Candice Carty-Williams has won plaudits and awards for her debut novel Queenie Tyneside Book Club's July meeting discussed a book that has had a lot of buzz around it.
Queenie has won awards and lots of praise, and members found a lot to like and much to discuss in Candice Carty-Williams' debut novel.
Marketed as a "black Bridget Jones", many members did find plenty of humour within its pages. The cast of characters was found to be engaging and contemporary, with most rooting for central character Queenie. Some though struggled to see why it was seen as a comic novel.
That was partly because of the more serious subject matter that formed a key part of the book. Queenie had some uncomfortable sexual encounters, and a developing personal crisis. Some members wondered where the book was heading at the midway point, and were struggling to understand why the central character was so apparently bent on self-destruction.
But most members thought the author then delivered a satisfying final third, exploring much deeper themes of what it means to be a young black woman in Britain today. Men came out badly, but members agreed that much of the content must have come from the personal experience of Candice Carty-Williams and other black women, particularly with regard to dating apps. The narrative choices made in the final chapters avoided cliche and seemed to be the right ones to most readers.
Some members felt the recent prominence of the Black Lives Matter campaign had helped enlighten them about some of the issues highlighted in Queenie. But others wondered whether the novel might possibly play to some stereotypes rather than undercut them. All agreed though it was a timely novel, and one that stood out among mass market paperbacks.
Many members appreciated the author's skill at maintaining a lightness of touch while managing to explore issues of race and gender, as well as family and mental health. Queenie certainly produced a lively discussion and proved to be a great choice.
Queenie has won awards and lots of praise, and members found a lot to like and much to discuss in Candice Carty-Williams' debut novel.
Marketed as a "black Bridget Jones", many members did find plenty of humour within its pages. The cast of characters was found to be engaging and contemporary, with most rooting for central character Queenie. Some though struggled to see why it was seen as a comic novel.
That was partly because of the more serious subject matter that formed a key part of the book. Queenie had some uncomfortable sexual encounters, and a developing personal crisis. Some members wondered where the book was heading at the midway point, and were struggling to understand why the central character was so apparently bent on self-destruction.
But most members thought the author then delivered a satisfying final third, exploring much deeper themes of what it means to be a young black woman in Britain today. Men came out badly, but members agreed that much of the content must have come from the personal experience of Candice Carty-Williams and other black women, particularly with regard to dating apps. The narrative choices made in the final chapters avoided cliche and seemed to be the right ones to most readers.
Some members felt the recent prominence of the Black Lives Matter campaign had helped enlighten them about some of the issues highlighted in Queenie. But others wondered whether the novel might possibly play to some stereotypes rather than undercut them. All agreed though it was a timely novel, and one that stood out among mass market paperbacks.
Many members appreciated the author's skill at maintaining a lightness of touch while managing to explore issues of race and gender, as well as family and mental health. Queenie certainly produced a lively discussion and proved to be a great choice.
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