Such A Fun Age

With its interesting blurb and social commentary, Such A Fun Age provides a lot of fodder for book club discussions, but I had mixed feelings. My interest started off strong, waned in the middle and while the issues raised gave me a lot to think, I was left unsatisfied with its ending. I was expecting a bang but got a fizzle and too many unanswered questions.

This book excels at its discussion of social issues - parenting, social class, friendship and especially 'white savior' behaviour where white people try to 'help' or 'protect' people of colour 'out of the goodness of their hearts' but, in fact, their actions only showcase their biases and desire to appear morally superior. Reid does an excellent job of providing various points of view, giving readers a well-rounded look at these issues.

There are some endearing characters (wee Briar and Emira) and a character I didn't like (Alix/Alex). I don't mind not liking a character, but Alix had no redeeming qualities and I needed a better explanation for her sudden and consuming infatuation with Emira as well as her silly decades-long high school feud.

Overall, I liked this novel but didn't quite love it. It gave me a lot to think about but wasn't quite as compelling as I had expected based on its blurb and opening scenes. What this book will do is promote a lot of discussion on race and privilege making it a great pick for book clubs.

My Rating: 3.5 stars

Author: Kiley Reid

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Type: eBook

Source: Personal Copy

Publisher: G.P Putnam and Sons

First Published: December 31, 2019

Book Description from GoodReads: A striking and surprising debut novel from an exhilarating new voice, Such a Fun Age is a page-turning and big-hearted story about race and privilege, set around a young black babysitter, her well-intentioned employer, and a surprising connection that threatens to undo them both.

Alix Chamberlain is a woman who gets what she wants and has made a living, with her confidence-driven brand, showing other women how to do the same. So she is shocked when her babysitter, Emira Tucker, is confronted while watching the Chamberlains' toddler one night, 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, 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 things 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

Alix Chamberlain is a woman who gets what she wants and has made a living, with her confidence-driven brand, showing other women how to do the same. So she is shocked when her babysitter, Emira Tucker, is confronted while watching the Chamberlains' toddler one night, 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, 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 things 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.