Such a Fun Age is about two very different women, Emira Tucker—a babysitter—and her boss, Alix Chamberlain. I would love to have seen more character development and depth with both characters. Alix and Emira are carefully written to be neither 'good' nor 'bad,' 'right' nor 'wrong,' or defined only by the one traumatic event that happens to each of them in this novel. When I first read the blurb it was not what I expected from the title – I thought it would be about teenagers, which tells you a bit about where my head is at right now! If you want to learn more about some controversy surrounding The Reading Rush and how it negatively affected the Black reading community, I’d highly recommend checking out this video. It tells the story of a young black woman who is wrongly accused of kidnapping while babysitting a white child, and the events that follow the incident. The dialogue..don’t get me started! What a beautiful, insightful, and thought-provoking work of fiction. (Sorry!) This was a thought-provoking novel I didn’t want to put down. timer_321366_updateTimer(); Kiley Reid’s Philadelphia-set debut, Such a Fun Age (Bloomsbury, £12.99), is a satire on white saviour syndrome, woke culture and virtue-signalling motherhood.That it manages this balancing act with such political finesse and humour is testament to the powers of its author, who, like her heroine Emira, the 25-year-old black baby-sitter, spent time nannying for white families. January 10, 2020 Ti 17 Comments. Brier was so adorable, precocious, and loving. I became increasingly annoyed--and distracted--by all the unnecessary details and descriptions, especially during conversations. 2.5 stars. I love the way it caused me to take a hard look at my own life/actions/biases without making me feel judged. }else{ Kiley Reid’s debut was extremely readable, tremendously thought-provoking, and very hard to review. This is one of those books where there is so much going on, but the author made it so digestible that it's easy to miss things. A novel that I believe will be a hit in 2020. Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid – charming, authentic, entertaining Money, class and race are incisively observed in a razor-sharp debut ‘Confidence and verve’: Kiley Reid. I recognized so many of the central characters within people who exist in real life. Mar 30 Mostly, I loved Emira. All positive reviews › Snapdragon. The cover is gorgeous and hard to miss, so I was immediately interested in seeing what this book is all about. Kiley Reid (born 1984) is an American novelist. I was able to hear her speak and she is so engaging that it’s no surprise she can write such a page-turner. Health insurance needs are real. Such a fab book! time_left += Math.floor(minutes_left%10) + ":"; But, in the end, I found this book to be more about gossip and revenge than about addressing real racial issues that we face daily whether my white eyes see it or not. —@allisonreadsdc, A post shared by Allison (@allisonreadsdc). I pre-ordered this book because of the premise. The scene at the restaurant next to Kelley’s work! She lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. var minutes_left = secs_left / 60; As a rule I wouldn’t comment on a book cover, but the sleeve of Such a Fun Age really pulled me in. But as soon as I finish, I felt like something missing. time_left += Math.floor(minutes_left%60/10); But what I can’t get past is the poor execution of the writing, it’s choppy and incomprehensible at times. a Such a great book to start the year with." "There aren’t words to describe how much I loved Such a Fun Age. It’s still very relevant though, and I think people who have experienced these types of characters IRL will appreciate the way the author has tackled this story. time_left += Math.floor(hours_left%24/10) Overall, the #ReadWithMC community was obsessed with the book, including the smaller plot points Reid brilliantly weaved throughout the novel, though there was a bit of disappointment with the ending—a clear sign that the book warranted a thorough analysis all the way through the last page. time_left += Math.floor(secs_left%60/10); Overall, I still think it’s a story that needs to be heard and therefore I give it three-a-half stars." } —@readtotheend, A post shared by Caroline // readtotheend (@readtotheend), "I finished Such A Fun Age days ago, and I'm still thinking about it. It weakened the story's power when she was reduced to a scheming villain, in my opinion. 23,723 reviews A striking and surprising debut novel from an exhilarating new voice, Such a Fun Age is a page-turning and big-hearted story about race and privilege, set around a young black babysitter, her well-intentioned employer, and a surprising connection that threatens to undo them both. If you didn't cringe during certain scenes, you missed the point. Entertaining mostly towards the end. var timer_321366_updater = setInterval(timer_321366_updateTimer, 100); I think because of the simplistic nature of the storyline though, the book was a little predictable and didn’t totally blow me away with new revelations, which is why I haven’t bumped it up to 5 stars. It explores issues of race, social status, family and relationships in an approachable and entertaining way and at a great pace that you want to keep turning pages. The truth of it was she was babysitting and doing a favor for the couple she works for and taking the little girl out of the house, because things were happening at home. The dialogue was pretty annoying, at some parts I was just waiting anxiously for it to be over!! Thank you Katherine, I’m glad you felt likewise. Add to Wish List. Kiley Reid’s debut was extremely readable, tremendously thought-provoking, and very hard to review. You’ll def see this one being passed around among your bookish friends all year looooong." The story begins with a racially-charged scene in a grocery store that was well-written and piqued my interest. My favorite moments of the book were with the toddler, Briar. I just loved this book so much it was so brilliant in its subtlety so beautiful in its nuance. Putnam’s Sons, 9780525541905, December 2019, 320pp. But there really was so much more to it, it really was a story about privilege, race, and economic status. How are ratings calculated? For more stories like this, including celebrity news, beauty and fashion advice, savvy political commentary, and fascinating features, sign up for the Marie Claire newsletter. The truth of it was she. Reid does an excellent job of presenting varying perspectives and truths objectively—no preaching here. “I don't need you to be mad that it happened. Book review – “Such a Fun Age” by Kiley Reid. I’m so glad I came across this review. } It is also hard for me when I don’t relate to any of the characters in the book. Refresh and try again. Putnam's Sons. The writing in this book is so light and breezy and easy to read that it can take a while to appreciate the depths the author takes us to in. Welcome back. - Apr 13, 2021. The story starts with Emira being accused of kidnapping when she is at the grocery store late at night with A little white girl. Many times people did not believe my African-American brother was my brother, but if he were ever out with my white children and somebody accused him of kidnapping them, I would probably lose it. "This is a book that opens with a public racial encounter when Emira Tucker, babysitter of Briar Chamberlain, is questioned and detained because a security guard isn’t convinced Briar hasn’t been kidnapped. A good story with a lot of interesting social commentary but sadly I did not fall in love with it as many other reviewers have. Reid's buzzy debut, which happened to be both Marie Claire and Reese Witherspoon's January book club pick, is a refreshing wake-up call about white privilege—one that you don't even realize you're receiving at first. This content is imported from Instagram. Earlier this year when I vowed to kickstart my love for reading and blogging again, I was on the lookout for great books that everyone was raving about. Books Such a Fun Age Satirizes the White Pursuit of Wokeness Kiley Reid’s debut novel is a funny, fast-paced, empathetic examination of privilege in America. Kiley Reid Talks Debut Novel, 'Such a Fun Age', 'Little Weirds' Will Make You Feel Things, #ReadWithMC Loved 'Daisy Jones & The Six'. I was pleasantly surprised as i read on. Did I like it? "What a RIDE. The novel received favorable reviews and was longlisted for the 2020 Booker Prize. var hours_left = minutes_left / 60; document.getElementById("timer_321366").innerHTML = "closed"; I was rooting for her and her big heart. —@julievadnal, A post shared by Julie Vadnal (@julievadnal), "I have been seeing this book everywhere! Top positive review. Still really don’t know what to think of him? i absolutely adore reese witherspoon and enjoy her book club choices, but this one isnt quite the hit i was expecting it to be, unfortunately. } The struggle is real. I laughed, I got angry. “Such a Fun Age” explores the toll of emotional labor on a black babysitter. While Emira is a 25-year-old college graduate who has no idea what she wants to do with her life, Alix is a successful blogger with a seemingly perfect life. by Kiley Reid. It’s extremely readable and plot-forward while tackling things like race, class, and privilege in smart, engaging ways. The complexity of what happens at the cross-section of racial stereotypes, especially with differing points of view, seemed compelling. by ... who eventually disappears, too. Hi Elizabeth, thanks for stopping by but I’m afraid I’m not currently accepting books for review. Kiley Reid’s debut novel made a splash before being released, with advance praise coming from sources as varied as Jojo Moyes and Lena Waithe, Entertainment Weekly and The New York Times.In January, Such a Fun Age was the featured title for Reese Witherspoon’s monthly book club.Covering race, class, job insecurity, and … For a debut novel it wasn’t terrible, but I most definitely felt like I was reading a book written about black struggles by a white woman. 18 Comments on review: such a Fun Age is a 2019 by! Deserved a better conclusion and the events that follow will change Emira s! Light on issues such as class, privilege, and loving not be book... I came across this review letter and decided to lie about it especially the flashback where she reduced! Such a Fun Age…, 2020 Categories books, Entertainment, Literature 18 Comments “... So light and airy, although it touches on issues of racism and being an so., Briar novel was trying to figure out how I want to review to it, did! 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