"Such a Fun Age" by Kiley Reid book review (light spoilers)
Ahhhhhh to be young, dumb, and broke again. I'd say I'd do it again, but would I really??
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid was a very interesting and fun read. I went in with very limited expectations, as I assumed it would be just another story about a Black woman who had been subject to servitude with a youthful twist, which wasn't exactly incorrect, but I was pleased to find that this book had way more to offer than that.
In Such a Fun Age, we follow the story of a misguided 25 year old Emira Tucker who works a babysitter for Alix Chamberlan (formerly Alex). We walk into the story on a night where Emira is called by Alix into work to care for Briar, Alix's first born child after the Chaimberlain house window was broken into following a racially insensitive remark Mr. Chamberlain made on the news as a news anchor. Alex takes the child, who she has grown extremely close with over the few years to the market where she is then wrongfully accused of stealing the child. A bystander named Kelley Copeland catches it on film in what he thought to be support of Emira and resistance to police brutality against Black people minding their business. As Kelley and Emira grow closer romantically, we also watch how dramatically far apart they become as well.
We start to see the dynamics of each relationship Emira has play out throughout the book. We get to see Alix Chamberlain and Kelley Copeland deal with their own White guilt in a number of ways. We are able to witness the internal back and forth as well as the amount of ignorance that plays out in their over-extension to prove themselves faultless.
Although this book deals with serious topics, the story was told with a witty, dry humor that made it a very entertaining read. I was very impressed with Reids ability to add so much dimension to most of the characters (all but Emira). I was also very satisfied with her portrayal of baby Briar. Briar was the light of the book. She was the most vulnerable person, the most honest person, and seemingly the only likable character in the book, highlighting the tragedy of adulthood.
I loved how delightfully scandalous this book was. It was extremely interesting to watch the love triangle transform and fold and bend to the surrounding circumstances. It was interesting to see how intentions could be so easily misunderstood and insight drama.
Themes:
Guilt
Family
Maturity
Childhood Vs. Adulthood
Empathy
Parenting
Insecurity
Social media
Confidence
Self-Awareness
I am definitely interested in seeing what else Reid has to offer.
Have you read this book yet? What did you think? Who was your favorite character? Did you even have a favorite? Would you read a book like this again? The people want to know.
Until next time, and as always,
Indulge Endlessly.