‘Queenie’ has been everywhere over the last year or so. However, as usual, I was late to the ‘Queenie’ party. It had been on the wishlist and thanks to a bookswap with the lovely ‘Priarie Chicken Pages’ I finally had a copy to read.
‘Queenie’ had been billed as the new ‘Bridget’. Now, being part of the ‘Bridget’ generation, having loved the books and the films, that was a bold claim. However, it is also an unfair one, because Queenis is so much more. Queenie is a leading female character for a whole new generation. She is not the new Bridget – she is Queenie Jenkins.
What makes ‘Queenie’ a really special novel is that Candice Carty-Williams has had the confidence, and skill, to tackle some topics which can be taboo. Mental health, identity and relationships are tackled head-on in the story of Queenie Jenkins. Occasionally, her story is painful but, at all times, you are rooting for and supporting the wonderful Queenie. Don’t get me wrong, she has her flaws, but she has her flaws, but she also has an amazing inner strength that maybe we should all search for.
The writing style is easy to read but there is so much warmth and emotion in each and every sentence. There is also a clever use of memory throughout the narrative to help us build a full picture of Queenie, past and present.
I would highly recommend this book because I don’t think it will be what you expect – I think you will find that it is far more than you expect it to be. It was certainly far more than I expected it to be. Do not compare Queenie to anyone else, because she is a hero in her own right.
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