Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams

22 reviews

paulawind's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad 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

This book was an emotional rollercoaster. Mostly in the horrific way. Queenie’s life was falling apart in front of her very eyes and we were accompanying her on the downward spiral. Shit, this was so rough. Thank god that she had some support network because the mere thought of going through all this slime alone is terrifying. Of course it was a bumpy ride, with her family initially not believing in mental health issues, the entire backdrop of Queenie not thinking that she’s lovable because of toxic mix of internalised fatphobia, casual racism she was enduring every day, fetishisation from all romantic partners, and ptsd from her childhood. She is so strong for putting herself back together, massive achievement. Quarterlife crisis hits all of us but she was hit with a tank load of it and emerged victorious even if at some point I was afraid she would pull through

Thank you for not having her end up with a man and having family and friends be the most important relationships in her life

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body shaming, Child death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Acephobia/Arophobia, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment

hippiequeen's review against another edition

dark 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

5.0

This book was great; what pulled me in were the promised “Bridget Jones vibes” but I definitely got way more than that. Reflective about race, mental health and identity. A portrait of the Millennial generation, I think it was great. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, and Grief

lectrixnoctis's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative reflective tense 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

Queenie Jenkins is a 25-year-old Jamaican British young woman living in London, perching two cultures and slotting into neither. She works at a national newspaper, where she is frequently forced to compare herself to her white middle-class equivalents. After a messy break-up from her long-term white boyfriend, Queenie seeks comfort in all the wrong places, including several hazardous men who do an excellent job of occupying brain space and a bad position of establishing self-worth.

As Queenie reels from one debatable decision to another, she wonders why she is doing all this or why does she not stop, although it might not be something she wants —all of the inquiries today's women must encounter in a world trying to reply them for her.

This story is incredibly raw, and I think that everyone in his early adulthood would enjoy this piece of fiction. I can see why this novel has won the award. I found it fascinating to read about all these different characters and how they intertwine in the story, but the focus is still on the protagonist herself. I think it has so much nuance that you probably don't get in mainstream books by white authors.

How the author approaches tough topics like anxiety or racism is astonishing, and  I cannot get enough of her writing style. Although it was so raw, it was so beautifully written that I just wanted to keep reading; although it was so natural, it was so beautifully written that I just wanted to keep reading. 

Sadly, I had a big reading slump; however, I finally found the time again to pick it up and finish it in one go, and I think it has a lot to do with the book itself. I don't believe that every reader could've done that; I did not have a reading slump because of it.

Overall I highly recommend this book. When you're in your early 20s are becoming an adult, you should read this book. All women or female-presenting people can relate to a situation somehow. The nuance with interracial dating and racism was so interesting that I will read more of the works.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

maggie_atwood'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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness, Sexual content, Grief, and Abandonment

rebeccaxpaige's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Abortion, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Bullying, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Grief, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Colonisation, and Classism

almoralesv's review against another edition

dark emotional funny medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Grief, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

mamagina's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

4.0

Queenie is witty, honest, confused, pinballing through life at a breaking point. She is a character of multitudes and Candice Carty-Williams writes the diverse voices in her life with a deft hand. 

What we learn is to inhabit the mind and body of trauma, and more specifically, the trauma of a black woman in London, from the inside.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Grief

Moderate: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Domestic abuse, and Fatphobia

Minor: Gun violence, Hate crime, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy

lilacsophie's review against another edition

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Medical content

Moderate: Cursing, Miscarriage, and Grief

Minor: Eating disorder, Gun violence, Slavery, and Police brutality

areadingstan's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

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

5.0

This was a really beautiful story. Williams crafted the character of Queenie, her family and friends so well and managed to somehow find a balance between comedy and seriousness within Queenie's story, as she must traverse many changes, racism in every day life, generational differences in family, trials of friendship and dating, and her own mental health issues.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, and Medical trauma

catriona99674's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Grief