Come and Get It by Kiley Reid. Pub Date: January 30, 2024. Rating: 1 star. I really enjoyed this author's novel titled Such a Fun Age, so I thought I would be in for a similar experience with her newest published work. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Honestly, I really have no idea what the author's motive and plot of the story were. This is a character driven novel with a lot more characters than I would prefer, but it felt like there was no continuity in the storytelling and was very randomly put together. This novel did not even seem like it was written by the same person as her previous novel I have read. I did like the thought of the academic setting/resident dorms in college, but this one just did not work for me. Thanks to #netgalley and #penguingroupputnam for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review. #comeandgetit

Come and Get It has been one of my favorite reads this year. I'm a fan of character driven novels and loved how many characters were in this story, and how all of their stories eventually intertwined. I liked Such A Fun Age, Kiley Reid’s first book, but I LOVED this one. A lot of the themes she explores (money, race, privilege) are similar but there’s an exploration of ethics in academia in this one that I really enjoyed.

It’s been a long time since I lived on a college campus, but I kept thinking of my own experiences with random roommates and RAs. How the seemingly minute day-to-day drama will inevitably build up until it reaches its tipping point.

This was not my favorite of Kiley Reid's books. Maybe it's because I found it hard to relate to college students, but I really struggled to find the plot in this book. No one is likeable, everyone is boring, and I just couldn't figure out what the point of the book was. I get it's character-driven, but when you don't like any of the characters, when you can't relate to any of the characters, it's just so hard to keep going. Reid is, of course, an exceptionally talented writer, but I really didn't connect to any of it.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this book.

3 1/2 stars

This book felt like a fictionalized reality show. The characters were difficult to care about and there was always some kind of drama going on....sometimes it felt legit and other times it felt manufactured.

Sometimes I enjoy a good character-driven novel, but this one just didn't work for me. It's definitely a me thing because I think many people really enjoyed it. It could possibly be that the setting of a college campus was just a little too young for me. I'm not quite sure. All I know is I struggled throughout the entire book to find a connection with the characters and the storylines. That said, I still believe Kiley Reid to be a strong author. Again, this book just wasn't my cup of tea.

Thank y0u to NetGalley for this review copy. I voluntarily chose to read and review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

Devoured this book in just a few days and chose it as our book club pick. Thank you for letting me preview the book.

This is set in Arkansas, it talks about College life, gender and young people. The character buildup was really good. I really enjoyed this book. This is a fun read, a lit fic book.

There's a universality to the college experience that resonates across school size, location, or prestige. It is an amalgamation of the relatable and the ridiculous, and if I place Come and Get It firmly in that frame, I can appreciate the character work and commentary with more sincerity than on its own. There were moments of incisive observation, but overall this was...meh, failing to bring much that is fresh or original. Not without merit, but it simply didn't excite.

Kelley Ried does it again with Come and Get it. She has a signature storytelling style that's just gets me hooked from the first chapter to the last page.

2.5 stars!

I read this entire book and didn't feel like there was really any plot. Sometimes I'm okay with a mostly character driven novel, but I also didn't really like any of the characters. I was hoping for some kind of commentary, but instead I feel like I got a bit of lukewarm commentary on race and maybe power inequity? Unfortunately just not a win for me!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

There are great themes explored in Come and Get It, but the overall work is just average. It takes a lot of setup to get to the denouement, and although all the setup helps us readers understand, I'm not sure it was all worth it in the end.

Thank you, GP Putnam's Sons and Netgalley, for an advance ebook in exchange for a fair review.

I didn't like this book at much as Kiley Reid's first one. Every person in this book was dubious ethically, whereas Such a Fun Age had a more obvious villain.

What a lovely story that is really a novel about the lives of young college students learning to be adults.
The author tells the stories of each young woman with frank objectivity while allowing them to be their selves.
Ultimately this is a book about money. How we see it, how much we need it. How hard we will work for it. Again, the author does not judge, nor should she.
I enjoyed it very much.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me this ARC

I can't tell you what this book is even about. I wish there was more character development. Shame because I loved her other work!

Unfortunately I stopped reading this book at 43%. I just couldn’t connect with any of the characters, and although I understand, the book is not intended to have a quick moving plot, they just wasn’t enough going on to keep my attention. I really enjoyed Reid’s previous novel, and I look forward to reading whatever she comes out with next, but this was just a bit too slow moving for me.

Interesting…

I kept hearing about this author and was happy to give this a try. The plot caught my intention, with characters and their different motivations, slowly evolving into, seemingly, college hijinks. Quirky and intention-getting, the characters came to life, providing some interesting views into what makes people tick. Unfortunately, as I read further, it was hard to find one character or plot hook that made me care how it all played out. I didn’t click with any of the characters so it was hard to stay engaged.

So much feeds into the appreciation for a story and I’m hoping it was just a moment in time that didn’t allow me to appreciate this one more. The writing style, coupled with amazing things I’ve heard about other stories by this author, will have me checking out other titles. There’s definitely enough good to have me wanting a second chance…

Early reviews claim "nothing happens in this book," but that's not the case. Kiley Reid's strength lies in depicting small slights and alliances that build to significant outcomes. If you can't see these subtle actions leading to chaos, Reid might not be for you.

The tension builds to intense levels of "Oh No," with characters making bad decisions that clearly won’t end well. The anticipation of the impending disaster and seeing how deeply intertwined the characters become is the true pleasure.

Reid's writing is confident and specific, capturing human behavior with ease. I found immense joy in this book's perceptiveness and accuracy. Highly recommended.

Thank you for the ARC.

College Senior Millie wants nothing more than to buy a house after graduating and the money she ears as an RA is put towards the down payment. When an opportunity to make a little extra money snooping on her residents presents itself, Millie gets caught up in a series of events that all unravel simultaneously.

Interesting read, not entirely sure how I feel about it yet! I read Reid's previous work, Such a Fun Age, and felt similarly. I was actually more intruiged by the collaborative memoirs Agatha, the visiting professor, wrote than finishing this book. Overall, it was a fresh and unpredictable story.

Phenomenal. I’m not usually one for a character driven novel, but Reid is a notable exception for me. Her characters are so nuanced and well-developed that I could read hundreds of pages of their innermost thoughts without getting bored. She’s just that good. I absolutely loved this book.

I really liked this! Loved the setting - as someone from MO + having lots of friends that went to UofA. I just don't think this moved fast enough for me. I know that is part of the point, but the longer I read it, the less I wanted to pick it up. I have heard great things about this author's previous work though so I will be reading that!

This is almost all character development with a little bit of plot. I enjoyed getting into the heads of these messy people. Uncomfortable at times and so much second hand embarrassment. I absolutely love the way Kiley Reid writes. It feels so unique.