Queenie

I have mixed feelings about this book. Very well written with great pacing and twists but I literally can’t stand Queenie. She’s quite a tragic MC and the situations she was in (esp race related)/ her mental health issues were a little triggering. Also Cassandra can go to hell. Not as light or funny as I expected and really a bit dark. I know the back of the book says relatable but god I do not want to relate to Queenie.

Queenie's self destruction in the first half was so distressing that the second half couldnt make up for it. I think the marketing blurb "Bridgette Jones meets Americanah" was a huge disservice as the reality of the story was nowhere near the expectation.

I feel like this is a really important read for any woman struggling with life and finding a path forward towards a life that they want.

However, I really struggled to like Queenie at times. I found her so frustrating, repeatedly making the same bad decisions and choosing men who were really horrible. While I understand that was pretty much the plot of the book, it still felt rather repetitive, and I found myself rolling my eyes and zoning out a lot while listening to the audiobook.

The second half of the book flowed a lot better, in my opinion, and the ending was really uplifting, I had just lost the desire to cheer Queenie on by that point, unfortunately.

3.5 this was good for the contemporary it was and i enjoyed reading it but i didn't get much out of it.

a well written book but i really didn’t like the main character, i wanted to shake her so many times. her decisions were so frustrating to me that i was reluctant to read the book most times. i barely liked most of the characters, everyone just seemed to be making life hard for each other in some way.

I almost have no words. This book was so funny but also so heartbreaking and also healing. Like being in Queenie's mind while she was going through all the trials life has put her through was not easy but Candice really found a way to make it so lighthearted and also get the message across. JUST READ IT🥺

This book took me through a rollercoaster of emotions. The back of forth of me hating certain characters and then caring so much for them. I feel like I’ve gone through therapy reading this book and it made me see another side of life that I’m not familiar with. I really loved it!

Rezension folgt

In the beginning of this book we get to know Queenie as a really lovable, optimistic and witty character. In the early chapters we can see how she struggles with her boyfriend Tom and what red flags she missed during their relationship. “Being brave isn't the same as being okay,' my mum said quietly.” As we go in the plotline the reader realizes that this book says the pure truth about a life of a girl who has to struggle with racism, mental health problems, low self-esteem and I can go on. Unfortunately I think it is not rare that we meet someone who struggles just like Queenie did. In lots of ways I could relate her, and I think this book could help lot of people to look for the help they need just like Queenie did. "The road to recovery is not linear. It’s not straight. It’s a bumpy path, with lots of twists and turns. But you’re on the right track." In the end, we can see how her life got back on a better track, but it wasn't an easy road but it was worth it. I highly recommend it to anyone, who is ready to read about the ugly truth...

After hearing a lot of high praise for this book I decided that it was time to check it out for myself and I was not disappointed at all. It’s a book that is full of Humour, Honesty & at times hard to swallow. 

Queenie is a twenty-something who is living in London. She is Jamaican and it trying to fit in to both Jamaican and British culture. She was with her boyfriend, Tom, for a while and they are currently going through a "break" period where they both try to take some time apart. Queenie realises what she has lost but is also seeking worth from outside sources.

As we navigate this book, we see Queenie navigating life in general, with her Friends, Family, and work colleagues. She goes through situations based on her race and ethnicity. She is gets comments thrown at her, that are inappropriate. But through it all Queenie truly goes through a growth journey in this book. In the end, she ends up asking herself "Who do you want to me in today's world?"

Candice Carty-Williams has done an amazing job at bringing Queenie to life and with her writing style you can see the book play out in your head as a movie which for me always means that it’s going to be a great book. The book its if told through multiple timelines (Present & past) as well as using Text messages, Emails to help draw you in. 

I found this book to be so much better than it’s Bridget Jones comparison. Queenie is a complex and flawed character that’s a little frustrating at times but you never stop rooting for her.

just what i needed! queenie is a really lovable character and i loved the mental health discussions. i'm glad it wasn't all gloomy and that there were fun parts, but also that there was genuine mental health discussions that i wish hadn't come only real late in the book. but the real star of the book was kyazike, who i need a spinoff of like RIGHT NOW

I’m just kinda like... why did I read this? Not my preferred genre, I guess, but still a book that went a lot of unexpected and interesting directions—like into race, mental health, self-sabotaging behaviors, therapy and healing, etc. Not a bad read, and I liked reading about the Jamaican British experience, but overall kind of a meh and shallow/silly read for me.

Initially skeptical based on the reviews I had seen from people who have the same tastes as me, but this book did not disappoint. Queenie’s reality is that of many many women in my life and bits and pieces of me too. I was rooting for her because we Black women need the support. I enjoyed the latter half of the book better simply because I wasn’t suffering secondhand embarrassment. Mental issues in a Caribbean household is a lot to deal with. Trust and believe that I know that quite well.

4.5

This book is written in such a real way and Queenie is a very relatable character. Through all her bad choices and break downs you can empathise with her whilst also being frustrated enough to keep reading. I couldn’t put the books down.

Full star! Hurtfully truthful, honest, no sugar coating the inner life of the protagonist. I needed this book.

Really liked the perspective this book gives it feels super different and Something everyone should make an attempt at understanding. However I could not get on board with the main character or one of her friends (Cassandra I’m looking at you) So I would recommend that you read it because the themes it touches on not the plot lol

Maybe I'm too much of a little old lady, but I just spent 9/10 of this book going NONONO WHAT ARE YOU DOING, ARGH THIS IS LIKE WATCHING A CAR CRASH AND/OR TRAINWRECK HAPPENING OVER AND OVER IN SLOW MOTION. I kept wanting to reach into the book and confiscate Queenie's phone. Also there were a lot of times where it didn't feel like Queenie was talking/thinking like a human being so much as a series of tweets, which took me out of the story. Shame because there were a lot of good themes in this that the author could have done so much more with. PS: I do not understand AT ALL why this is being compared to Bridget Jones. PPS: Wait, is it because a character is called Darcy? PPPS: Darcy and Kyazike are (a) great and (b) tragically underused.

Very easy read, perfect depiction of what it’s like being a millennial cis woman in 21st century

A fantastic book about a struggling 20 something that was beautiful and funny, but relatable ❤️