Book Review: Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams
Rating: ★★★★★
In Summary
Genre: New adult fiction
Publication Date: 19th March 2019
No. Of Pages: 330
Keywords: Funny, relatable, sad, moving, hopeful; accessible; current; topical; gender; race
Content Warnings: sexual violence, mental health, miscarriage, childhood trauma, graphic sex, and race.
Format: Hardback, Paperback, E-Book, Audiobook
The Review
Queenie follows a Jamaican-British woman living in London. On the surface, she has a good job; good friends; a nice flat; a caring family and a loving boyfriend. But bubbling underneath, things just aren’t going quite right.
Queenie had a traumatic childhood and her relationship with her boyfriend isn’t going the way she’d hope. After spiraling out of control through a string of regrettable decisions, Queenie is forced to face the difficult questions faced by many modern women and to re-evaluate what she wants and what is important.
I loved this book! Queenie is a relatable character, with authentic life experiences that make you sympathise with her one minute and hold your head in your hands the next.
Parts of the book follows a group chat she is part of with her friends and this was another way the author makes the story relatable to her modern audience. But Queenie isn’t just entertaining. The book deals with difficult and important political issues that are pivotal to today’s society: gender and racial equality; mental health; women’s reproductive health; sexual harassment. The book challenges stereotypes; giving refreshing and frank insights on controversial topics. It is not only a relevant read; it is a necessary one.
“From over there I could hear her asking to be left alone and nobody wanted to help, but you want to come running when the man is being troubled? You’ve got it all wrong.”
The Round Up
Read If: You want an educative piece of fiction that encompasses teachable moments within layers of entertainment.
Similar books: ‘Such A Fun Age’ by Kiley Read and ‘Slay’ by Brittney Morris
Last Impressions: Many people are calling Queenie a modern Bridget Jones’ Diary but I think this does the book a disservice. I think Queenie is much more nuanced than this, providing thought-provoking and moving storylines without sugar coating the truth or delving into melancholy.
It’s a rallying cry about finding yourself; acknowledging your weaknesses and supporting your friends. The central characters build a bond that many women see as reflective of their social groups and even the outer characters are well formed (Kyazike is easily the character everyone wants in their friendship group). I would definitely recommend this book.
Written by Jenna Tomlinson
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