When Emira is apprehended at a supermarket for ‘kidnapping’ the white child she’s actually babysitting, it sets off an explosive chain of events. Her employer Alix, a feminist blogger with the best of intentions, resolves to make things right.
But Emira herself is aimless, broke and wary of Alix’s desire to help. When a surprising connection emerges between the two women, it sends them on a crash course that will upend everything they think they know – about themselves, each other, and the messy dynamics of privilege.
Find out what we thought of this month’s book!
Lareese
I did a complete U-Turn on this book real fast! I struggled my way through the first few pages but from then on, the pace kicked in and I was hooked. Kiley Reid writes a remarkably current and provocative debut novel, baring deeply political issues of casual racism and white privilege with those of motherhood, friendship, romance and identity. The narrative is so agile and accessible that at times, you forget you’re reading a work of fiction. You won’t know who to trust, you’ll think you’ve got it all worked out but Reid is an anomaly and she’s not about to hand you a predictable fairytale. Addictive, captivating and bound to be snapped up for the big screen. I can’t wait to see / read what Reid does next!
Rating: 5/5
Would You Recommend? Yes
Would You Read It again? Yes
Zoe
This turned into the ultimate page turner for me and I wasn’t expecting it at all. I connected with the way in which Kiley Reid writes and her compelling style drew me in immediately. There is a lot to this book that made it so great for me. I found the relationship between the two main female characters so real and raw and the racial issues and white saviourism that are highlighted throughout made it so poignant and different from anything i’ve read before. Reid really takes you on a journey of “who to trust” and you find yourself flitting between who you think is in right or in the wrong until the very end. I also really enjoyed the relationship Emira had with Briar and felt it injected the story with stripped back innocence and acceptance. This book was thought-provoking and really clever, a fast paced read with seriously big impact!
Rating: 4.5/5
Would You Recommend? Yes
Would You Read It again? Yes
Holly
After the scene in Market Depot I was like ‘this is literally hundreds of thousands of peoples true story.’ Even if this isn’t based on Kiley Reid’s real life, shit like this literally happens every day?! I absolutely loved this book. Right from the first 20 pages I was hooked. I loved that it wasn’t super explosive, in fact you could say ‘not much’ happened but this just highlights that racial issues are ingrained in everyday lives. As well as racial issues, I think it was a great ‘coming of age’ book. Emira is the same age as me and I really related to her in the way of her friends being at different stages, being unsure of forever etc. I read the last 120 pages in one night because Emira is fucking powerful and I couldn’t wait to see what happened. I am pleased to report I LOVED the ending too. I recommend this book BIG TIME.
Rating: 4.5/5
Would You Recommend? Yes
Would You Read It again? No
Charlotte
This was such an addictive read! I adored Kiley’s writing style and would rush to read any other novels she publishes in the future. The book felt unique in that it was so current and conversational yet complex- if I were to write a book I’d want it to just like this. The story was such an accurate representation of the modern world and the racial issues within it and I loved seeing the dynamic from both protagonists’ perspectives. Aspects of the story that seemed menial amongst the ‘bigger’ plot moments were still a joy to engage with and I felt instantly transported into Philadelphia and the range of characters within it.
I’m going to be honest, the ending disappointed me slightly- the plot seemed to quicken and I became so invested towards the end, but I expected something bigger or more life altering to happen between Emira and Alix- I feel like I still have some questions! Despite that, I loved how clever and thought provoking the story was and would highly recommend it to others!
Rating: 4/5
Would You Recommend? Yes
Would You Read It again? No
Amy McCulloch
When I picked up Such a Fun Age, I didn’t know what to expect. I found myself gripped from the first chapter – the writing is so effortless, and I was very intrigued by the tangled web of Emira, Alix, and Kelley. It was a clever, fascinating satire on race relations and ‘woke’ culture, and I found it refreshing to read. I especially enjoyed the chapters with Emira and her friendships, along with the relationship between Emira and the little girl she is babysitting, Briar. I was left a little disappointed by the ending (I felt like some of the male characters were left off the hook a bit too much!) Still – a minor quibble. I found this an entertaining, fresh and insightful read. Can’t wait to see what Kiley Reid comes up with next!
4/5 rating
Would You Recommend? Yes
Would You Read It again? Yes 🙂
Maddie
I’m not going to beat around the bush here, i LOVED this book. It’s a really thought provoking story of a bitter high-school past love catching up with the present day mixed in with a classic case of can a leopard really ever change its spots? Reid writes so where each character is portrayed in a certain way yet sees themselves in a completely different light which felt incredibly real. There are multiple complex themes weaved throughout namely; racism, feminism, sexism, sexuality and friendship which for an old sociology student i found incredibly interesting to read. I kept finding myself wanting to sneak away to read a few more chapters which for me is always a sign of a 5 star book.
Rating: 5/5
Would You Recommend? Yes
Would You Read It again? Yes
Danielle
I LOVED listening to this book the voices, the tone and the way she read baby Briar was so lovely! After speaking to the girls who read the book it seems I was one of the only ones who disliked Alix from the start and I believe that might have been due to the tone of voice as I was listening to it. It’s such an interesting story before anything even starts kicking off as I loved learning more about both girls’ stories and lives. As the story starts to unfold it becomes SUCH a page turner and I was so pleased that truth prevailed. Like Amy I did want a little more from the males’ stories at the end, but all in all it’s a bloody good book.
Rating: 5/5
Would You Recommend? Yes
Would You Read It again? Yes
Lauren
This book was an absolute page turner! Kiley’s writing absolutely nails the balance of tackling topical important conversations with a captivating storyline. When you discover how the characters are linked and also when you see people’s behaviour emerge, it keeps you enthralled and wanting to see how everything turns out. It really displays how misjudgement and our own sense of entitlement and being right causes all sorts of issues and conversations that are needed. If you haven’t picked this up yet, please do!
Rating: 4/5
Would You Recommend? Yes
Would You Read It again? No
Darcey
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Such a Fun Age, It was so interesting how Kiley discussed current issues so well, the conversation throughout was complex and explored two very different peoples lives. Now, when it gets to the part of the book when you find out how Alix and Emira are linked, I could NOT stop reading! That was a major plot twist I didn’t see coming, and I was excited to see how it would pan out. By the end of the book, I was unsure on who to trust, who was in the right about events that had played out. I felt compassion for all the characters situations and opinions, I guess it shows that people interpret situations differently, and their differences doesn’t mean someones feelings have less value. I felt at the end I was still wanting to know more, but I loved the style of writing at the end, and that Emira’s life was almost rounded up.
Rating: 5/5
Recommend? 100%
Read again? Probably not
