A review by georgiasbookescapes
Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

Queenie is a 25 year old British Jamaican woman who works as a journalist. Her white boyfriend of 3 years has asked for a break  and things are unravelling around her quickly in all areas of her life. Managing racism, managing complicated family and friendship dynamics, this book tackles numerous themes in one debut novel! 

This book is a reread for me from 5 years ago. At the start I was uncertain about how it, despite remembering loving it! The chaotic nature of the writing flitting between past and present, and Queenie’s seeming actions were a lot. But suddenly the book takes a turn and it pulls everything into clarity. This book is incredible. It’s heavy, but it tackles these hard themes beautifully! If you haven’t read it, you should! It’s highly relatable reflecting how our childhood can influence our dating choices in our 20s. 

TW: cheating, childhood abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault