Queenie, by Candice Carty-Williams

This book is a vibrant and contemporary portrayal of the life of a young Jamaican British woman living in London. I was really hooked by the first page, Queenie doesn’t shy away from embarrassing details of her life! Although at first I thought this book was going to be a chick-lit, there are so many deeper themes and topics dealt with in this book, including mental health, relationship breakdowns, past traumas, self-destructive behaviours, objectification of black women, and everyday racism. At many points, Queenie makes decisions that will be so frustrating to the reader, but you will still probably find yourself absolutely routing for her and hoping she can get her life back on track. The protagonist's dark, British humour throughout the book saves it from being completely soul-crushing, but it is certainly not a romantic-comedy. I do think this book is so worthwhile reading!

How dyslexia-friendly is it?

It is really accessible! It reads so well, the writing and speech is so natural. I like that throughout the book it includes the texts sent between Queenie and her friends, which show up like screenshots from her phone. I thought this was a nice and unique way of telling the story and of getting to know her friends.