I enjoyed reading this book. While I definitely favored one character over the other I enjoyed them all and loved the writing.

Christine Kandic Torres’ debut explores loyalty in all its forms, race, toxic masculinity, friendship, family, class expectations, and how all these seep into and shape the perspectives of young women. All by centering the story of two girls from Queens.

When Brisma’s ex boyfriend returns trailing trouble behind him, Brisma is forced to make a choice between the people she came up with—for better and for worse— and standing up for things she never thought she deserved. In exploring the moments that led Brisma to her choice, Torres unwinds two timelines: one following Brisma from the day she reunites with her ex, the other tracking Brisma’s relationship to relationships themselves, starting as a 12 year old. Central to Brisma’s story is her best friend, Kelly.

Brisma and Kelly are unlike any friends I’ve read, and Torres truly hit upon something real here. Growing up as young women of color in a community where toxic masculinity is the norm, these girls are the ones who are there (sometimes with judgment, sometimes without, but always with love) to collect each other when their worlds get out of control. To be fair, they betray one another and arguably bring out each other’s worst sometimes. But they embolden each other, almost becoming someone different and stronger together, able to face situations they otherwise couldn’t.
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I highly recommend for lovers of Ordinary Girls by Jaquira Diaz, and those who enjoy reading about female friendships, coming of age, beautiful prose, and los Mets.

It's hard to transition from childhood friends to life long friends when secrets rip you apart. Kelly and Brisma were two girls from Queens attached at the hip, finishing each others sentences and thoughts. But as they got older, and boys and secrets got involved, their friendship ultimately dissolved. History weighs heavy when you're trying to figure out who you are.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for letting me read an advanced copy in exchange for my honest revie.w.

I absolutely loved this book! The Girls in Queens was an absolute gem. To me, this book felt like a Netflix movie or TV show—it had everything in it from friendship and fun to serious issues like sexual abuse and marginalized communities. As a Latinx, I loved the way this book was written and how the author wrote in alternating timelines. This story was a little slow to start, but easily shined bright as you get through.

this book was terribly slow without being very king. i enjoyed a lot of it, however the first half or so just felt like nothing was happening.

i’m assuming this was the case due the element of suspense and intrigue, which i think Torres achieved in doing, however slight lowered the quality of outcome from all of the slow pacing.

the book itself felt quite bland and almost unoriginal, although still good regardless of the fact.

it didn’t feel something fresh or new that hasn’t been said before.

all in all: this was … very mediocre.

I am so glad I had the opportunity to read this book. As someone who grew up in Queens during the relevant timelines, it was easy to relate to. As a debut, I thought this was a good book. I loved the overall theme. My only gripe is that it was a bit slow in the beginning, the ending was rushed and the writing was a bit confusing at times. I commend the author because she brought to light issues that are not discussed often in literature. I would definitely recommend this book.

THE GIRLS IN QUEENS is an interestingly structured book that simmers with tension and buildup throughout to culminate in a thematically explosive conclusion.

This has both pros and cons. For the latter, the mounting tension means at least the first 60% of the book is a little slow, with some chapters and scenes that I feel could be tightened up more to improve the pacing. While some significant scenes do happen in the 1996-2001 timelines, they come in fits and starts amid otherwise seemingly typical days of youth. Brisma and Brian's will-they-won't-they in the 2006 timeline also gets old pretty quick because it feels like an endless loop.

Another thing that really irks me throughout the book is the overly liberal line breaks for dialogues - despite them being said by the same character - and the lack of mention of which quotes is said by whom, making reading certain interactions very confusing at times; I had to try to make sense of them by reading the previous and next lines, and I wish this aspect of the writing would be less sloppy.

Nonetheless, the novel has an interesting - and effective - structure that helps amp up anticipation and mystery, in addition to providing much insight and clarity to the characters and their growth. The characters are also multidimensional, which is a notable feat especially considering how, despite knowing some of them are flat out wrong in their heinous actions and viewpoints, I also understand where they're coming from.

My favorite thing about this book is perhaps how deliciously complex it is, whether it be the depiction and exploration of the patriarchy at work: how messed up views and actions both big and small encountered by women since young in every imaginable environment essentially socialize and desensitize them to the awfulness of it all, most unfortunate of all how some - like Kelly - resort to this as an ironic survival mechanism that also makes them blind or indifferent to other disturbing actions. I also like how Torres illustrates the complexity of sexual assault and allegations in communities of color, where intersectionality is always at play.

Overall, despite its few shortcomings, this is a great debut novel with complexity - be it in terms of characters, structure or themes - and a stirring yet disturbingly relatable story.

Perfectly depicts those types of toxic, unbalanced and claustrophobic friendships young girls often have, with the same smouldering atmosphere of Queens that sets up the novel esplendidly. However I did find the dialogue stilled at times and awkward more often than not, and Brisma was a particularly hard character to root for, even if you can, and most likely will, find something in her you can identify with.

My initial thoughts while reading this book were that I really didn’t like any of the characters, which made the book hard to get through for me. I found the MC, Brisma, to be spineless and frustrating.

But I think this brings up an interesting point about the way I (and we as a society) view survivors of abuse. Throughout the book, I found myself upset with Brisma for allowing herself to be manipulated repeatedly by Kelly and Brian, instead of being angry at Kelly and Brian for their actions. And I think the author has intentionally set the story up in this way to make readers acknowledge the issue of victim blaming…Especially when the victim is a minority, has a different socioeconomic status, or is just not a person we particularly relate to or “like”.

I think this book has an interesting perspective and an important message, but I did not personally enjoy the writing style. I found it very slow paced and not very entertaining. I would rate it 2 stars on my overall enjoyment, but I’ll give it 3 due to the thought provoking content and context.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperVia for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I am so glad that I read The Girls in Queens because there was so much beauty in the writing and the way Christine Kandic Torres described Queens and New York. I loved getting lost in that world of the many different years of Queens and seeing how it all changed from the mid 90's to the 2000's.

I think that I would have enjoyed this more if there had been one other perspective instead of all just Brisma. I didn't understand Kelly. Why was she so threatened by Brisma? What made them friends beyond both living in Queens? I felt bad for Kelly and what happened to her because no woman should have to go through that but she was truly terrible to Brisma and yet Brisma protected her at all costs and the author kept describing her through Brisma's eyes as someone we were supposed to care for and I just didn't. I think if maybe we understood her a tad bit more I would have been able to get behind her as a friend of Brisma more.

I do think that Torres did such an amazing job creating the emotions surrounding Brisma, my heart just absolutely ached for her. I wanted more for her and better for her in the people that she surrounded herself with. I could feel that pain of having to make herself smaller and less because of her so called friends. I felt in general that Torres did a really great job of bringing forth emotions in the novel. They were all so rich and tangible and I really loved that.

I struggled a little bit with all of the back and forth of timelines. I appreciated learning about the past and how it effected the current timeline but it felt too repetitive for me especially when it jumped back from 2000 or 2001 in the past back to 1996. After a while I felt like "okay I got it Kelly did another terrible thing to Brisma. And Brian was a mean boyfriend." I don't know it felt as if Torres was stringing the story along for filler almost. And each flashback, each instant of Kelly treating Brisma so terribly just made me dislike her more. Despite what happened to Kelly I just couldn't get behind her.

All in all I enjoyed the book and really appreciated the writing and the authors ability to evoke all the emotions. But I had some issues with the back and forth and the pacing of some of it. And while I know in reality friendships like Brisma's and Kelly's are out there I felt cheated that we weren't allowed to understand it more. I honestly feel like if we had gotten a couple of those flashback chapters from Kelly's perspective I would have been able to latch on more? I also feel like, and maybe I read it wrong, the description made it feel as if the whole novel was going to be about the rape trial and everything surrounding it but that part felt shoved in and then swept under the rug a bit. I think that I would have enjoyed the book more if it had been all about the friendship angle or had brought in the trials of the rape accusation more.

So good it almost made me want to be a Mets fan. A beautifully done testament to the friendships and places that make us. Though I'm exactly the kind of Long Island white girl the characters mock at times, I couldn't help but see myself and the women I grew up with reflected in these characters. So glad I picked it up.

The book was cute. I didn't find it hard to read which is always good for weekend reading. Thanks for much for the advance copy.

I was sent a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review. Excellent, excellent book! While heartbreaking and often very sad, this book is a beautiful tale of growing up, and of what it means to be women = particularly Latinx women. The writing is beautiful, and I often found myself caught by the author's turn of phrase that completely captured the scene and the moment. It's emotional, and because of that it took me a little longer to read than some books do, but I absolutely loved this book and am looking forward to reading more by this author!

The Girls in Queens is the story of Latinx best friends, Brisma and Kelly, as they grow up down the block from each other in Queens, NY. Told in alternating timelines, we watch as the girls come of age in the mid-to-late-1990’s and then reunite with them in present-day (2006) when the now young women are attending college. Brisma is Puerto Rican and Kelly is Colombian and both have fathers who vacillate in and out of their lives for women or their other families. The girls have learned not to rely too much on their fathers’ presence, but deep down they both harbor a longing to be loved and wanted by them. This leads the girls to seek love and acceptance from the boys and men around them. Brisma’s mother, while not overly affectionate is a good role model and supportive of her while Kelly’s mother is unkind and dismissive of her thoughts and feelings. The girls cling to each other’s friendship as the one constant in their lives until Kelly, always the more outgoing and flirtatious one, gets too close to Brisma’s new boyfriend, Brian. Brian and Brisma are together and Brisma and Kelly are apart until a High School party where both young women are sexually violated. After the party, Kelly confides in Brisma about what happened there and while the two resume their friendship from their newfound trust, Brisma’s relationship with Brian soon fizzles. In present day, Brisma and Kelly run into Brian and another old friend from the block, Pablo. The four begin to spend time together cheering for Los Mets. As their team makes a playoff run with a majority Hispanic team, the friends feel a new sense of representation and belonging in a world outside their neighborhood in Queens. But as Los Mets are eliminated and Brian is accused of rape, the friendships are once again tested, old memories resurface, and Brisma struggles with the feeling of responsibility to shed light on the truth and advocate for justice. The Girls in Queens is an engaging and compelling debut novel that skillfully explores the topics of race, sexual assault and rape, growing pains, fitting in, love, and heartbreak through the lens of Hispanic culture.

This took me a bit to get into, but then i really liked it! The multiple timelines were really smooth to follow, and i felt like things started tumbling onto each other in a compelling way midway through the book. I don't understand why the "present" part of the timeline was 2006--like, i don't know what that added to the story?--but i got really connected with the main character and was moved by her emotional journey.

An entertaining afternoon read to curl up to and escape for the day. Thanks for the opporuntity to read in advance

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

This book was DENSE. A complex yet satisfying mystery with a complex yet satisfying protagonist. Took me a bit to get into it but definitely glad I read

Four Stars

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle by HarperVia and #NetGalley for my honest opinion. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Following alternating timelines can be difficult in some cases, this isn’t one of them. You’ll be engaged from the first word and won’t want to put it down.