Reviews tagging 'Medical trauma'

Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams

17 reviews

beetandbaguette's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Alcohol, Drug use, Medical content, Racial slurs, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Racism, and Sexual violence

ebun_reads's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, and Rape

Moderate: Racism and Physical abuse

mariamsaidwhat's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring 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

3.25

So many of Queenie’s experiences were so brutal I really question the judgment of everyone who compared this novel to Bridget Jones because there is truly nothing similar in tone. I will say that while some situations felt forced, and I didn’t believe Queenie’s relationship with Tom at all, the dialogue all felt very real, which is so difficult to do. Seeing her growing relationship with her grandfather was nice, and I wish we could have seen more of that. 

I would also fully recommend checking the content warnings for this book if that’s something you need. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Racism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Self harm

Moderate: Miscarriage, Domestic abuse, Medical trauma, Child abuse, Medical content, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Infidelity and Eating disorder

jaywithwhiskey's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful 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

4.5

Although it did feel kind of long at times, I really enjoyed this book. The theme of mental health care is really important and done in such a genuine and heartbreaking way. We follow Queenie after a breakup through self-destruction and a long road to recovery afterwards. Overall this book is hard to read sometimes due to having to watch the characters go through some hard times, but ultimately it makes you feel warm and it's hilarious and you fall in love with Queenie and her friends and family.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Fatphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Sexism, Racism, Miscarriage, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Medical trauma, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Infidelity, Medical content, Toxic friendship, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Grief

Minor: Police brutality

quinn12_'s review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad fast-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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Hate crime, Grief, Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, Toxic friendship, Suicide, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Gaslighting, Violence, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Domestic abuse, Body shaming, Abandonment, Medical trauma, Child abuse, Miscarriage, Stalking, Sexual violence, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Infidelity, Sexism, Racism, and Fatphobia

gcrespo97's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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

4.75

This book gave me so much anxiety but it was so good I couldn’t put it down. I had so much love for the main character and wanted things to work out for her so badly. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Racism, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Police brutality, Panic attacks/disorders, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse

lectrixnoctis's review

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

alisonannk's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Racism, Toxic friendship, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Racial slurs, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Rape, Infidelity, Eating disorder, Miscarriage, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Fatphobia, Body shaming, and Abandonment

Minor: Medical trauma, Violence, and Cultural appropriation

mima345's review against another edition

emotional funny medium-paced

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

2.0

to me very disappointing. I think the book is supposed to be funny. I did not laugh. To me it was depressing to read and I thought the protagonist was annoying and self-involved to a cringe-worthy extent. I generally love coming of age books especially when talking from a diverse perspective featuring POC protagonists but this was just boring and in my opinion poorly written. 2 stars only because it`s nice to see books with this topic and storyline.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Physical abuse, Violence, and Medical trauma

The book contains very graphic sex scenes that portray abusive sexual behaviour and partially deals with mental health/illness

itsharrietrj's review against another edition

challenging informative medium-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

Graphic: Abandonment, Alcohol, Body shaming, Child abuse, Cultural appropriation, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship