Scan barcode
zara89'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
3.5
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
Minor: Suicide
amaranth_wytch's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Stalking, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Classism
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: Body shaming, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Grief, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
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: Fatphobia, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Violence
Moderate: Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Colonisation
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: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
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: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Body shaming, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Rape, Gaslighting, and Dysphoria
Minor: Cursing, Drug use, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, and Classism
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
2.5
Graphic: Body shaming, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Medical content, 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: Mental illness, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Police brutality, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Child abuse, Drug use, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, and Alcohol
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: Body shaming, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Medical content, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment
Minor: Child abuse, Eating disorder, and Alcohol
plantybooklover'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
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: Racism and Sexual content
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Alcohol