This is such a fast read, which is interesting, because the events that happen are never these big huge things, but generally fairly subtle.

Emira is a 25-year-old college graduate who is at a party when the woman she babysits for calls her at eleven p.m. on a weekend night, saying that something dire has come up and she needs Emira to pick up the almost three-year-old Briar and just get her away from the house for a while. Emira needs the money, so she leaves the party and takes Briar to a local upscale market, where Briar enjoys things like smelling teas and nuts.

Partially because Emira is dressed for a party and not for a night of babysitting, but mostly because she’s black and the child she’s caring for is white, an older white woman decides that Emira might well have kidnapped this child. So, the security guard confronts Emira and tells her she can’t leave.

This novel is about race and privilege. It’s about Emira, who doesn’t know what she wants to do with her life but has to figure it out soon because she’s about to be kicked off her parents’ insurance, and her struggles of feeling like she’s falling behind her friends’ career advancements and whether her white boyfriend judges her for still being a babysitter despite her age and degree. I really enjoyed it.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel.

I was very excited about this book but for whatever reason, this didn't sit well with me. It didn't read that easy and I didn't take immediate interest. I was honestly disappointed with my expectations versus the reality of it. I definitely would've enjoyed it more if it has been faster paced.

This was an interesting read. The best way I can frame it is by saying this would be a good book to assign as high school reading or for a college Writing 101 course. It broaches some serious subjects, particularly concerning racism, the objectification and public critiquing of women, and issues surrounding motherhood and the care of children. It doesn't provide any easy answers and creates more questions instead. It's not a challenging read and simplifies some complex issues, but could provide a springboard for some conversations.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B7Uo3fcAxez/

Such a Fun Age was an interesting read that delved into some deeper issues of racism and privilege. I struggled to really connect with any of the characters in this book, and even though I was rooting for most of them, they all somewhat fell short of my expectations. Perhaps that was intentional, and an example of the reader thinking they know what’s best for the characters much like the main characters believe they know what’s best for Emira. This wasn’t a favorite for me, but it did keep me interested to find out what was going to happen.

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest feedback!

A fascinating, zippy story about race, affluence, wokeness, privilege, and more, all set in the domestic arena of a white mother of two and the black babysitter who seems to have a better relationship with the family's 3-year-old than the mother does. A must pick for book groups!

This is an easy to read story with memorable characters who surprise the reader with their motivations and actions. I was worried that this book would disappoint due to the hype around it but it was definitely worth the read. there were many layers to this novel and I found it was a very well written and relevant novel. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a thought provoking, entertaining, and compelling read. It gave me anxiety the whole time I was reading it. This story will stick with you long after you’ve finished reading it.

The opening scene of this book really pulls you in and sets the tone for what the reader is in store for. The book opens up with Emira, a twenty five year old babysitter, being accused of kidnapping the little girl she babysits. Emira is black and the little girl is white- this causes a security guard to assume Emira is doing something wrong. That and the fact that it is late at night.

Emira is such a great character. She’s so relatable and struggles with real issues facing many people in their mid twenties. I also loved her humor!

Kiley Reid’s writing is minimalist and goes down smoothly. It’s not stuffy or overly wordy. I think that this style of writing often goes under appreciated. There aren’t necessarily moments of beautiful imagery or moving prose; it’s more simple, yet impactful, observations. I enjoy this style of writing- I find it real and relatable. And also Very reader friendly.

This book isn’t super plot heavy; it’s more of a character driven story as well as a commentary on relationships, race, and class. It makes for the perfect book club or group read, I’m not at all surprised that Reese’s bookclub picked it up!

I also listened to portions of this book on audio. The narration is fantastic, and it is one of the best audiobooks I’ve listened to. Huge kudos to the narrator!

I definitely recommend you pick this one up!

Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for a honest review.

My first 5 star read of 2020! I loved this book and all it’s twisty plot. This novel is about class, race, privilege, motherhood, and comparing yourself to your peers. I can absolutely see why Reese Witherspoon chose this book as a club pick because it sparks lots of discussion.

I’m really looking forward to more from Kiley Reid.

Loved this book! Believe all the hype! I flew through the pages and devoured it in one sitting! The story is one that is familiar but also new. You see all sides and you think “where do I fall in this spectrum?”. Thank you Netgalley for my ARC! This is definitely one I will recommend to everyone!

I lost sleep over this book - not just because it was so well written that the characters have stuck with me, but because I truly cannot find the words to say about this book to do it justice.

This is not just a book about the casual and explicit racism that black Americans face every day, but the subtleties of white saviorism, the pressures of being a working mom, finding what you want to do with your life, maintaining friendships as life changes, and so many other topics.

Kiley Reid nails the nuances of so many important topics and she does it in a way that feels effortless. I think this book is a must read and I will recommend it to everyone I come across.

3.5 Stars.

The writing style within this novel was sensitive and easy-to-read, which is all the more impressive for a novel that packs such a punch. Such a Fun Age follows Emira, a 25 year-old black babysitter for the Chamberlain family. Alix Chamberlain is a white, affluent 'Mommy-blogger', who employs Emira to care for her children. At the beginning of the novel Emira is with Briar (the eldest daughter of Alix) in the supermarket when she is stopped by security for being with a white child, and accused of kidnapping. An onlooker - Kelley Copeland - happens to film the confrontational exchange. The rest of the novel follows the lives of Emira and Alix, the existence of this video, and how Kelley Copeland connects them both.

I found the first half of the novel to go by a lot slower than the second, because I felt that the latter half really tugged at the themes in the way I hoped it would. Themes of racial fetishism, the role of the white saviour, and the attitudes towards nannies were covered in an accessible way, and I think the lasting image was thought provoking and educational. Emira's character was so well written, particularly her struggle with leaving Briar, and I found that I understood her characterisation better than I understood Alix's. I also think Emira's stage of life - post graduation, competition between friends, insecurity over the future - was a topic that was so seamlessly added in, but is something that a lot of people will relate to. Emira's reaction to Kelley's fury over the supermarket incident, that he should 'not be mad because it happened to her, but because it happens at all' was powerful, and was just one of the many lines from Emira's side of the story that I will take with me.

At some points it felt like I was reading a thriller when it came to Alix's chapters; her need to 'own' Emira and prove herself to be progressive was uncomfortable, but in the end when the themes wrapped up, this made more sense. Alix is clearly a highly insecure woman who still struggles with her high school days. I wasn't a huge Alix fan, even more so towards the end, but I think that to have loved her as a character would have been to miss the point.

All in all, I am so glad that I had the opportunity to read this book, and will definitely be on the lookout for more from this author.

The story follows Emira, a young African American woman in need of extra money, who ends up taking a babysitting job, and Alix - a businesswoman who hires her. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Such a Fun Age is not a difficult read, but don’t let that fool you! It discusses difficult and important topics of race, social dynamics and privilege. It shows us that choices we make aren’t always logical or moral, but more often determined by what we believe is right and/or necessary at the time. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Things I liked:
- story told from two different perspectives
- easy read/page turner
- steady character development allowing us to get to know their stories/motives. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Things I didn’t like:
- A loss of pace in the middle - a little rushed ending
- not enough closure to the story. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
If you’re after a book that makes you think, look no further!

When you look at summaries for this book, you'll most frequently find the description of the very beginning of the book, when main character Emira is called to help out the family she nannies for in the middle of the night. Dealing with an emergency, her employers want Emira to take their three-year-old daughter out of the house while the police are there taking a statement.

But as Emira and her best friend Zara are keeping her charge, Briar, entertained in the grocery store down the street, a busybody decides to report suspicious activity to the store rent-a-cop, implying that Emira, a black woman, may have stolen Briar, a white child. A scene follows where the guard confronts Emira and refuses accept her explanation that she is, in fact, Briar's nanny. Meanwhile, a stranger captures the entire thing on his phone's video camera.

This is a flashy tale and one that seems all too familiar to any of us with a Twitter account. How many times per week are we confronted with such a scenario? But in this book, just like any post that goes viral, one snapshot of a situation does not a full story make.

The vast majority of this book takes place following this incident. Emira is not the only narrator that we follow; her employer Alix Chamberlain, wealthy businesswoman, motivational speaker, and new Philadelphian takes a bite out of half the narrative real estate. We learn how Emira ended up in this particular nanny job and how she generally feels that the child care career path is evidence of her floundering in life. We also discover that Alix has grown slightly disconcertingly attached to Emira while still pretending to herself and all her Instagram followers that she never left Manhattan.

Things get complicated when Emira begins to connect with someone significant from Alix's past and, as she tries to decide what career path makes most sense for her life while also delivering crucial health benefits (her 26th birthday looms on the horizon), she begins to question what role she's playing in the lives of everyone around her.

Obviously, given the five star rating, I thought this book was brilliant. As others have noted, this book definitely delivers commentary on race and privilege, but there are also many more messages that Reid conveys here. At the heart of everything, I felt this was very much a cautionary tale; we all must be aware of who the people around us are painting us to be and what purpose they think we serve in their lives. The two major characters gunning for one another in this book are both perfectly happy to use Emira as their sword - both trying to prove something to each other and neither are concerned that their battle does not involve Emira in the slightest.

Anyone who knows me knows I like my books thought-provoking and this one seriously delivered that while being downright entertaining. But what makes a five star read for me is a book that has a personal connection and, in this case, that's the nanny element.

I was a nanny for four years out of college and felt many similar things to Emira, both in terms of the career confusion, but also the connection to the kids. It's hard to convey the nanny-child relationship; that not-quite-family, but a step above friends space that's as emotionally fulfilling as it is torturous since you have no link to these special little people you've spent countless hours with once your employment ends. I myself still have my former charges' birthdays saved in my phone and feel the pang with each year that passes, wishing I could once again give them a big hug, while resenting their growing up too quickly.

At times, as a nanny, you're able to see and love the children more for who they really are because you're untied from those shackles of familial expectation. You know you get to go home and spend your off hours being childfree, so you can drink up the special moments of watching them learn or simply seeing them enjoy themselves. You can feel all of this to your core as you read about Emira and Briar. I've never read anything that so accurately depicts what it feels like to be a nanny.

But beyond my personal connection, this book is superb. A compelling story, important commentary, and a whole lot of heart, I may have read one of my top books of the year right as it began.

I honestly do not know how to review this book. The blurb makes it sound like it’s essentially the aftermath of the incident in the market, but there’s so much more going on, it felt a little crammed in the end. Though the writing is very readable so it doesn’t feel like a tough slog.

There’s some good robust social commentary, focusing mostly on racism and classism, and how those who may appear to be inclusive, and even believe themselves to be inclusive, are a**holes without even realising it. I think the author did really well here with fleshing out these characters, so that they seemed okay people in the beginning but less so as the story unfolded.

And for my part, many of the characters in this book matched this description. Except for maybe Emira and Briar, who’s relationship reminded me of Aibileen and Mae Mobley from Kathryn Stockett’s The Help, complete with the parting line of giving the elder child a chance (some love).

All in all, I liked this book, it’s an excellent debut and a brilliant narrative of covert racism and classism in the 21st century. Thank you to Kiley Reid, G.P. Putnam’s Sons (Penguin Group), and NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Publishers Notes: Alix Chamberlain is a woman who gets what she wants and has made a living showing other women how to do the same. A mother to two small girls, she started out as a blogger and has quickly built herself into a confidence-driven brand. 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.

But Emira herself is aimless, broke, and wary of Alix’s desire to help. At twenty-five, she is about to lose her health insurance and has no idea what to do with her life. When the video of Emira unearths someone from Alix’s past, both women find themselves on a crash course that will upend everything they think they know about themselves, and each other.

With empathy and piercing social commentary, Such a Fun Age explores the stickiness of transactional relationships, what it means to make someone “family,” the complicated reality of being a grown up, and the consequences of doing the right thing for the wrong reason.
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This book reminded me of myself at Emira's age - as far as having a degree and not really knowing what I wanted to do with the degree but loved working with kids, so just having random jobs like a babysitting job. I liked how Emira figured out how to deal with her boyfriend and her boss. I loved that she learned from their mistakes and finally grew up on her own instead of following in their footsteps. The author could've made this book out to be so much more just from the grocery store scene alone but choose not to and I appreciate that. I will remember it more for it. Hopefully you'll understand once you read it and give it a chance. Thank you to #netgalley and #gpputmanssons for a free copy of the book #suchafunage for an honest review.
The book was released on 12-31-19.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3071505322

While this was a quick read, I had a hard time with it. Frankly none of the characters except Emira, Zara, and Briar were likable (and they were very likable). I especially loved the voice of Briar. I could hear a 3 year-old saying these things and it was pretty adorable, and a little weird, just like a lot of kids that age. Emira's relationship with Briar was my favorite part of the book.

Overall though, the book was cringeworthy. There was much redemption for anyone, rather just the same old racist tropes. Alix felt like a typical white woman who was trying so hard to be a "savior" and so did all of her girlfriends. Kelley seemed to be just a white man with a fetish. Emira's navigating the mid-20s crisis that so many people experience at that age, and having to do it while being fetishized by a couple of white people. I have to admit that while I wanted to finish it, I was glad it was over.

The premise of Such a Fun Age attracted me: it sounded like it had a lot of potential to explore issues around white privilege, misogyny, racism, feminism, black fetishism, peer pressure…you get the idea. I figured it couldn’t do all that without turning into a polemic…surely the story would be lost? Seriously, it is Kiley Reid’s FIRST novel. But thanks to G.P. Putnam’s Sons and NetGalley, I received a copy in exchange for my honest review, so I jumped in.

Here’s the premise: Emira is a young African-American woman who has recently graduated from college and is sort of at loose ends as she prepares to figure out her career path. She is hired as a nanny by Alix Chamberlain, a thirty-something woman who has found a way to make a (good) living from her blog and 21st century online influence peddling, telling other women how to get what they want, just as she has. Alix and her husband have a toddler (trendily named Briar), and late one evening they call Emira and ask her to come get Briar while they deal with a family emergency. Although she is at a party and not dressed for nanny duties, she takes Briar out for some fun time walking the aisles of their local high-end supermarket. The store’s security guard, seeing a young black woman out late with a white child, responds to the concerns of a busybody shopper who essentially accuses Emira of kidnapping Briar. A crowd gathers, a bystander films everything, and Emira is equally furious and humiliated as Alix’s husband rescues her from the situation. Alix (awash in white privilege and guilt) resolves to make things right.

Told from both Alix’s and Emira’s points of view, the story unspools in a smooth way, with humor and well-developed characters exploring several potential sticky topics. I loved some of the descriptive passages, as when Emira comments on Alix’s constantly ignoring Briar: “...Mrs. Chamberlain’s stare went empty and embarrassed as if she’d been caught in the middle of the night, standing in front of the refrigerator, fork in hand and chocolate frosting on her face.” The resolution might be a tiny bit too convenient, and some reviewers have absolutely HATED the characterization, particularly of Emira. I readily admit to being a privileged white person, so my reaction to the racial components is clearly different from that of someone with more experience of interracial situations. I found those reviews fascinating, primarily reminding me how oblivious I have been and remain in this area…but I enjoyed reading it, and I’d love to read a sequel that follows Emira’s path to adulthood. Four stars.

This debut definitely packed a punch. I was impressed by the writing style, which appears to be simple and straight-forward but has a lot going on in between the lines. The book incorporates a lot of themes such as race, privilege, white 'saviourism' (which I had to search up a word to describe) and I felt like this kind of writing style allowed to explore them in a subtle and not so in-your-face way. Because the plot itself is nothing special, but the way it's told keeps you both wanting more and putting the book down once in a while to digest the story.
On the other hand, while I was really impressed by this book for the most part, the ending disappointed me. I thought the fact that all of the main characters were morally gray fit really well with the writing style and helped showcase the problems while remaining literary. However, the way Alix's character was villainized by the ending took away from the book's literary quality, in my opinion.

This book left me wanting more. I really liked the main character at times, and other times she drove me crazy. I felt the same way about the supporting characters. The theme, of racism and privilege, was timely and handled really well. It wasn't presented in your face, which I really liked. I felt like the book just needed more at the end. It wrapped up too quickly.