The sequel to Candice Carty-Williams's breakout 2019 debut, Queenie Is Working on It, finds protagonist Queenie Jenkins at age 33 facing a fertility checkup, mirroring the opening of the first novel. The story picks up eight years later with Queenie still prone to chaotic misadventures, but now driven by a ticking biological clock.
Fertility and Self-Discovery
Queenie works undercover at a fertility clinic for a Black-owned social media platform, researching Black women's experiences with IVF. When tests indicate low chances of natural pregnancy, she spirals and confronts her tumultuous love life. Carty-Williams deftly explores Queenie's sexual vulnerability, where erotic encounters serve as attempts to secure emotional connection.
The novel retains the sharp humour and keen ear for female friendships that made the original a bestseller. Friends like Kyazike offer sage advice, calling Queenie's love interest Vin “TfL” because “they don’t deserve government names til they prove themselves worthy.” When Queenie considers sex with a personal trainer named Pharoah, Kyazike warns: “fucking a PT is never smart. That’s community dick, sister.”
Race and Modern Womanhood
Carty-Williams subtly channels racial politics through everyday conversations. When Queenie lies about contraception hoping to conceive, Kyazike objects: “bringing a Black baby into the world to be intentionally raised by a single parent feels wrong, sis. It don’t sit well with me at all.” The experience of race suffuses Queenie's life but never defines her, a point made with a light touch. Queenie herself rolls her eyes at the “strong Black woman thing,” noting it was left behind in 2020.
The novel also addresses reproductive education gaps. At a hen party, Queenie discreetly notes anovulation and basal temperature testing, wondering: “Why didn’t we learn this stuff in school? Why was I having to find out the basics of conception at a hen party when I was 33?” This question resonates with women whose reproductive choices are shaped by financial insecurity and career pressures.
A Work in Progress
Queenie remains a work in progress, as the title suggests. Her continued misadventures may test readers' patience, but Carty-Williams's clear-eyed candour and pragmatic, technical sex writing keep the narrative grounded. The sequel proves that Queenie's unique voice endures, even as she stumbles through life's next chapter.
