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“You have to read this. And this one too. Here…I have copies, you can borrow them.”

Readers are givers and sharers. We give books to people who may not even have asked for a book. We talk about stories unprompted in conversation. Oh, you know, that reminds me of a book I read once… We love to hear about the stories that have impacted people’s lives. And it’s the best feeling to say “this book changed my life. I think you should read it and let it change your life, too.” 

There’s this unspoken community and bond. And maybe also a forwardness that needs to be checked, but hey, when did recommending books become a crime?

My brother’s fiancee, Sara, gave me a whole stack of books to read. It made my day, because she has good taste in books and I’m so happy to have another reader in the family. I just dove into the first one, a Reese’s Book Club pick from a few years back. 

Reese’s Book Club is a go-to for book suggestions. Majority of the time, the books recommended are phenomenal reads. I also love that Reese has the pull in Hollywood to turn books into limited series. I’ve been loving the amount of tv show adaptations (I might have to do a whole post about these, ugh). While I’ve read a few picks that I probably wouldn’t recommend, my most recent one is, I think, a must read.

One of the many reasons I love following Reese’s picks is because her suggestions are wide and diverse. I learned in college how important it is to widen our tastes when it comes to the media we consume. Especially in books, the viewer gets an intimate view of a perspective we wouldn’t otherwise receive. It’s crucial that we seek to understand different perspectives, thoughts, cultures, etc. through the media we consume. I could talk about this for hours and I won’t get into all of it in this post because you’re here for a book review, but, seriously, audit your bookshelves (or your Netflix queue, or Hulu queue) and consider adding more voices!

This week, I’m reviewing Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid. Read on for the synopsis, what I liked, didn’t like, and my final rating!

Synopsis

Emira is three months away from turning 26, which shouldn’t be a big deal. Except for the fact that turning 26 means getting kicked off your parents’ health insurance, and she doesn’t have that on her own. Finding a job after college isn’t as easy as her friends make it seem, especially when you don’t know what you want to do. So she just scrapes by with a part time typing job and a babysitting gig taking care of Briar, a toddler she’s come to know and love. 

Alix Chamberlain is a professional letter writer, speaker, and owner of LetHer Speak who just got a book deal. She’s woke, she’s so grateful for her babysitter, Emira, and just really wants to get to know her. Emira is like family and Briar adores her. 

One late night after the Chamberlains home is egged, Emira is called for an emergency shift. She just needs to take Briar out of the house while the Chamberlains deal with the police. So, Emira leaves her friend’s birthday party in downtown Philly and takes Briar to a super fancy grocery store. They’re dancing in the aisles and entertaining themselves when a security guard approaches them, accusing Emira of kidnapping Briar. Emira is mad and humiliated, and doesn’t want anything to do with the video that Kelley Copeland, bystander, happened to catch on his phone. This night determines how Emira and Alix relate to one another, and shows each woman things they never knew about themselves. An empathetic look at the intersectionality of race and class, and an exploration of growing up.

What I Liked

This book is so much more than just a novel. It’s a social commentary that is absolutely needed right now. It tackles race and class and what happens when people from different races and classes intersect (I won’t go on a rant now, but intersectionality is one of my FAVE things in literature). Reid spins this intersection perfectly through her beautiful writing and creative plot. Last summer, everyone started to read nonfiction books on race issues in America and how to be a better white person. I think that is great; I also think it’s important to read fiction because, honestly, it reveals so much more. 

Essentially, Emira is in between two white people who think they know what’s best for her. It’s frustrating to read and picture in your mind. Like, LET THE GIRL MAKE HER OWN DECISIONS PLEASE. She’s a 25 year old who doesn’t know what she wants to do, not a child. It’s a necessary frustration, though. It put into perspective how easily people can think they’re helping someone out, when in reality they are stripping someone of their agency, which made me reflect on my own actions. 

Emira and Briar have the sweetest relationship throughout the novel. She truly loves the kid, and the kid looks up to her. I almost think this goes to show how a childlike approach to people is not a negative thing. Toddlers aren’t afraid to speak their thoughts and be friends with who they want. They don’t think they know what’s best for people. They don’t give unwanted advice or overthink how to approach someone. Besides Emira’s closest friend (Zara), Briar is the best relationship she has. Alix runs into problems by overthinking. She thinks she can help with situations she doesn’t even fully understand, and it only hurts Emira in the long run. Be like Briar, not like Alix.

Dialogue is another pro of this novel. There is a lot of dialogue, but it’s well written and realistic. Sometimes it’s witty; sometimes it’s cringy. All of it is on purpose and thoughtful.

What I Didn’t Like

The plot is sometimes a little too perfect. For example, there is a random connection between someone in Emira’s life and someone from Alix’s past. Philly is a large city, and, like, what are the chances? It ends up driving the latter half of the novel. The connection is pivotal, but also a little far fetched.

Overview

Such a Fun Age follows Emira, a 25 year old who doesn’t know what she wants to do with her life. While she figures it out, she types for the Green Party and babysits for Alix Chamberlain. Alix Chamberlain is a professional letter writer and obsessed with her babysitter. Alix takes things into her own hands when Emira is accused of kidnapping little Briar late one night in a boujee neighborhood grocery store. At its core, an exploration of the intersection of race and class. A revealing piece, and necessary for our current times, I rated this one a 4/5. It’s beautifully written and empathetically tackles some of today’s most important issues. The plot is clever, but at times a little too far fetched. Pick this one up on Amazon or Bookshop to add to that TBR list!