I know, based on the reviews that this may be an unpopular opinion, but I think this is a much more well-developed, mature and subtle novel than Kiley Reid's first. Just as she did in 'Such a Fun Age', Reid explores the intersection of class, race, gender and sexual politics, highlighting the ways Black people in predominantly white spaces are constantly called upon to shape-shift and manage their various identities to survive and thrive.

In this one, Millie, a Black Resident Assistant in a college in the Deep South is designated to manage a hall, including a suite of three girls (two white and one Black). Through a variety of apparently innocuous occurrences, Millie finds herself drawn into situations where the petty gamesmanship of white women wielding their power and privilege against each other have far more dire consequences for her as a Black woman than it was ever going to have for them. Another unpopular opinion here: I think Reid's voice in her first novel was very much, in my opinion, written in a way that would appeal primarily to a white female readership and having gained their favor with that first novel, may have lost it with this one because what 'Come and Get It' portrays is a very specific, subtle and unique Black woman experience wherein, the process of making yourself palatable and unobjectionable as a Black woman may expose you to exploitation that is certainly more subtle but no less corrosive than the exploitation Black women have historically suffered in America. And boy is Millie ever exploited in this one.

I like this new voice of Kiley Reid's a lot. It feels like she's honing both her craft and her point of view. And more than just the incredible satisfaction of watching a good writer become even better, I liked the book's message. It makes me all the more perplexed that she was recently quoted as saying that art/literature should not be social justice. This novel—whether it was her intent or not—served up a vivid portrait of an enduring social injustice: that Black women's labor and personhood are often undervalued and simply consumed for the benefit and advancement of some group other than themselves.

Recommended. And thanks, NetGalley.

If you enjoyed Kiley Reid's other novel, Such a Fun Age, I think you'll enjoy this. I like scandalous stories with academic settings!

I appreciate the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a review.

I am not normally one for character driven novels but I just love the way Kiley Reid writes. The book gripped me from the opening focus group -- I know some people said it started slowly but I was HOOKED from the awkward interactions of the undergrads (and at times was reading through my fingers due to the racism and classism on display). This book is definitely about the vibes but I was feeling it -- I'll read whatever Reid writes next.

3 stars.

"Come and Get It" by Kiley Reid is scant on plot, but huge on characters. There are *so many people* in this book that it was difficult to keep them all straight. There is *a lot* going on here, but it also feels like...nothing happens?? This book is about the characters, their lives, and their differences, but to have a character study be about unmemorable people is sort of insane?? It's also about money, race, privilege, family dynamics, s3xual orientation, university life, and cattiness, but only in a micro kind of way on all of these fronts. It's the kind of book that feels like it's being deep without saying anything at all. It was challenging to continue with this story without DNFing it because the people in this story are such terrible, privileged, backstabbing people. Don't get me wrong, I love a good morally gray character, but these people felt like abstract concepts, not fully fleshed-out beings. It feels like there could be something deeper in and amongst the surface level, but I don't think Reid capitalizes on it entirely. This could have been an incisive commentary on power dynamics and inequity in the workplace, in relationships, and at universities, but I just didn't get that from this book. It's "fine," but I would not recommend it. That being said, I am looking forward to Reid's next novel!

Thank you to NetGalley, Kiley Reid, PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

took me a while to finish this one and fully get into it. Once I did I really enjoyed it. Loved Kiley Reids “Such a Fun Age” so was excited for this one as well. Thank you netgalley for an arc in exchange for my review

I was very excited to read another kiley reid book, but unforutunalty this one fell short for me. The relationships felt stiff and overall i struggled to get into the book

Wow - this is definitely a huge left turn from Such a Fun Age, but I really enjoyed this one! This is certainly a book that is "no plot, all vibes" but if you love a campus setting, I think this would be a great book to pick up in the fall. Especially if you are a reader who enjoys exploring the complexities of privilege, money, and identity,

Kiley Reid is a wonderful writer! She makes these clever inside jokes that I have to research and her characters are incredibly compelling!
This second novel from her is fascinating in how people operate when it comes to money and status. I also liked the focus on people's things and how that shows who they are. You can never really tell what someone is like just through their things. At first, the novel seems very slow and it doesn't really pick up until halfway through the book but I am glad that I stuck with the book because all of the character development that I read paid off!

I really don't know what the point of this book was. It was very low stakes drama, and not very compelling

dnf @21%

this is just inane.

i liked "such a fun age" but this was overwrought, overwritten, and way too dense. not enough plot and sadly none of the characters piqued my interest. it wasn't even a matter of unlikeable characters, which i can deal with. they just seemed to be made of cardboard and not at all interesting enough for me to keep reading.

i should say i DNF very few books. this is the first book i have DNF'd in 2024.

20% in and I still have no idea what the plot is and what the book is going to be about. I went online to look at some reviews, and they all say the same thing: no plot and pointless!! I'm glad I noticed this early on so I can just stop here.

I’m a Kiley Reid forever fan and this didn’t disappoint. Loved the slow pacing, the real characters. Love that it was fun but made me think. The exact experience a book should provide!

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.
I thought Such a Fun Age was great, so I was excited to read another from Kiley Reid. And, this one was also fun to read, but I didn't love it quite as much, however, it's definitely still worth reading.

The story follows a group of people at the University of Arkansas for one semester. The main focus is on Millie, an RA, and Agatha, who is a visiting professor who is also doing research for a book. Three students in a suite cause havoc on Millie's life and to each other. Millie's just trying to do her best.

The story isn't really anything captivating, just people living their lives, but I still was intrigued by how they all interacted. The characters are written with depth, and I felt myself drawn to several of them. Overall, this book was a fun read.

3.5 ⭐️
I enjoyed this book. There were a lot of characters, but it was easier to follow along with them once the story picked up the pace. It was medium paced book overall— and it was quite lengthy. I think it could have been 50 pages shorter. Overall though, I would recommend this book if you enjoyed Kiley Reid’s other novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced digital copy of this book.

I have to be honest, I struggled with this book....

What I liked:
1. Love a college setting - so many things you can do with it and the characters at this age.
2. It had a strong beginning as the characters are introduced and we start to get the lay of the book.

What I didn't like:
1. After the beginning of the book - I quickly lost interest -the characters were not likable.
2. The writing style was choppy and definitely needed some editing..
3. Felt the plot went in circles and ended up nowhere.

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP PUTNAM / G. P. Putnam’s Sons for providing me with a digital review copy in exchange for my opinion.

Read the first 50 pages three times and was not interested in reading anymore of the book. I did not find the characters engaging, and I was not invested in their stories.

I will read anything set on a college campus and 99% of the time I will love it. Peak unreliable narrator but that's what made it fun.

I went back and forth on whether or not I should give this one a try. There are so many mixed reviews, the Goodreads rating is really low, and I was an outlier with Reid’s debut, Such a Fun Age. In the end, I couldn’t let one of the biggest releases of 2024 get past me.

Many of the reviews are correct: not much happens here. The book is very character driven and there are a lot of unforgettable characters. Reid does a great job developing characters and I liked how they had distinct personalities. I do believe that Reid was carefully and quietly laying down crumbs that, at first, seem insignificant, but by the end, was the catalyst to the whole point of the book.

There is a lot to explore here: socioeconomic disparities, racism, LGBTQ representation, journalistic integrity, and satire. Examining each of these issues within the context of the whole is where I think readers would find more enjoyment (rather than the overall story itself).

In the end, I do feel indifferent - which is how I remember feeling after Such a Fun Age, too. Reid might be above me because I do think there’s something deeper she’s trying to accomplish here, but I’m not sure I’m grasping it.

PS….LOVED the college setting!

Couldn’t get through it. The characters and situations were not entirely plausible and I got bored with it.

I could absolutely not get into this story despite being so excited by the premise. The pacing was so slow, and I really disliked the way dialogue was written. I truly couldn't tell you what the plot was about. The only character I really wanted to hear more from and found interesting was Millie.