Reviews with content warning for Rape - Queenie

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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nannahnannah's review against another edition

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DNF @ 46%.

Well, here’s me again whining about how I wish books had trigger warnings listed somewhere before the actual content. Other media contain trigger warnings (even video games!); what reasons could publishers possibly have against doing the same?

Representation:
- Queenie and her family are Jamaican Brits
- a secondary protagonist is Jewish, but she’s more of a stereotype than an example of good representation
- another secondary protagonist is Ugandan and British
- there are many other minor characters of marginalized groups

There’s no way I can finish this. I was already on shaky ground after all the really brutal and detailed sex scenes that Queenie, the protagonist, kept insisting were consensual. Then came a scene that was so like what I experienced myself, and I got a severe panic attack.

Quite frankly, Queenie (the book and the character) is a mess. I’m aware that’s probably the point, and that it’s okay to have characters that are unlikable and who make absolutely stupid decisions that aren’t great for their own well being, but this book never gave the reader a break.

Then there’s also the secondary characters who are basically stereotypes: the feminine, condescending gay man, the Jewish friend who lended the protag money in almost every single scene she was in and who was rich (of course), etc.

All of this combined is enough for me to be okay stopping here. I did look ahead to find out that

Queenie is STILL mooning over Tom which … is disappointing. But while looking ahead I also saw that

Queenie will be getting the help she needs, thank god! I’m sure this is something many people relate to … I’m just not sure it had to be told quite like this and with so much awful detail.

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jhblahut's review against another edition

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funny hopeful 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

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murakamiii's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny 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

4.5

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lectrixnoctis's review

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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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alisonannk's review against another edition

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emotional informative sad medium-paced

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

3.5

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