Author: Kiley Reid
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publisher: G.P. Putnam
Publication Date: December 31, 2020
Book Description: 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,” and the complicated reality of being a grown up. It is a searing debut for our times.
Rating: 5 Stars
Review: Dare I say it, but this might be the best book of 2020 and it only January 4th. This had been on my radar for months now and I could not wait to get my hands on this one. It was everything I expected and so much more.
This is the story Emira who a twenty-five year old baby-sitter for Alix Chamberlain. The opening sequence starts when Emira is called by Alix late at night, to please pick up her daughter while she has to deal with the police on an issue and take her daughter to a supermarket for a little bit. When she arrives she is stopped by a shopper and security guard and accused of kidnapping.
This sets up a very intricate story of race, class and few other elements that Reid threw in that just added to this story. Emira was a complex twenty-five year old. She is a little lost, she is jealous of her friends who are starting to obtain some success in their work lives. She love Briar her charge under Alix, and she is also in throws of a new relationship with a somewhat successful thirty-two year old.
I honestly can’t say enough. Reid does such a great job with the story and even though this is literary fiction, she throws so many twists and turns in that you will not want to put this book down. This is one of the most perfect novels, with the most perfect ending, in my opinion. This is great novel for book clubs as there is so much to discuss with this story. Highly recommend to read this one.
Obsessed Bookaholic 