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A review by ireadtoescape_
Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I thought this was good.
I loved the humour and pace. I really did enjoy it. Bonus points for all the chaotic drama. Wow 😂😂.
So well written.
I unfortunately cannot say that I was a better 25-year-old 😂 minus the white men 👀👀👀. I’m trying so hard not to judge 😂😭.
The lack of body autonomy that Black women are often afforded and how it was shown throughout this book was really good. From both women and men who are white. Triggered 😭😭. Also the way Queenie’s physical features were often sexualised! 🫠 An exhausting amount of this was done but no lies were told, unfortunately.
I have some other mixed feelings, too though. And I have a lot more to say about that stuff 🥲.
I don’t know if this is just me but I also felt a lot like some of the POC characters were made into caricatures. This may also come from the feeling that Queenie’s issues with Black men were obviously hanging throughout, but also that she seemed to have found her safe spaces and support structures in white people (Janet and Darcy mainly).This is despite the harm Queenie experienced because of white people in so many ways [Tom (🫠🥴) and his family (not surprised, tbh), Ted (😖🤢🤢🤢🤢), Guy, Cassandra (!!!!!????), mf Courtney with his reverse racism, and all those girlies at her job (faux woke white people are a choking hazard)].
I don’t care, okay; but there is no safer space for Black women than those created by other Black women and I would have loved so much to see that for Queenie. I fully understand the complexity of her family situation and can fully relate but that for me is more reason to have seen Queenie find safe spaces in non-white spaces. The trauma of so many Black families, especially families like Queenie’s stem from the actions of white people in the first place?? And yet Queenie kept on getting help from them? Urgh I hated that.
Kyazike especially felt like a caricature for me - nothing else of her existed except being the friend with the funny dating stories and nothing else - made it worse during the last confrontation with Ted. I didn’t like that and it made me increasingly uncomfortable throughout because she also appeared to be emotionally closed off outside angry and funny. She cared about Queenie and it was obvious but there was more from the white girlies and that was super wonky for me.
Back to the Black men - there was absolutely no resolution of Queenie saying what she said about them. Or anyone calling her out for saying it??!! Especially as a BLM supporter although I found that to be a bit shaky and inconsistent on Queenie’s part 😬😬😬😬 This is especially difficult for me from a Black woman author. Also with how much the treatment of white men towards Black women is depicted throughout the book. Omg!! 😵💫 I got really tired with all these white men. I wanted to cry 😭. I know that this was part of the point but wow how exhausting! 😂 Sis, maybe leave the white guys???? Omg!! 🫤🫤😶🥴 Courtney was especially the worst. Didn’t like how that was handled at all and how she gave him the time of day at all.
Also - Queenie’s mom’s story was utterly heartbreaking! Would have loved to see more of her and Queenie resolving what they’d been through together - another Black woman I wished got more care, frankly.
Complicated feelings aside, I really did enjoy this book. Chaotic in all the best ways. Totally representative of being 25 😂😂😂😭😭😭
I loved the humour and pace. I really did enjoy it. Bonus points for all the chaotic drama. Wow 😂😂.
So well written.
I unfortunately cannot say that I was a better 25-year-old 😂 minus the white men 👀👀👀. I’m trying so hard not to judge 😂😭.
The lack of body autonomy that Black women are often afforded and how it was shown throughout this book was really good. From both women and men who are white. Triggered 😭😭. Also the way Queenie’s physical features were often sexualised! 🫠 An exhausting amount of this was done but no lies were told, unfortunately.
I have some other mixed feelings, too though. And I have a lot more to say about that stuff 🥲.
I don’t know if this is just me but I also felt a lot like some of the POC characters were made into caricatures. This may also come from the feeling that Queenie’s issues with Black men were obviously hanging throughout, but also that she seemed to have found her safe spaces and support structures in white people (Janet and Darcy mainly).
I don’t care, okay; but there is no safer space for Black women than those created by other Black women and I would have loved so much to see that for Queenie. I fully understand the complexity of her family situation and can fully relate but that for me is more reason to have seen Queenie find safe spaces in non-white spaces. The trauma of so many Black families, especially families like Queenie’s stem from the actions of white people in the first place?? And yet Queenie kept on getting help from them? Urgh I hated that.
Kyazike especially felt like a caricature for me - nothing else of her existed except being the friend with the funny dating stories and nothing else - made it worse during the last confrontation with Ted. I didn’t like that and it made me increasingly uncomfortable throughout because she also appeared to be emotionally closed off outside angry and funny. She cared about Queenie and it was obvious but there was more from the white girlies and that was super wonky for me.
Back to the Black men - there was absolutely no resolution of Queenie saying what she said about them. Or anyone calling her out for saying it??!! Especially as a BLM supporter although I found that to be a bit shaky and inconsistent on Queenie’s part 😬😬😬😬 This is especially difficult for me from a Black woman author. Also with how much the treatment of white men towards Black women is depicted throughout the book. Omg!! 😵💫 I got really tired with all these white men. I wanted to cry 😭. I know that this was part of the point but wow how exhausting! 😂 Sis, maybe leave the white guys???? Omg!! 🫤🫤😶🥴 Courtney was especially the worst. Didn’t like how that was handled at all and how she gave him the time of day at all.
Also - Queenie’s mom’s story was utterly heartbreaking! Would have loved to see more of her and Queenie resolving what they’d been through together - another Black woman I wished got more care, frankly.
Complicated feelings aside, I really did enjoy this book. Chaotic in all the best ways. Totally representative of being 25 😂😂😂😭😭😭
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Physical abuse, and Violence