Queenie

by Candice Carty-Williams

[nannah]

DNF @ 46%.

Well, here’s me again whining about how I wish books had trigger warnings listed somewhere before the actual chapters. Other media contain trigger warnings (even video games!); what reasons could publishers possibly have against doing the same?

From what I read so far, these were the content warnings I noticed:
- nonconsensual (and violent!!) sex
- abuse (domestic -- but I think there will also be child abuse as well later on)
- racism
- fetishization
- antisemitic stereotypes (not in-book; this was done by the author)

Representation:
- Queenie and her family are Jamaican Brits
- a secondary protagonist is Jewish, but she’s more of a stereotype than an example of good representation
- another secondary protagonist is Ugandan and British
- there are many other minor characters of marginalized groups

There’s no way I can finish this. I was already on shaky ground after all the really brutal and detailed sex scenes that Queenie, the protagonist, kept insisting were consensual. Then came a scene that was so like what I experienced myself, and I got a severe panic attack.

Quite frankly, Queenie (the book and the character) is a mess. I’m aware that’s probably the point, and that it’s okay to have characters that are unlikable and who make absolutely stupid decisions that aren’t great for their own well being, but this book never gave the reader a break.

Then there’s also the secondary characters who are basically stereotypes: the feminine, condescending gay man, the Jewish friend who lended the protag money in almost every single scene she was in and who was rich (of course), etc.

All of this combined is enough for me to be okay stopping here. I did look ahead to find out that Queenie is STILL mooning over Tom which … is disappointing. But while looking ahead I also saw that Queenie will be getting the help she needs, thank god! I’m sure this is something many people relate to … I’m just not sure it had to be told quite like this and with so much awful detail.