Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams

68 reviews

marcookiekat's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective 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, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, and Mental illness

Minor: Police brutality

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 against another edition

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

jmcampbell57's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful 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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Racism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Infidelity, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Domestic abuse, and Alcohol

Minor: Police brutality, Toxic friendship, Eating disorder, and Toxic relationship

amelia_22's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Body shaming, Miscarriage, Medical content, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Abandonment, Racism, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Toxic friendship

lifeonasofa's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful sad slow-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

3.0

“Being brave isn't the same as being okay," my mum said quietly. - Candice Carty-Williams 

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 Stars 

This book touches on a multitude of important topics: race, mental health and misogyny being just a few. I can see why so many people love this book, it is easy to relate to certain parts of Queenie and her life.

Some reviewers have noted Queenie as irritating, and whilst some of her decisions or thoughts are, I found her just a flawed human, aren’t we all? It truly broke my heart that she felt so lost both with her black family and white peers. It also highlighted the constant racist comments she endured, there are no words. 

I did however find certain topics really jarring and triggering. I really wasn’t expecting it. They have become such a normal negative in women’s lives. But because of that, I think many readers need a heads up before reading. TW: sexual abuse, harassment, depression, anxiety, domestic abuse. 

It was a worthwhile read, especially being white. But it was a much harder read than  expected. I just wanted to rescue Queenie from all the bad people and her bad decisions. I found it hard because it is just so real, many people struggle through life like this. Whilst the ending was a bit more positive, I think you need to be in a good headspace going into this book. 

Thank you for recommending this book @books.brownies.ect ❤️

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual harassment, and Racism

Moderate: Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

sadieh's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Abandonment, Infidelity, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Body shaming, Toxic friendship, Medical content, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Miscarriage

standerson's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful 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? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Miscarriage, Eating disorder, Sexual content, Mental illness, and Racism

Moderate: Abandonment and Toxic friendship

bookshelf_of_jess's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I loved this book so much. It was both hilarious and heartbreaking at times. I really enjoyed that despite the focus on Queenie and Tom’s breakup, the most important relationships were very clearly her relationships with her family and her friends. The book expertly examines what it is to be a woman today whilst touching on the important issues of race and class. I would 100% recommend this book to everyone - this should be required reading! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Sexual violence, Racial slurs, Sexual harassment, and Racism

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, and Police brutality