Queenie

I was so looking forward to reading this book. I was so disappointed when I did. Not only is the book so badly written, very childish in its style, but the character is entirely unlikeable and actually just gets worse throughout the book. Queenie is a selfish brat, I didn't even care for her "reasons" for her behaviour. The psychology behind her behaviour was totally irrelevant because of how awful she was, I honestly didn't care what happened to her!In all honesty, Judy Blume books when I was a young teenager were better written and had more substance.How this book could be nominated for anything other than a bonfire is beyond me!There are also some very questionable race issues, some offensive and inflammatory things and incredible stereotypes that just made me drop my jaw in shock.I wouldn't read anything more from this author.

This is the first book I've quit on this year havgin limped to page 36. The writing just isn't very good and I cannot fathom why the book has received the plaudits it has. It's completely up my street in terms of subject matter and the locations painted in the couple of chapters I read are familiar to me, so it should have been engaging but it simply wasn't. When I look at the inconsistencies in how the language is used [such as several tenses on the same page] and the poor character motivations [such as a boyfriend coming home, not knowing Queenie is asleep, running a bath and that bath turning out to be for her..?] it was too much for me to continue. I don't know if publication was a foregone conclusion here, or not, but I don't feel the time and effort has been put into the editing or rewriting and that this would typically have been rejected as a first draft by anyone applying a critical eye. And, no, this is not just a creative writing critique, the bad writing made it impossible to enjoy or, ultimately, to finish.

Queenie isn't my usual type of read, but it was highly recommended to me by a fellow bookworm as her "surprise read of the year." Unfortunately I don't think I'll be taking any of her recommendations again.The book overall is well written. The sections about the characters family are written lovingly, and are both funny and heartwarming. However the character of Queenie herself is so utterly dislikable, I found that I really didn't care what happened to her by the end. Alright, yes, she does have mental health issues which can explain away some of her more mopey, self-obsessive tendencies, but the author fails to add any redeeming features to her utterly flawed personality.Also on that note, I feel that Carty-Williams flounders somewhat in what this book is actually meant to 'be', for want of a better phrase. Is it fluffy, fun chic lit, or is it an exploration of deeper issues, such as the black lives matter movement? I don't believe that the right balance has been struck at all, with the heavier issues just touched upon to give Queenie some depth of personality or relatability.Overall, the book only took me a couple of days to read, so I don't feel like I wasted much time on it. I will not be looking out for more from this author in the future though.

Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams••This debut novel centres round Queenie Jenkins, a 25 year old journalist who has recently gone on a break with her boyfriend but has began on a downwards spiral of self-sabotage due to unresolved feelings and traumas.••This book had really mixed reviews so I was really unsure on what I would make of it going in but OH MY GOD, it’s incredible. The way it explores discrimination, race, family, friendships, gentrifications, abuse, consent, relationships, trauma, therapy and accountability in such a visceral way was outstanding. I’m ashamed to say, I cannot remember ever reading a book which follows a black female protagonist but I am so glad that I have now and will be seeking out books with black female voices at the centre going forward. I found Carty-Williams’ writing so transportive and engaging, even when covering the minutia of daily life as a black women navigating her way through London life. This book really does highlight the subtlety of everyday racism that we have come to accept in our society and demonstrates the severely draining impact it can have on people of colour. I loved the character arc and it ended with a sense of optimism after exploring so many hard and heavy themes. I can not recommend this book enough. Loved it. 5/5.

I couldn't finish this.I forced myself through about 3/4 as I was reading this for a book club but I finally decided the past year has been tough enough and I don't need to subject myself to any more misery.Honestly, I never would have given this book a second glance if it wasn't for a book club so I'm clearly not the target audience. It was repeatedly described as hilarious/witty/funny in reviews but I couldn't find the humour. I felt the characters were caricaturistic and in some cases mildly offensive stereotypes. My biggest bugbear however was that every single conversation was about men. I've only ever heard of the Bechdel test (a measure of the representation of women in fiction - it only asks if it features at least two women who talk to each other about something other than a man) in relation to movies but this definitely fails it. Pretty disappointing for a female author.I will be donating this, unfinished, to the charity shop.