This fresh, juicy novel grabbed me from page one and I flew through it, fascinated by the complex, hyper-realistic dynamic between the two main characters. Emira is a smart, savvy, but directionless black postgrad nannying for Alix, a young white mom whose privilege, narcissism and ambition turn into a toxic obsession, setting off an explosive, racially charged and class-driven chain of events. Don't miss this acutely relevant debut from Reid, a new talent to watch.

Timely and timeless. The author tells the story of a young black woman coming into her own through a blatantly racist incident and the unraveling of the privilege of class in her workplace. The main characters are well developed and the plot has riveting twists and turns. It is an easy, quick read, However, several of the scenes are angst producing.
There are a few too many secondary characters in the book, thus it's easy to get them mixed-up while one is reading.

I featured this book in a what to look for at BEA post -- but I'll refeature or review closer to pub date

In an era of so many white savior narratives, it’s so refreshing to see a story written by a black woman that directly challenges and upends that problematic narrative trope.

Alix Chamberlain is the textbook well-meaning rich white woman: She has black friends. She’s read everything Toni Morrison wrote. She’s trying to land a gig with Hillary Clinton’s campaign.

Emira Tucker is the 25-year-old black woman who babysits Alix’s two young daughters. She’s aimlessly trying to figure out her life—preferably before she turns 26 and loses her parents’ health insurance.

One night when Emira is at a grocery store with Alix’s daughter, she’s confronted by a security guard who accuses her of kidnapping the young girl. A white man named Kelley films the incident, and he and Emira begin dating.

Horrified that this happened to Emira, Alix resolves to make things right, but as it turns out, Kelley is someone from Alix’s past, and things start to get messy.

While the central conflict of the narrative rests on a premise that is perhaps unrealistically coincidental, the fact remains that this book is compulsively readable. The characters are so well-developed and the dialogue so authentic, with tons of little details and observations.

Emira becomes the reluctant target of both Alix and Kelley’s well-intentioned but problematic white saviorism, as they both try to do what they believe is best for her, pushing her life in what they perceive to be the right direction. But Emira doesn’t need to be saved—especially not by these two.

Laced with important commentary about race and privilege, this is ultimately a story about owning one’s own life. Emira may be the aimless one, but she’s true to herself—something that, we come to find, isn’t the case for Alix, despite how much she seems to have it all together.

I really enjoyed this and never wanted to put it down while I was reading it. I have no doubt that it’ll get a ton of buzz when it comes out.

*Thanks to NetGalley for a free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review*

This was phenomenal. I'm not surprised that the movie rights have been sold even before the book was released.



Review copy provided by publisher.