A review by finding_novel_land
Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I loved this. 

Although this book took a while to get into, by the second half I was fully absorbed into Queenie's world and experience. 

Weirdly, I can tell you the exact page that this went from a standard 4*er (good but not exceptional) to a standout book for me. And that was page 272. On this page, Queenie is having a full on panic attack to the extent that she passes out:

"I don't know what's wrong with her, but she's shaking a lot ... Okay, I'll ask her. Queenie, you aunt says have you eaten? ... she's not saying anything. But she didn't eat anything at lunch yesterday ... I don't think she's just hungry, she looks like she's in shock or something ... Okay ... Queenie, Maggie asks if it's the panic attacks this time, or the women's troubles? ... She still won't say anything ... Shall I get her stuff ready and bring her down to the foyer? ... Yep I'll wait with her until you get here ... No, it's no bother at all, I'll see you soon." 

This block of speech by her friend Darcy as Queenie leaves consciousness, although looking like the standard technique for portraying someone fainting on the surface, really summarised the building of Queenie's anxiety up to this point. As I read this section, I realised that I had become increasingly anxious with and for Queenie, not just then, but over the past 200 pages as her condition got worse.

Over the years, I've stated that contemporary fiction is not for me. This, along with Eleanor Oliphant (which I also love), really proves that this isn't the case. I've realised that what I love in a book, more than genre, is a book that will have me emoting with or for the characters in question. That I become so absorbed in their world and experience that I feel like I am them while I read. This book did that for me.

While on the surface of it 'Queenie' promises to be a fun, humorous chick-lit about a young Black girl in London, this is entirely misleading. I personally didn't find it to be laugh out loud hilarious in the way I presume the 'Bridget Jones' books might make me laugh if I ever read them. While humorous in places (shout out to Kyazike), this is really a book about mental health, surviving abuse and learning the importance of self-love in the context (and with the additional hurdles of) being a young Black working woman in London.

 HOWEVER, I can only give this 4.5*

I do have a small gripe with this book. Despite being a book that at it's core is about mental health, while describing some forms of mental illness in sensitive and heartfelt detail, it still falls into harmful stereotypes about others. It's casual use of 'OCD' as an adjective for being particular, is honestly quite disappointing. OCD is a debilitating illness and its use in this way diminishes people's understanding of the seriousness of the condition which means those who do suffer from the illness may not be taken seriously. Basically, a tip for all authors out there trying to tackle mental illness in their work: research and represent all forms of mental health with equal sensitivity, not just the one that is the focus of your book. K thanks bye.