Play Book Tag discussion
This topic is about
Such a Fun Age
July 2020: Other Books
>
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid -- 3.5 stars
date
newest »
newest »
I didn't really see it as a "girl" thriller formula- but I think the book relied heavily on coincidence- too much so. The white savior points could have been made exclusively from each other, and would have the same impact (dare I say more impactful) had the two worlds not collided.
What is a "girl thriller"?
Basically the psychological thriller genre that stemmed from Gone Girl. Twisty turns, semi dark, usually has an unreliable narrator, may or may not be set with multiple narrators or duel timelines. Basically my bread and butter books during quarantine, lol.Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train, An Anonymous Girl, Pretty Girls, Final Girls, The Good Girl, All the Missing Girls, The Woman in the Window, The Woman in Cabin 10.
Oooooh... OK. Thank you, so now I don't have to get on my anti-"chicklit" soapbox.
Carry on 🤪
Admittedly, that description makes me want to read this more.
Joi wrote: "I didn't really see it as a "girl" thriller formula- but I think the book relied heavily on coincidence- too much so. The white savior points could have been made exclusively from each other, and w..."It ultimately wasn't a "girl" thriller, but for a bit there, especially when (view spoiler) Obviously, it did not ultimately go that route and ended up totally not being a "girl" thriller, but I got that vibe for a little bit of the book. lol
I feel so vindicated by your review Nicole! This was a huge let down for me. Reminds me of how I felt about Little Fires Everywhere. And don’t get ME started on the name Alix! 🤣 As Joi said, it relied way too heavily on coincidence. It has the makings of something deep and meaningful, and it just fizzled out. Disappointing.
Susie wrote: "I feel so vindicated by your review Nicole! This was a huge let down for me. Reminds me of how I felt about Little Fires Everywhere. And don’t get ME started on the name Alix! 🤣 As Joi said, it rel..."I feel like I was pretty generous rounding it up to 4 stars. I was disappointed with it, but I feel like anything with a race component is getting slightly higher marks for me at the moment because of BLM and my desire to learn more.
You were also probably more disappointed than me because I likely had lower expectations! lol. This was a Reese Witherspoon book club selection and while I often enjoy books she picks, none of them are earth-shattering. She selects books that have interesting themes, but they are ultimately extremely mainstream and appeal to a broad range of readers. I go into her books with that mindset.
I did not read Little Fires Everywhere, but, not surprisingly, that was another Reese book club selection! I did watch the show though and totally agree that it grazed the surface of something deep and meaningful, but ultimately just kind of fizzled out.
I took this off my TBR, probably because of your review Susie!
I also went in with lowered expectations, I think everyone I know who has read it has given it 3 stars. I founded up for similar reasons to you, Nicole. Reece's book club has always been hit/miss for me. I hated One Day in December, but on the flip side I LOVED Little Fires Everywhere, and gave it 5 stars! Haven't watched the show yet, as I know it will be pulling all my emotional triggers.
Joi wrote: "I also went in with lowered expectations, I think everyone I know who has read it has given it 3 stars. I founded up for similar reasons to you, Nicole. Reece's book club has always been hit/miss..."
I still have a reaction of visceral hatred when I even see the title One Day in December...
Nicole R wrote: "Joi wrote: "I also went in with lowered expectations, I think everyone I know who has read it has given it 3 stars. I founded up for similar reasons to you, Nicole. Reece's book club has always b..."
LOL, I listened to that on audio for my local book club.
Not a book I would normally pick on my own, but it was fun hating most of the characters.
Play Book Tag
Books mentioned in this topic
Little Fires Everywhere (other topics)One Day in December (other topics)
All the Missing Girls (other topics)
The Good Girl (other topics)
The Woman in the Window (other topics)
More...
3.5 (round up to 4)
This book was much much different than I expected. And, in some ways it was both better and worse than anticipated.
Brief overview: Emira Tucker is a Black mid-twenties woman who is not quite sure what she wants to do with her life, but, while she is figuring it out, she babysits for Alix (Ah-Leaks. Don't get me started on the pronunciation) Chamberlain's two young daughters, including the adorably precocious Briar. The Chamberlain's are an upper-middle class White family living in Philadelphia. Late one night, Alix calls Emira while she is out with her friends to see if she can come take Briar anywhere because their house has been vandalized and she doesn't want Briar to be there when the police show up. So, now we have a young Black woman dressed for a night out with friends with a young White child late at night. I think we see where this is heading...
What I thought I was getting: contemporary fiction that deals fairly superficially with race. By superficially, I mean I thought that race would be a central part of the story and it would address stereotypes and injustices in a fictional manner. This is no Ibram Kendi.
And the book started that way, then took a hard right...
What I got: contemporary fiction that does have race themes, but it is more subtle than I thought it would be. I thought we were heading down the path of police injustice, but, instead, we landed in the realm of racism by purportedly well-meaning White people. The White Savior. The person who White-splains things to Black people. The White person who is so woke that they only have Black friends and partners. We also dip into the Black person who thinks all Black people can claw their way to success with more help (read: nosy intervention) from successful Black people.
And what I got, in many aspects, was much more subtle and insightful that what I thought I was getting (hence the bump up to 4 stars). But, the book also had this kind of "Girl Thriller" (you know the books I mean). There is this whole storyline (kind of secondary-primary) that links together the seemingly unrelated main characters in a way that gave me this foreboding feeling. I felt like something truly twisty was going to happen. Spoiler: it didn't. At least not in the way I thought.
My biggest complaint: the ending. (view spoiler)[ Emira was so concerned about the grocery store video getting out because she thought it portrayed her in a negative, stereotypical way. Then, at the end, she gets even with Alix on live television. Also portraying her in a very negative light. (hide spoiler)] I guess she planned that and had control, but it was just odd.
And finally, I think I was supposed to like Emira and I didn't really. She was so passive and indecisive, and when she felt like she had been wronged she just shut down or acted out. She definitely did not have much motivation. She was a hard worker and she did a good job at everything she tried, but she was just so content to stay in one place unless forced out. That is the opposite of me, and so I found her a hard character to relate to.
Ultimately, I am rounding the book up because of the light it shines on subtle racism that so many people brush under the rug, and the great audiobook narrator (with the exception of the pronunciation of Alix, but that is the author's fault), but on a different day I think I could have easily rounded it down.