Dark Humor, Tough Times, and Hope

filled star filled star filled star filled star star unfilled
rachellelovesbooks Avatar

By

This book has been widely marketed as a "black Bridget Jones," and while that comparison did make me more interested in picking it up, it's also not really true. Queenie shares the wit of Bridget, and they're both single females who live in London, but Bridget is fluffy and fun while Queenie goes to some really dark places. Even though she's a seriously flawed character who makes questionable choices, I still found Queenie relatable. The book shows different aspects of Queenie's life as a Jamaican British woman, from the gentrification of her neighborhood to her anger when she's discussing a black man shot by police and her friend asks what he was doing. There's a sense of humor throughout, and her friends reacted to Queenie's actions exactly how I would have. The book also ends with hope, which I needed after some of the painful scenes that come before.