Book Review: Queenie

Being a fan of Bridget Jones’ Diary was enough to get me reading Queenie, but about a quarter of the way into it, I realized that this was definitely not Bridget Jones’ Diary, and I was ready to give up. Dear Queenie was a train wreck and every choice she made had me banging my head with frustration!

However, I took a day or so to consider why this character was making me so angry, and realized that reading Queenie was much like reading a memoir of my life during my twenties. As a woman in her forties, I can now look back and see how lost I was while navigating the challenges I faced as a first generation black woman in a predominantly white country. I never had a firm grasp of my identity, my worth or my sexuality, and Queenie is no different. Once I recognized how much Queenie’s life resembled my own, I fell in love with this story and found myself rooting for her through every painful decision.

Candice Carty-Williams is an honest writer and does a wonderful job of highlighting the culturally taboo topic of mental health in the black community, while also effectively addressing a number of prevalent race issues. This book won’t be for everyone and there were some noticeable editorial issues, however, I would still highly recommend that everyone give this surprising read a chance. Thank you, Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review this book.