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Such a Fun Age

Kiley Reid

3.85 · Rating details · 268,869 ratings · 24,155 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.

Alix Chamberlain is a woman who gets what she wants and has made a living, with her confidence- ...more

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Hardcover, 310 pages

Published December 31st 2019 by G.P. Putnam's Sons

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· 268,869 ratings · 24,155 reviews

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Jan 10, 2020 chai ♡ rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-in-2020, adult, poc-rep, own-voices, adult-contemporary, adult-lit, fiction, 2019-releases

✧ find this review & others on my blog ✧

Such a Fun Age is a novel that disheartened me even if it didn’t surprise me. Something akin to relief gusted through my room like a warm front when I finished it: not because it was an unpleasant read—though it does depict many unpleasant moments—but because the story so often wound up my feelings to such a high point of second-hand embarrassment that it felt like a huge weight slid down my shoulders when it was all over.

Narratives about race and priv ...more

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Nov 12, 2019 Emily May rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2019, contemporary, arc

Wow. 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 Such a Fun Age. Combine the compelling writing with a cute font on the cover and this book is seriously deceiving.

You know, this book reminded me of some of the criticisms others and myself had about The Help. I feel like I have to be careful here because even now, ten years later, there are people who love that book so much that they kiss it before t ...more

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Jan 03, 2020 Nilufer Ozmekik rated it really liked it

Wow! Okay! I don’t know what I have to feel about this book. Did I like it? Mostly I did. But as soon as I finish, I felt like something missing. Maybe I didn’t like how the things ended for the characters and I wished alternate solutions for their stories.

I enjoyed the writing and intercepted lives of two female protagonists, the development and progression, objective and genuine approach of racism, diversity, hypocritical attitudes of the people. At the end of the story I lost my love for Ali Wow! Okay! I don’t know what I have to feel about this book. Did I like it? Mostly I did. But as soon as I finish, I felt like something missing. Maybe I didn’t like how the things ended for the characters and I wished alternate solutions for their stories.

I enjoyed the writing and intercepted lives of two female protagonists, the development and progression, objective and genuine approach of racism, diversity, hypocritical attitudes of the people. At the end of the story I lost my love for Alixa and wanted to kick her ass so bad and shook Emira’s shoulders so hard to force her get a grip. I still stick with 3.5 stars and of course I will round them up to 4 because the story really got imprinted on my mind and I wanted to learn what’s gonna happen , how the interwoven relationship dynamics will change the characters’ lives and what kind of revelations will come out.

So we have a privileged, wealthy, blogger Alixa Chamberlain, living her dream life but it’s still something missing about her. She’s insecure, not quite satisfied with her new appearance after having her new baby, questioning her life choices. Our other protagonist Emira Tucker, nanny ( correction: babysitter as Alixa calls he, making her wear a uniform, yes like younger version of Viola Davis from “Help” movie) of Alixa’s elder daughter Briar, trying so hard to make her ends meet by working at two jobs and pushing hard to pay her rent and keep her health insurance.

One day, at eleven p.m. Alixa calls Emira urgently to take her daughter to the grocery store.(Awkward request alert! Of course nothing good will come out after strange demands) So Emira leaves her friends, still wearing her party clothes and a little tipsy to help her employers but surprisingly security guard at the grocery store interrogates her and gets suspicious that she kidnapped Briar. As soon as Alixa’s husband Peter arrives to the store, the problem solves and Emira wants to forget all of this humiliated misunderstanding even though somebody filmed everything to make things right and emailed the video to her.

Then that somebody from the grocery store runs into Emira at the train: a good looking, tall, witty man named Kelley and they start to see each other. So as you may imagine even the one of the worst nights of her life helps her to meet with her new boyfriend. But well… this coincidental beginning and her humiliating experience will be the key of Pandora’s box and helps all hell breaks loose. It will affect both of Emira and Alixa’s lives.

Alixa is selfish, insecure and a little immature character. Most of the book I loved her craziness, her passionate approach to Emira which makes her cross the line between protectiveness and obsessiveness. But at the end some big revelations about her made me lose my sympathy for the character and as some parts I found Emira, a little lost, aimless, confused. If she was younger than 25, I may understand how she lost the tracks of her own life or if there was any tragic background story tells that why she prefers only existing instead of finding her passion about life.

Overall: I loved the pure, objective, riveting writing style and the author’s approach to the sensitive matters. I partly loved the characters and their relationship dynamics, the big revelations and the story’s direction after everything is getting out of control. Only thing I didn’t like the conclusions of characters’ stories. But this is still interesting, fast pacing and promising reading. I’m happy to start the year by finishing this reading. So yes it may be considered as a winner!

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Sep 12, 2020 Cindy rated it really liked it

While this is a simplistic story, it’s still a very accurate portrayal of performative activism and woke culture. I recognized so many of the central characters within people who exist in real life. I found myself nodding along to the book’s portrayals of liberal white allyship and the way people often believe their own self-serving narratives. 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, ...more

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Jul 03, 2019 Asia J rated it it was ok

Entertaining mostly towards the end. 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. The dialogue was also fucking atrocious.

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Aug 11, 2020 Kat rated it liked it

the plot of this was super gripping (i read it in like 12 hours???) and i enjoyed the strong message that was woven throughout. interested to see how this author grows as she publishes more books.

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Mar 15, 2020 jessica rated it liked it · review of another edition

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.

i appreciate the dialogue this story opens about heavy topics such as racial inequality and ‘white saviour’ complexes. racism is a topic that tends to be discussed in fiction, but focuses more on the aggressive and antagonistic part of it. this is the first novel ive read where white people treat POC fairly, but only because they think it makes them a goo ...more

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Feb 18, 2020 Lindsay - Traveling Sisters Book Reviews rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: edelweiss

2.5 stars. An easy read that lacked the emotional connection and powerful punch that I had expected.

This book is all the buzz lately. I couldn’t wait to dig in and see what all the hype was about. I’m not sure if the overhyping is what made me feel like I was missing something or this simply wasn’t a powerful book for me. Yes, there are some very heavy topics covered within these pages, but the way they are presented didn’t impact or resonate with me.

From start to finish the narrative made me ...more

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Oct 22, 2019 Dorie - Cats&Books :) rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2019-netgalley-challenge, edelweiss, literature

***WINNER GOODREADS CHOICE AWARD FOR BEST DEBUT NOVEL 2020***

This is one of those books that’s hard to review because I think if read quickly it would come across as just a good story. Reading this more slowly it’s revealed that there is much more to this book than just entertainment. It highlights lots of racial issues, from two different points of view. Alix is a successful, married white woman and Emira an “undecided” African-American woman. Alix discovered her talents quite quickly and has ***WINNER GOODREADS CHOICE AWARD FOR BEST DEBUT NOVEL 2020***

This is one of those books that’s hard to review because I think if read quickly it would come across as just a good story. Reading this more slowly it’s revealed that there is much more to this book than just entertainment. It highlights lots of racial issues, from two different points of view. Alix is a successful, married white woman and Emira an “undecided” African-American woman. Alix discovered her talents quite quickly and has a thriving online business as well as lots of speaking engagements.She and her husband now have what seems to be “the good life”. She has one amazing, open hearted and apparently open mouthed (in jest here) little 3 year old daughter. She plays an important part in this novel, her name is Briar. She also has an infant daughter, about 6 months old whom she usually has with her when she works.

Enter our other main character Emira, a 25 y/o African American, college educated young women who hasn’t figured out what she wants to do with her life. To some she would appear in need of a helping hand, mentorship or whatever. In truth, however, Emira isn’t overly upset about where she is in her life, she is giving herself permission to explore different ideas and career paths.

These two women start out in the book as “boss” and “babysitter”, but Alix’s feelings for this young woman go much deeper and sometimes in a questionable way.

Here’s a good little taste of what’s to come, the big “event” that changes the trajectory of the relationship between these two women. “So she is shocked when her babysitter, Emira Tucker, is confronted while watching the Chamberlains’ toddler one night. Seeing a young black woman out late with a white child, a security guard at their local high-end supermarket accuses Emira of kidnapping two-year-old Briar. A small crowd gathers, a bystander films everything, and Emira is furious and humiliated. Alix resolves to make it right.”

Into this mix of emotions and presumptions between both Alix and Emira we add Kelley Copeland, the boy who “ruined Alix’s senior year in high school”. He presumably circulated a letter she had written. Lots of high school students descended on her home and swimming pool, one young man had his scholarship taken away because Alix called the police when the students wouldn't leave. Alix has never really gotten over Kelley and now he shows up in the most awkward position possible.

Sometimes I think that racial relationships have gotten better in the last decade but then I read a book like this and it really makes me wonder, have we really made much progress understanding each other and our differences? Are we still trying to make everyone act like white people? I had never heard the term white “saviorism” before but it was an interesting topic to contemplate. In this book I felt that both women used each other in different ways, neither was guilt free in the outcome of their story.

I can definitely recommend this book to everyone, it's a quick read with a big message!

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through Edelweiss. The novel is set to publish in January 2020. ...more

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Jan 24, 2020 JanB rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2020-reads, fiction, edelweiss

4.5 stars

There are books I read for the pure pleasure of the storytelling and there are books I read to make me think. Occasionally a book comes along that does both, without it being an “issue book”. This is one of those books.

One of the best ways to make a point is through witty satire, through stereotypical characters who are ridiculous, yet compulsively readable. Taking the biggest hit in this book are the progressive “woke” individuals who are so fearful of appearing racist, so convinced 4.5 stars

There are books I read for the pure pleasure of the storytelling and there are books I read to make me think. Occasionally a book comes along that does both, without it being an “issue book”. This is one of those books.

One of the best ways to make a point is through witty satire, through stereotypical characters who are ridiculous, yet compulsively readable. Taking the biggest hit in this book are the progressive “woke” individuals who are so fearful of appearing racist, so convinced that they aren’t racist, that they lack self-awareness.

Alix (pronounced Ah-Leeks) Chamberlain is an entitled, progressive, white woman in her 30s who is a blogger and Instagram influencer. Emira is a college-educated black woman in her mid-20s, uncertain and confused about what she wants to do with her life. Emira is hired by Alix to babysit her toddler daughter, Briar (who is just the sweetest!). A defining incident happens early in the book and from there we are given the perspectives of Alix and her privileged friends (who are both black and white), as well as Emira, her friends, and her (white) boyfriend.

This is so much more than a book about racial bias. It’s about race, yes, but it‘s also about social class, success, parenting, friendship, and the relationship between a nanny and the family she works for.

Bias can be subtle. It can be the hubris of thinking you know what is right for others. Everyone here seems to know what Emira needs, and are so busy "doing good" that they don't bother to really get to know Emira or her wants and needs. The road to hell is paved with good intentions and it’s never more evident than in this story.

One measure of a successful story/book is that it accomplishes what the author sets out to do. This author avoids the easy solutions and doesn’t tell us what to think. Instead she makes the reader think and examine their own feelings, opinions and actions, which can be uncomfortable indeed. The last line in the book packs quite a punch.

Do yourself a favor and grab a friend or two, and read this book together. It’s a book that begs discussion. I had the good fortune to read this book with my friends Marialyce and Victoria. Our discussions were insightful and thought-provoking, enhancing the experience beyond measure.

This is an amazing debut, and I can’t wait to see what this author writes next.

*I received a free digital copy of this book via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Jan 03, 2020 Nikki Roberson rated it it was ok · review of another edition

I pre-ordered this book because of the premise. The complexity of what happens at the cross-section of racial stereotypes, especially with differing points of view, seemed compelling.

I spent 80% of this book FURIOUS. For context, I’m a black woman, and that influenced how I read this book.

Almost all of the characters in this book were infuriating. The character of Emira, the 25-year old college graduate with no real future, comes across as undeveloped. She’s written with three different persona I pre-ordered this book because of the premise. The complexity of what happens at the cross-section of racial stereotypes, especially with differing points of view, seemed compelling.

I spent 80% of this book FURIOUS. For context, I’m a black woman, and that influenced how I read this book.

Almost all of the characters in this book were infuriating. The character of Emira, the 25-year old college graduate with no real future, comes across as undeveloped. She’s written with three different personas: the sweet and seemingly only woman to understand and cherish three-year-old Briar (who’s complex personality is confusing for such a little person but okay); the quiet and almost uneducated employee of Alix (some of the interactions had me wondering about Temple’s degree program); and a partying, mid-twenties friend and girlfriend that is depicted as the “real” Emira. The problem is, none of the personas are written well – they all felt like underdeveloped caricatures that needed more complexity. Emira stresses about job security and health insurance the entire book, to the point of being jealous of her friend’s successes and having valid fears about paying bills – yet she didn’t start applying for ANY jobs until her friends made her? It’s one thing to not know your place in life after college; it’s another to seemingly not know how to put yourself in any position to better your situation. This is made clear over and over again. Emira, despite being surrounded by resources of all types, knows nothing about how to do better for herself. This mindset is exactly what Alix preys on, and where the complex of saviorism comes into play.

Moving on to Alix. The entitlement and saviorism had me livid. I will say that I appreciated the insight into her thinking, especially when she was talking with her friends. Alix’s perspective is one that I know exists, but never will truly understand. I will never know what it could be like to be a white woman with the world – and people - at her fingertips. The best writing in this book was with Tamra, Jodi and Rachel because in those moments, I could truly appreciate the dilemmas that Alix felt she had. Otherwise, she was selfish, unaware, entitled and absolutely disgusting. Her depiction of the hell of her senior year felt overexaggerated for her to still be affected 15 years later. She’s clearly done well for herself - get over it. To find out that *spoiler alerts in the remainder of this paragraph* Kelley was right about the letter after all, and that she chose to play out a victim narrative for FIFTEEN YEARS is exactly what’s wrong with the world today. Before I found out that she invited Robbie to her house unintentionally, I didn’t have a problem with her calling the police. In that moment, those kids were trespassing on her property without her permission. But knowing that SHE KNEW at the end? GAH.

I’m so furious I almost can’t finish this review. But here are a few shorter thoughts to wrap up what’s quickly becoming a novel.

Kelley: I can’t decide if Kelley truly fetishizes black people/culture. His only interactions with white people were always negative – is this why he gravitates to black people or the othe way around? I don’t know. Alix went out of her way to find out that Kelley’s other girlfriends were all “lightskinned” or “exotic” and that Emira was the exception. Yet another white person in this novel who wants to save a black person, especially one with darker skin.
Tamra: Yet someone else trying to save Emira, but this is supposed to be okay because black on black saviorism is okay. Yeah, no.

Emira’s friends: love the support system but the characterization of slang, dress, affectation, etc. is over the top. It’s possible to be relaxed with your friends and speak properly, I promise.

And then the ending? *SPOILER ALERT* What was truly resolved? Emira’s still undecided what to do with life, even after her boss literally told her to move up and on. Briar is seemingly still ignored, although it’s unclear if there’s a new black nanny in the picture. No changes from Kelley either, just back to his standard black arm candy to make himself feel better about his life choices.

It only gets a two for the friendship stories – those were well written. Outside of that, I’d give this zero stars if I could and I could have done without reading this book.
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Nov 23, 2020 Emma Giordano rated it really liked it

4.5 Stars

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Jun 07, 2020 _ngallagher rated it really liked it

FANTASTIC

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Jul 31, 2020 Chelsea (chelseadolling reads) rated it it was amazing

This was so fucking good.

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Nov 24, 2019 Elyse Walters rated it it was amazing

Emira Tucker, an African American woman, was going to turn 26 years old next week....
....soon to get booted off her parents’ health insurance. She’s known for a while that her babysitting job - ( for Alix and Peter Chamberlain- white upper class couple with two small daughters), wasn’t exactly sustainable- but she needed to figure out things on her own.

Emira had a college degree...but she didn’t know what she wanted to do next.
In the meantime - Emira’s part time babysitting job covered - ‘ ‘ba ...more

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Jan 21, 2020 Vanessa rated it it was ok

I’m completely in the minority here, this book is popular and there is a reason for it, it’s readable (mostly) engaging and fun with a fresh and contemporary feel while also tackling some pretty serious issues of race and white privilege, parts of this story are great for furthering discussion about inequality and racism although I’m afraid it also perpetuates stereotypes rather than evolving them. (Perfect for book club discussion!) But what I can’t get past is the poor execution of the writing ...more

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Jan 02, 2020 Corina rated it it was ok · review of another edition

It’s hard to write a review about a book that left me so undecided. I think the biggest issue I had with this novel was trying to connect with any of the characters. Besides the relationship between Emira, and her charge, which was genuine and heartwarming, the story itself failed to draw me in deeply enough to become passionate about it.

The writing was acceptable for a debut novel, but I felt the execution was choppy at times. The way the plot was structured and told, especially the backstory, ...more

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Jan 07, 2020 karen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: from-publisher-or-author, review-pending

oooh, goodreads choice awards finalist for best fiction AND best debut novel 2020! what will happen?

THIS HAPPENED:

CONGRATULATIONS, WINNER! goodreads choice awards best DEBUT NOVEL 2020!

someday i will even get around to reviewing it. i hope.

this book is smart and excellent in like twelve different ways. believe all hype.

review to come.

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Jan 01, 2020 Berit☀️✨ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: audio-review, arc-physical, audiobooks, 2019

Such a fab book! Kiley Reid’s debut was extremely readable, tremendously thought-provoking, and very hard to review. On the surface this was an engaging story about Emira, A 25-year-old African-American woman finding herself and her voice. But there really was so much more to it, it really was a story about privilege, race, and economic status. The story starts with Emira being accused of kidnapping when she is at the grocery store late at night with A little white girl. The truth of it was she Such a fab book! Kiley Reid’s debut was extremely readable, tremendously thought-provoking, and very hard to review. On the surface this was an engaging story about Emira, A 25-year-old African-American woman finding herself and her voice. But there really was so much more to it, it really was a story about privilege, race, and economic status. The story starts with Emira being accused of kidnapping when she is at the grocery store late at night with A little white girl. 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. I grew up in a biracial family so I do know what it’s like for people to assume things. 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. There was much more to the story there was Alix Emira’s boss. Alix lived a privileged life and had an obsessive need to bond with Emira. I have to say I found this really strange, disconcerting, and borderline stalkerish. Then there was love interest Kelly who ironically also had a past Thai to Alix. Still really don’t know what to think of him? There were many other characters in the story most of them having very strong opinions as to what Emira should do with her life. Then there was three-year-old Brier the little girl she babysat. Brier was so adorable, precocious, and loving. I love the relationship between Brier and Emira they were just so completely loving and accepting of one another. I have to say I found Emira a much more sympathetic character. The poor girl had so many people trying to tell her what she should be doing, even though she was perfectly fine with being a nanny. I just loved this book so much it was so brilliant in its subtlety so beautiful in its nuance.

🎧🎧🎧 The audiobook was narrated by Nicole Lewis. She really brought the perfect voice to this exceptional story.

This book in emojis. 🧸 🖌 🖍 🥂

*** Big thanks to Putnam Books, Libro fm, and Penguin Audio for my gifted copy of this book 👯‍♀️ ...more

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Apr 16, 2020 Deanna rated it really liked it

Shelves: highly-recommended, 2020, my-favorites

My reviews can also be seen at: https://deesradreadsandreviews.wordpr...

4.5 Stars!!!

An unforgettable story!!

Twenty-five-year old, Emira Tucker is out with friends when her boss calls to ask if she would be able to babysit for a couple of hours. Emira regularly babysits for Mrs. Chamberlain (Alix) but it is already after ten on a Saturday night. However, there has been an incident at the Chamberlain home and Mrs. Chamberlain thinks it would be better if two-year-old, Briar is out of the house whi ...more

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Jun 01, 2020 Susanne Strong rated it really liked it

Shelves: unread-shelf

4 Stars

It is with such a heavy heart that I write this review for “Such a Fun Age” a book I read a week and a half ago, when in the few short days since having read this, so much has transpired in our nation.

This is a novel about class, privilege, society and racism from POV’s of two very different women: a successful, upper middle class caucasian woman and a young, struggling african american woman, who come from very different worlds. Alix is a wife, a mother, a blogger and an instagram infl 4 Stars

It is with such a heavy heart that I write this review for “Such a Fun Age” a book I read a week and a half ago, when in the few short days since having read this, so much has transpired in our nation.

This is a novel about class, privilege, society and racism from POV’s of two very different women: a successful, upper middle class caucasian woman and a young, struggling african american woman, who come from very different worlds. Alix is a wife, a mother, a blogger and an instagram influencer, living in Philadelphia with her family. She is in desperate need of a babysitter for her two children when she finds the perfect woman for the job. Enter Emira. A young african american woman who works part time as a transcriptionist and who needs another part-time job to pay the rent.

Emira and Alix’s daughter Briar get along famously and all is well until one evening when Alix calls Emira in a panic asking for help. Knowing that she will get paid handsomely, Emira comes to Alix’s rescue taking Briar out of the house for a little while when an incident occurs. An incident wherein Emira is discriminated against because of her race.

This my friends is only the beginning of the story.

Someone witnesses this incident and later becomes integral to Emira’s life. In an unbelievable coincidence, this has a rippling effect on the entire story.

Stunned by what she has discovered, Alix Chamberlin wants to do the best she can for Emira and yet she has to protect what is hers. Emira simply wants to be happy, to believe in those around her and to better herself. If only it was that easy.

“Such a Fun Age” is character driven, literary fiction which I truly enjoyed reading, even though it deals with difficult topics. While I really liked the characters of Briar and Emira, the others left me wanting, just a tad. I didn’t feel enough emotion from them and that is the reason why this novel didn’t get a slightly higher rating from me. That aside, I am astounded that this is KIley Reid’s first novel and I can’t wait to see what she comes out with next.

This novel deals with several very important issues, all of which are very prevalent right now. All I can say, is that we all impact each other (as was shown in this novel) and it is important that we take a look at ourselves, and listen to those whose backgrounds are different from our own and that we think before we act and before we speak. It is also important that we show compassion for each other and for ourselves. From my heart to yours, namaste my friends.

Thank you to my local bookstore at which I purchased a signed copy of this novel.

Published on Goodreads on 6.1.20. ...more

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Feb 26, 2020 Gabby rated it it was ok

Shelves: adult, contemporary, disappointed, annoying-characters, 2-star-books, lost-interest, read-in-2020, over-freaking-hyped, reviewed

I feel like this book started off pretty strong, but then it just sort of lost its way.. I really enjoyed the first few chapters of this book; I like what it was trying to say about race and the way people of color get treated differently and unfairly in certain situations, and I thought it was a really great start and shedding some light on important issues. But then I feel like as soon as Kelley’s character is introduced into this book, it really lost its momentum.

The dialogue got so cringe. ...more

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Feb 14, 2020 Melissa ~ Bantering Books (On Reviewing Hiatus) rated it really liked it

Wow. Kiley Reid can write. No doubt about it.

I've been waffling back and forth about whether to go with a four- or five-star rating. I've settled on four stars.

I think. At least for now.

Such a Fun Age is an intelligent, deftly written debut . . . with a bite. Don't let the pretty cover fool you. The story behind the bright, cheery pink and blue hues is intense.

Reid tackles the tough issues of class, privilege, racism, and "white saviors" in this novel -- and does not shy away from any of it. Th ...more

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Aug 09, 2020 myo (myonna reads) rated it really liked it

Shelves: black-author, literary-fiction

This book was so different from what i thought it would be. Everything that it says in the synopsis happened in the first chapter so i was really worried about what the rest of the book was about. I was pleasantly surprised as i read on. This book is actually about performative activism and how white people tend to use black people to get further in their lives.

You have the main character’s boss who has a very weird obsession with the main character where she wonders what Emira- the main charac ...more

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Jan 03, 2020 Larry H rated it really liked it

This was a thought-provoking novel I didn’t want to put down.

Emira is nearly 26, that crucial age when she’ll be dropped from her parents’ health insurance. While most of her friends have started making their own paths career-wise and life-wise, she works as a babysitter for the wealthy (and white) Chamberlain family. She knows she needs a better, more stable job but she really enjoys taking care of their young daughter, Briar.

Late one night Emira gets a call from Mrs. Chamberlain. They had an i This was a thought-provoking novel I didn’t want to put down.

Emira is nearly 26, that crucial age when she’ll be dropped from her parents’ health insurance. While most of her friends have started making their own paths career-wise and life-wise, she works as a babysitter for the wealthy (and white) Chamberlain family. She knows she needs a better, more stable job but she really enjoys taking care of their young daughter, Briar.

Late one night Emira gets a call from Mrs. Chamberlain. They had an incident at their house and she asked Emira if she could take Briar to the gourmet grocery store down the street until the hubbub dies down. Emira was at a party so she’s dressed a bit provocatively and she may have had a drink or two, but she agrees to help the Chamberlains.

While at the grocery store, she is questioned by security who think she kidnapped Briar, since they're not of the same race. The incident escalates until she has to call the Chamberlains to verify she is, indeed, the babysitter. While someone videotaped the whole incident, Emira doesn’t want any part of the trouble that releasing the video could cause, even if she might benefit because she was clearly the victim of discrimination.

After the incident, Alix Chamberlain becomes a little obsessed with making sure Emira feels comfortable in her job. Alix tries to build a sort of friendship with her babysitter, giving her gifts, offering her more hours, trying to serve as a combination mentor/big sister/best friend. Emira, who has begun dating a new man, wants to find a better job, but doesn’t want to leave Briar. And when a strange connection between Emira and Alix is discovered, it sets an odd chain of events in motion which will cause ripples in everyone's lives.

Such a Fun Age is a fascinating look at issues of class, race, privilege, motherhood, struggling to find your own way, and relationships. These characters aren’t always likable, but I really enjoyed this book. I think it would be a great pick for book clubs (and I saw this morning that Reese Witherspoon just chose it as her latest book club pick) because it really would be a great source of discussion and conversation.

Kiley Reid is tremendously talented, and this book feels really self-assured for a debut novel. Not a bad book to start 2020 with!!

Check out my list of the best books I read in 2019 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2019.html.

See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.

Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/. ...more

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Jan 05, 2020 Phrynne rated it liked it

Shelves: 5000-2020

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.

There are some great characters especially Briar and Emira and I loved the relationship between them. Alix was a horrible person, Kelley too, but this was good writing on the author's part. We are obviously not supposed to care for them. The story is basically about race and class and there is one major scene in a supermarket where Emira is accused of taking a child whic ...more

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Jan 22, 2020 Debbie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2020-best-reads, debuts, black-writers, cultural, complicated-female-relationships, edelweiss, cool-chicks, esil-recs

Put it in the pot and stir!

A rich white employer, a poor black employee. Stick them in a pot and stir. This isn’t a black and white story, though, or a soap opera. Oh such juicy, complex relationships.

Those 4 stars I was doling out? A thing of the past. I’m now firmly planted in 5-star land because I can’t stop obsessing over this book. I think it’s because the way the two main characters act around each other is so vivid. There’s usually an undercurrent, which seems like a character in itself, ...more

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Nov 26, 2019 Tucker (TuckerTheReader) marked it as not-released-tbr

Shelves: adult, contemporary

every time i see this title, i think to myself what age is "such fun"... like, there is no age that is fun. "

toddlers - sucks because you can't do anything. you're a helpless blob of fat

teenagers - sucks because you're a hormonal mess

young adults - sucks because you're a hormonal mess who has to deal with college and living on your own

new adults - sucks because you are trying to survive being an adult (and 9 times out of 10, you're lonely)

middle aged - sucks because you're constantly wondering w ...more

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Dec 17, 2019 Kristen Cleghorn rated it did not like it

i hate to be the one to swoop in here and leave one star buuuuuuut

the main themes of this book are the intersection of race and class/income but the author for whatever reason seems dead set against any character in the novel acting across these lines in a way that is genuine or that doesn’t have an ulterior motive. there is no normal main character in this book.

in addition to the main character emira’s constant griping about everyone around her being more successful/wealthy than her (does the ...more

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Dec 14, 2019 Michelle rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: edelweiss, dec-2019-reads

It's taken a few days for me to figure out how I want to review this. 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. It was a very enjoyable read and a timely one. I admittedly probably read it too fast, but my only real disappointment (very small 'd' disappointment) came with part of the ending.

Kiley Reid is definitely an author to watch. I have no doubt this will be a big book next year as well as a popular choice ...more

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Booker of the Month: General Discussion (spoilers!)	1	12	Apr 02, 2021 02:19PM
Ladies & Literature: * Official February 2021 Book Discussion: Such A fun Age	17	23	Apr 02, 2021 01:07PM
Books Ever After: Maandboek april 2021 - Such a Fun Age - Kiley Reid	11	35	Apr 02, 2021 07:31AM
WCFL Reader's Group: April - Such a Fun Age	1	1	Mar 18, 2021 09:34AM

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About Kiley Reid

Kiley Reid

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Kiley Reid (born 1984) is an American novelist. She is a recent graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop where she was the recipient of the Truman Capote Fellowship. She lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Such A Fun Age is her first novel.