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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
5 out of 5 stars. A wonderful book about Queenie, a girl who is going through a painful break with her boyfriend. This book goes through her life casually dating men in hopes that she will get back with her boyfriend sooner rather than later. What she ends up discovering during this time is how important her own mental well being is and how valuable she is as a person. She learns of heartbreak and dealing with the messed up reality of dating apps (where men and women are usually only there for casual hookups and no intention of real intimacy etc). The struggles Queenie faces stems from being single and a person of color in this newer dating age where meeting people on dating apps ruins dating experiences for people who are truly trying to find a connection. Being black in a majority white community also subjects her to racism and being treated badly just based on her skin color. At the end of this story, Queenie is able to own her narrative as a working, black and single female.
If you enjoyed the Netflix reboot series of a movie called She's Gotta Have It, then you'll definitely enjoy this. Similar stories of finding oneself in a time of racism, online dating, etc.
If you enjoyed the Netflix reboot series of a movie called She's Gotta Have It, then you'll definitely enjoy this. Similar stories of finding oneself in a time of racism, online dating, etc.
Not really what I expected. It was good, but I found too much of it annoying. Such a shame.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4.5 Really enjoyed this audio. So honest and of the moment, realistically veering from the truly funny to the very real work of dealing with mental health and trauma, with a main character who grows and learns through the arc of the book. 20s me found much to relate to here! The female friendships were great and relatable but I do wish she had explored more of Darcy's relationship story, because there were always hints it was bad but that thread was left hanging. Kyazike and Cassandra's stories felt more fully realized. Will definitely be looking out for what Carty-Williams' writes next .
Pitched as a cross between Americanah and Bridget Jones's Diary. It's been quite a long time since I read BJD, but I watched the movie over and over (and over) in college - when I couldn't sleep, it's what I'd put on because I knew it well enough that I didn't have to watch it, could just listen with my eyes closed and inevitably would wake up in the morning with the gentle DVD music playing in the background.
Which is to say, I get why publishing houses pitch books the way they do, but I don't think BJD is an apt comparison, and it took a bit for me to figure out why. Bridget seems to make poor decisions, which is also true of Queenie. But I don't get the sense that Bridget uses those poor choices as a means of trying to self-destruct.
I don't normally do summaries of books when I review, but I think this is an important addition to the blurb: it says a messy breakup ("we were on a break!!!") causes a bit of a spiral for Queenie, but (not a spoiler, this is mentioned right at the beginning) a lot of this book hinges on a miscarriage, though Queenie didn't realize she was pregnant until after she'd lost both the baby and the relationship. I can't say I was thrilled about this being a plot point, especially since none of the reviews I'd seen beforehand mentioned it, but so much of Queenie's later behavior makes way more sense to me in the context of grieving.
So yes, Queenie makes awful decisions that are a detriment to her health, her body, her self-worth, her job. But does any of it surprise me when it comes down to it? No. In the first few weeks after we lost Nora, I remember telling Matt that I wished I had more self-destructive tendencies, because all I wanted was to feel that pain on the outside and not just the inside. This book is self-destruction actualized. I can't fault her that. She gets help, eventually, thankfully.
I personally think that all these aspects of grief are the primary factor in this book, tbh, and no one else seems to have made it a big priority in their reviews. But that's all I have to add to the conversation about this book.
Which is to say, I get why publishing houses pitch books the way they do, but I don't think BJD is an apt comparison, and it took a bit for me to figure out why. Bridget seems to make poor decisions, which is also true of Queenie. But I don't get the sense that Bridget uses those poor choices as a means of trying to self-destruct.
I don't normally do summaries of books when I review, but I think this is an important addition to the blurb: it says a messy breakup ("we were on a break!!!") causes a bit of a spiral for Queenie, but (not a spoiler, this is mentioned right at the beginning) a lot of this book hinges on a miscarriage, though Queenie didn't realize she was pregnant until after she'd lost both the baby and the relationship. I can't say I was thrilled about this being a plot point, especially since none of the reviews I'd seen beforehand mentioned it, but so much of Queenie's later behavior makes way more sense to me in the context of grieving.
So yes, Queenie makes awful decisions that are a detriment to her health, her body, her self-worth, her job. But does any of it surprise me when it comes down to it? No. In the first few weeks after we lost Nora, I remember telling Matt that I wished I had more self-destructive tendencies, because all I wanted was to feel that pain on the outside and not just the inside. This book is self-destruction actualized. I can't fault her that. She gets help, eventually, thankfully.
I personally think that all these aspects of grief are the primary factor in this book, tbh, and no one else seems to have made it a big priority in their reviews. But that's all I have to add to the conversation about this book.
It took me forever to read this book. The writing was good so that was not the problem. It just felt like Queenie was one of those friends you could only take in doses. I empathized with some of her issues that may have stemmed from childhood and of course no breakup is easy, but she was just doing too much and it was frustrating. When I took breaks from the book, it would take me a while to pick it back up because I wasn't in any rush to see her go from one dramatic experience to the next or to continue to cry about her break up with a boyfriend she didn't think loved her enough to honor and support her as a black woman. I don't know, I will give the book it's stars because the story was an easy read. The problem is I was just annoyed the entire book with all of her shenanigans and ridiculous relationship with the men she dated or became entangled with, but how she still refused to consider dating a black guy. And then there was her infatuation with the Black Lives Matter movement, but I didn't really see her do much to show support except ask her boss to write a story and argue with the guys she became entangled with about being black. I don't know, she was just all over the place and while I can respect her being in that chapter of her life, I just didn't have an easy time taking that journey with her.
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
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