss, and the men in her life - and how each of them respected (or didn't) Queenie's boundaries and choices, while at the same time we get glimpses of how other characters' lives are going and what roles Queenie plays.
Is she a good friend? Is she a good daughter and granddaughter? Is she a good worker? Nothing is so black and white, good and bad, of course, but I was rooting for Queenie, even when she seemed determined to make destructive decisions.
Graphic: Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
Moderate: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Child abuse, Miscarriage, and Police brutality
wellreadmegs'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
3.5
When you first meet Queenie it's easy to get annoyed with her self-sabotaging and choatic ways. It takes you awhile to want to root for her. But she does eventually come around. The last 100 pages flew by and I enjoyed it once Queenie was really building back up her life. She dealt with so much trauma I really respected Queenie.
The end came quickly but was also pretty sweet.
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Sexual content
Minor: Miscarriage
hannahhamburger'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
Moderate: Sexual content and Sexual violence
justcallmeemily'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
2.5
Graphic: Racism, Sexual content, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, and Alcohol
Minor: Drug use, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, and Pregnancy
sandysmith's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual violence