SUCH A FUN AGE by Kiley Reid was a very addicting and entertaining novel about race, class, and privilege. Skipping the synopsis because you probably saw this book everywhere.
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I was really annoyed by Alix and her friends and their “white savior complex” thinking their existence alone in a Black girl’s life “helped” her. Why? How? I was extremely annoyed that they were oblivious to their own ignorant statements and actions of micro-aggression yet had the audacity to judge other people. I also didn’t know who I hated more, the nosy white lady in the grocery store, Alix, or Kelley. Ugh.
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But in all honesty, I think I was also guilty. I could relate both to Emira and to Alix. When I lived in Utah which is a super white state, I faced unintentional racism often. And after awhile, I got used to it. So when I moved to Dallas, I was quite in shock to find out how diverse it was. And I’m pretty sure I’ve said and done things unintentionally towards others that was harmful and probably racist.
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While I did find it to be a bit predictable and some characters were not as fleshed out as I had hopes, this book was well-written and all the characters seemed realistic with their flaws. I think the author did an outstanding job with writing the book in a lighter and funnier way while exploring uncomfortable topics. While funny and entertaining, I do hope this novel encourages people to examine their words and actions, including myself. This book would be a really good one for bookclub. Lots to dissect and discuss.

I’ll be honest. I read the first chapter of this book and did the shoulder shrug and put it down for a month before I picked it up again.

I'm so glad I gave it a second chance. Such a Fun Age was one of those books I read this year prior to much of the racial tensions that surfaced around the nation in 2020. I felt this book was a prep book of sorts. The story made me squirm. What disturbed me far beyond the blatant instances of racism were the ones of subtle bigotry.

Which I think was exactly Kiley Reid's aim. This book is forward about race, how white "wokeness" can be its own brand of racism. I learned so much about how combatting racism can be wielded as a self-serving tool to social posture oneself into good graces of allyship.

I'm grateful for this book.

I hate to DNF a book, but unfortunately, this book was not the one for me. I was not attached to any of the characters, could not get invested in the plot without that character attachment, and had difficulty following everything that was happening.

My belated thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I don't even know where to begin with this book. I received it as an ARC in November. 2019. A year ago. Immediately began to read. Reached the 60% mark. And just couldn't force myself to pick it up again until yesterday, November 2020. Then I read straight through to the end, because past the 60% mark is where it picked up speed and the story was halfway decent/interesting.

But the writing felt frantic for me, with too many characters doing too many things AllAtOnce. It was difficult to keep track. Alex/Alix drove me freaking nuts. Then Emira came across as a wet dishrag in dialogue. I mean, how many times can one character say, "Okay," with no emotion? Though I could feel more underneath and wanted to pull it out of the author to flipping put it on the page. It wasn't until Emira let Kelley have it with both barrels that I finally got to see the true character. But why the hell did we the reader have to wait so long?

And that, in a nutshell, is why I waited a year before I picked the book back up and finished it.

I liked this book!! It was a okay story!! I didn't like the racist stuff in the beginning!! 1st book I have read by her I'm not sure if I will read other books she will write!!

Hilarious and moving read. Perfect summer consumption. Easy paced and well developed characters. Looking dared to more from this author.

This book will bring out a lot of emotions. The rage I felt for Emira, and annoyance of the way Alix behaved towards her. It was a quick and easy read. I couldn’t believe that ending! I was happy with the way things ended for Emira though. The author did a great job portraying the relationship between these characters.

This book stood out because of the topic and story line being relevant to todays time. The plot follows an African American babysitter accused of kidnapping the child she nannies for at a local grocery store. The drama that follows goes back and forth between the family of the child and the nanny through all of the drama that has resulted in the incident. The plot held attention towards the end of the novel but was slow to get going.

It honestly took me a while to make my way through this book but I really enjoyed the reading experience. Kiley Reid's writing is fresh while bringing an engaging plot and culturally relevant storyline. I think I was just in a quarantine reading slump when I started this book. I am excited to follow Kiley and read more from her in the future!

Emira is about to turn 26, the age when you get dropped from your parent's health insurance. Most of her friends have started to find careers, and she is still working as a babysitter. She works for a very wealthy white family. She know's she needs to start looking for a better job, and a career. But, she doesn't want to stop taking care of one of the daughters, Briar. After Emira is harassed in a grocery store one night with Briar, Alix attempts to correct things, without actually listening to Emira.

Wow, this was such a heavy book, but it was fantastic. This is a book I think everyone should pick up at some point and read. This book touches on issues with class, race, privilege, motherhood, and finding your own way in life. Some of the characters are so not likable, you will be so angry with them, and then other's you will love and cheer on. This is a great book for book clubs to be able to have discussions on it. I would recommend this book!

This book gives the reader a lot to think about and process. I’m still thinking about it nearly a week after finishing!⁣
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First, the story grabbed me from the start and kept me interested throughout. Sadly, one of the opening scenes, which involves a Black woman (Emira) being detained in a high-end market and accused of kidnapping her white three-year-old charge, is one that could definitely happen any day of the week in America. My heart was beating in my throat while I read about how she navigated that situation.⁣
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The book continues from there and you get to know Emira’s boss - a upper-middle class white woman named Alix - as well as Emira’s new boyfriend - a hipster-y white dude named Kelley - and a group of Emira’s girlfriends, who were among my favorite characters.⁣
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What came to mind is that every white character in the book has good “intentions”, but they tend to unwittingly cross boundaries daily with Emira. Kelley uses his relationship with her to sort of prove his “woke-ness” to the world. Alix prides herself on her liberal views, yet seems to have a mission (and even a sort of obsession) to befriend Emira and improve her life circumstances through unsolicited advice. The term “white savior” came to mind a bunch of times... and it made me reflect on how I’ve unintentionally played the white savior card in my own life.⁣
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The only authentic relationship seemed to be Emira and the sweet, inquisitive little girl she takes care of a few days a week. And yet, how sad in our society that we don’t value child care workers more? Emira constantly struggles with a desire to keep her babysitting gig or search for something else with more hours and benefits.⁣
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I loved this book and it definitely had me thinking a lot!⁣

I enjoyed Amira and her sense of humour. I loved her relationship with her friends, especially the pieces where she was honest with herself on how she was feeling about their accomplishments versus her feels about her lack of progress. I felt like the relationship with Briar and Amira was pure and beautiful. Alix, though, was my least favourite character. She was selfish and self centered, and honestly just the worst sort of person. She didn't seem to care nearly as much about her husband in general as she cared about how complete strangers saw her as a person. Shallow and narcissistic.
The racist issues throughout the book were done extremely well. Everything was realistic and honest. The more real things felt, the more I connected with Amira. Very well done.
I didn't love the ending though. It felt like it was rushed in comparison to the rest of the book. I enjoyed the filling in of a lengthy timeline, but I just didn't feel like it was quite as thoroughly felt out as the rest of the story. 4 stars

I loved this story. There's a lot to unpack with how people view themselves when it comes to racism and class. There were some unlikeable characters, but I think it was necessary for the story itself. I really loved the twists in the story, too! There were some jaw-dropping moments.

This is going to be a book that I recommend for everyone!

As good as everyone says. The ending was incredibly satisfying, though I am not one that needs a good ending. It felt so very 2019/2020, pop it in a time capsule.

This is a book about intentions gone wrong.

Emira Tucker is a twenty-something Black woman in Philadelphia, trying to pay her bills and keep up with her friends' lifestyles. It is in this mindset that she enters the Chamberlain family home as a part-time babysitter. When a racist act of profiling occurs at a supermarket one night with Baby Chamberlain in tow, Emira gets swept up in the self-centered, problematic intentions of the white people around her.

I recommend this book to a millennial audience. The writing is sharp, witty, humorous. There are references to modern pop culture, dating apps, trendy clothing stores, etc. The characters are complicated, leaving the reader wondering what they would do in each situation.

Where do I begin with this book? I finished this book a few days ago and I am still having trouble putting my thoughts into words.

The story is written from two alternating POVs, Emira and Alix. Alix Chamberlain, a white blogger and mother of two, calls her 25 year old African American babysitter, Emira, to take her toddler to the local store while she deals with another matter at home. While at the store, Emira is accused of kidnapping the toddler, which leads to the events that unfold throughout the rest of this novel.

This is a wonderfully written and timely novel. This story portrays racism and privilege at the forefront and does not shy away from these issues. To be able to delve into such complex matters without placing blame is truly a feat in itself. I cannot recommend this book enough!

Definitely a great book to be reading right now. Looks at the different levels of privilege that exist and a great story. I will be recommending to library patrons.

Great read! The author draws you in with detail that makes you want to read on. I love when books make you feel like you are part of the story.

The book was good, but either something was missing or I was missing something! I feel like I finished the book and still don’t know the author’s purpose in writing it. Was there a message she was trying to get across? If so, I missed it.

I found the characters completely unlikable (except for Briar 😍), and again, I feel like I didn’t really know them or I was missing something about them.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC.

I really enjoyed this book and it is perfect to read at the current time. This is a well paced story by a debut author that centers around Emira, who is a black girl, and her employer Alix who is living a life of white privilege. Emira is a babysitter for Alix’s children. Alix is determined to befriend Emira and this is complicated by the differences in the lives of the two women. While also seeing the differences between them there are also similarities that make their relationship even more interesting. I found this to be a fascinating and relevant story that I highly recommend.