From the Bookshelf of Read With Me!…

Such a Fun Age

Kiley Reid

Start date: October 1, 2020

Finish date: October 31, 2020

Discussion: October 2020

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Showing 2 of 5 topics — 15 comments total

October 2020

The Giver of Stars
By Tina , Creator · 11 posts · 26 views

last updated Dec 07, 2020 03:50PM

The Institute
By Tina , Creator · 1 post · 7 views

last updated Oct 01, 2020 02:33PM

What Members Thought

May 03, 2021 Jess Penhallow rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: usa, 21st-century, library-book

This was a quick enjoyable read that was still able to open some important discussions about race, class and microaggressions. All the characters frustrated me to no end but that was sort of the point. They were all flawed and making poor life choices for what they felt were the right reasons.

A bonus point for the cutest toddler character I have ever encountered in a book. The relationship between Emira and Briar was so wholesome.

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Jun 12, 2021 Francesca rated it really liked it

Shelves: buddy-read

Interesting book about races though I found it a bit slow. I don’t think the characters were that nice. Worth reading it though.

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Jul 23, 2020 A rated it liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 3.5 stars
I found this book very interesting and it made me think about race relations all day long. I am an Indian (dot, not feather!) and I am married to a Caucasian and have bi-racial children. I feel that i don't really belong with Caucasians or African Americans, so whenever the topic of race comes up (and now it comes up a lot because of the Floyd killing and the black lives matter movement), I feel like an outsider. As a brown skinned person, I identify more with African Americans because 3.5 stars
I found this book very interesting and it made me think about race relations all day long. I am an Indian (dot, not feather!) and I am married to a Caucasian and have bi-racial children. I feel that i don't really belong with Caucasians or African Americans, so whenever the topic of race comes up (and now it comes up a lot because of the Floyd killing and the black lives matter movement), I feel like an outsider. As a brown skinned person, I identify more with African Americans because I have borne my brunt of racism in America. At the same time, my husband is Caucasian and so it gives me an opportunity to be part of that culture as well.

I find it mind-boggling that some people do not realize how "All lives matter" is a racist expression. Most of these people are on the far right. On, the other hand, this book is a critique on progressives in the far left. Sometimes, I understand the charge that many African Americans think that it is impossible for black people to be racist. I see validity in some white folks reasoning that, when it comes to racism, white people are damned if they do and damned if they don't. Its akin to how people think of a person's weight - either a person is too fat or too thin. No one ever comments that someone else is at the correct weight even if they are. So, i can understand it when some white people ask, "what are we supposed to do?" We are either seen as downright racists or as people who think they are not racist but are actually racist on a subconscious level? Doesn't that indicate that all white people are thought to be racist, no matter what? and that thought itself is racist against white people? Its kind of like a vicious cycle or even a bootstrap paradox. So how should a white person behave if they don't want to be racist? Acknowledging privilege and racism doesn't seem to be enough but standing up for /hanging out too much with African Americans is too much?

Where does this leave a bi-racial person like my child? I asked my daughter if she saw herself as a person of color or as a white person and she was stumped (Mixed-ish! I guess). Her answer was that it didn't matter to her. In this book, there was no doubt that Alix was inherently racist without realizing that she was so. But I had trouble pegging Kelley into the same category. Is it wrong if one finds people of a certain race more attractive? Is it possible that he might just be enamored by black people and their culture without it being viewed as a 'fetish'? Is one either a racist or a fetishist with no in-between? These are the thoughts that ran through my head all day. Similarly, I have many questions about cultural appropriation/political correctness. A lot of politically incorrect things don't offend me - like "Indian- dot or feather?" It just made me laugh out loud. But at the same time I can understand it might be offensive to native Americans or even some Asian Indians.I came to the conclusion that it all boils down to "don't do something that is considered offensive by the other race even if you do not understand how it is offensive because maybe you dont realize it is offensive because of your privilege.

Anyway, the writing and pace of this book was okay. Character development was good. We can nitpick about needless descriptions. Conclusion: Not a great book but definitely one that makes you think. ...more

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