Queenie by Candice Carty- Williams Book Review

4 stars

This was a good read. Reminds me of a mix between Bridget Jones Diary and Insecure (HBO) which are favorites of mine.

This is about Queenie, who is trying to navigate life after taking a break with her long term boyfriend. She has a group of girlfriends who vary in what they provide for her. Her close Jamacian family is featured a lot and shown as chaotic and loving. Her mental state starts to take a turn, however, after several escapades with various men.

I loved how raw this book was. Queenie is not the most likeable character- but a real one. She has a bit of a victim complex, self sabotages, and doesn't always see from other's perspectives. However, being inside her head, we understand why she interacts with her loved ones the way she does by the end. Why as desperate as she is for affection, she struggles to accept it.

As I said, we understand so much by the end, but the first half feels like a slice of life with her making bad decision after bad decision. I didn't mind it, but I think more of the message should have had stronger seeds from the beginning. We get hints at her upbringing, and hints of her frustration with her surroundings as a black woman... But it could've been better at guiding us to the last chunk of the book. I won't get too into the plot, due to spoilers, but in terms of the setup and payoff.. Nothing is overly surprising. It's not in a bad way- but everything unfolds so naturally that I wasn't blown away.

Overall, a beautiful story about a woman who is in a rough part of her life and tries to pick the pieces up. Love the representation and understated, naturalistic, writing style. Also, listened to the audiobook and it was very good! Nice to listen on a long commute.