This was a fantastic read. It had me wishing that my flight was longer or delayed.

The book opens as Queenie receives news of a miscarriage, which later feels like the spark that lit the fire that burnt down her life as she knew it. What unfolds in the following pages is a heart-wrenching depiction of a mental breakdown, but we get to know Queenie well enough to cheer for her every step of the way, confident that she'll pick herself back up by the end. Even when she's making terrible choices, she's still loveable to the reader.

Carty-Williams' writing is sharp and every word delivers a punch to propel the story forward. She weaves in current events to create relatable characters. Darcy and Kyazike could easily exist in my sphere of friends. Her depiction of Queenie's Jamaican immigrant family is vivid, well-rounded, and clearly informed by experience but still accessible to readers who have little knowledge of Jamaican heritage. This book also tackles the stigma around mental health care, with the added layers of being a woman of color and having an immigrant family in the UK.

As a white American reader, this book was well outside my usual reading and a welcomed change. I am so grateful for the opportunity to read stories like these.

Thanks to NetGalley for a digital copy of this book.