Blurb:

Meet Queenie.

She just can’t cut a break. Well, apart from one from her long term boyfriend, Tom. That’s just a break though. Definitely not a break up. Stuck between a boss who doesn’t seem to see her, a family who don’t seem to listen (if it’s not Jesus or water rates, they’re not interested), and trying to fit in two worlds that don’t really understand her, it’s no wonder she’s struggling.

She was named to be queen of everything. So why is she finding it so hard to rule her own life?

A darkly comic and bitingly subversive take on life, love, race and family, Queenie will have you nodding in recognition, crying in solidarity and rooting for this unforgettable character every step of the way.

Perfect for fans of Dolly Alderton, Sally Rooney, Diana Evans and Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

Review:

Queenie is a book that was recommended to me in light of the Black Lives Matter campaign as a book written by a black writer that addresses racial issues. I found that it did so in a very accessible way, and it certainly opened my eyes to the “every day” racism that exists in British society and made me think about my own behaviour.

It’s not only racism that comes under the spotlight in Queenie. Although the novel is filled with humour that made me smile throughout, I loved the way that Carty-Williams made me think about mental health, family relationships and female empowerment, which are all important issues in the world today.

Queenie is a brilliantly crafted character and I was able to relate to her straightaway. I loved her vibrant personality and I really wanted to be part of her friendship circle as her friends are wonderful characters too. She does make mistakes but they were ones I found easy to understand and I was rooting for her throughout the novel.

I listened to the audiobook version of Queenie and I enjoyed the way that Shvorne Marks voiced the characters and brought them to life. There are some parts of the book, such as text message conversations that I felt didn’t come across as effectively in the audio format, but overall I really enjoyed this novel.

Queenie is available from Amazon.