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A review by la_karina1818
Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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? Yes
3.75
At the get go, it had a very promising start as I have discovered I love contemporary books set in London as I feel so attached to the whole London vibe and setting. In regards to Queenie and her story I feel sympathetic towards her as someone who had gone through similar issues and filling a missing part of you through male attention. A quarter of the way through I began to feel a bit less sympathetic towards her as she was clearly avoiding the fact that all the men she had sex with were either abusive, fetishising her or straight up being possessive over her. She doesn't care about that because it all came around to her having self esteem issues and not feeling good enough, but there should be some boundaries at some point, which I found to be unrealistic in the whole story as she should know better. The issues that were presented a quarter of the way through made the story less impactful and just more ridiculous in her way of thinking. At the beginning the issues presented in Queenie's life were of any adult, like work motivation, struggling to find a living space and then it all turns into really dumb shit like "Will I get an STD if I have unprotected sex?". All of this makes her appear significantly more stupid and foolish than she actually is because she does have a conscience and is aware of right and wrong but then she is fallen to that level. At first I thought that after all the sleeping around that she is doing, there are no repercussions to her actions but then it all goes wrong in the worst way possible. The revelations like Guy being Cassandra's boyfriend were too good to be true, Ted being married with a pregnant wife was also quite disturbing because of how pushy he was towards Queenie.
Queenie's conflict throughout the entire book was whether to move on from Tom or to still keep hope that they will be back together. She feels remorse for the way she acted by her pushing him away, but I don't think she should undermine her feelings and emotions because he cruelly made her leave his life. I was happy that at least she realized she should move on and begin a new life. Queenie to me is someone who shouldn't have her voice and opinion be taken away or undermined by the men in her life and I am happy she realizes this and that she can move on.
The discussions of racial and cultural identity was also a fascinating part of her story which did not feel pushed but are an important part of her struggle. In the UK even though there is huge diversity, it is still disregarded by some people and not seen as important to preserve the cultural identity of different ethnic groups. It is a struggle today with many young people in the UK of other backgrounds to keep the balance between their own cultural identity and fitting in with the British image. Overall it was an interesting outlook on the struggles of black women in the UK in regards to dating, family and the way they are perceived in other areas of society.
Queenie's conflict throughout the entire book was whether to move on from Tom or to still keep hope that they will be back together. She feels remorse for the way she acted by her pushing him away, but I don't think she should undermine her feelings and emotions because he cruelly made her leave his life. I was happy that at least she realized she should move on and begin a new life. Queenie to me is someone who shouldn't have her voice and opinion be taken away or undermined by the men in her life and I am happy she realizes this and that she can move on.
The discussions of racial and cultural identity was also a fascinating part of her story which did not feel pushed but are an important part of her struggle. In the UK even though there is huge diversity, it is still disregarded by some people and not seen as important to preserve the cultural identity of different ethnic groups. It is a struggle today with many young people in the UK of other backgrounds to keep the balance between their own cultural identity and fitting in with the British image. Overall it was an interesting outlook on the struggles of black women in the UK in regards to dating, family and the way they are perceived in other areas of society.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Sexual content