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annesol's review against another edition
4.0
This one opened strong and finished strong. But unfortunately for most of the first half of the book I didn't feel like anything was happening, and I struggled to get into it. Though I understand why we needed to see Alix's side of things to understand her, I didn't find her chapters very interesting. Although that could be down to me being in a reading slump and taking way too long to finish this. Which was definitely not entirely the book's fault, though it had some pacing issues in my opinion. I was torn on what to rate this book, but I'm going for four stars because I could see what it was trying to do, and for the most part it worked. If I was going just for enjoyment level it's a three though.
whatkarireads's review against another edition
4.0
Yes- the book you’re seeing everywhere. But... I have so many thoughts. I read it on audio and keep thinking about it. On the one hand I think it takes a quietly nuanced look at the subtle forms of racism and privilege. It was an engaging story. It made me think- about sooooo many things.
On the other hand, there were times the characters felt very stereotypical- not in a good way. Was this intentional on the authors part to invoke an internal dialogue with readers? Was it an effort to have readers evaluate their perceptions? I think the audio book brought those stereotypes to the forefront where perhaps in print it wouldn’t have been as jarring.
All that aside- I was conflicted and enthralled and frustrated and I had to know how it would end. Because that ending?!? I’m still not sure if I loved it or loathed it.
There is a lot to unpack with this book and it would make a great book club pick for that reason alone.
On the other hand, there were times the characters felt very stereotypical- not in a good way. Was this intentional on the authors part to invoke an internal dialogue with readers? Was it an effort to have readers evaluate their perceptions? I think the audio book brought those stereotypes to the forefront where perhaps in print it wouldn’t have been as jarring.
All that aside- I was conflicted and enthralled and frustrated and I had to know how it would end. Because that ending?!? I’m still not sure if I loved it or loathed it.
There is a lot to unpack with this book and it would make a great book club pick for that reason alone.
jheel38's review against another edition
4.0
This was an amazing book, beautiful and real and so raw.. The want to be better, but somehow succumbing to the dregs of privilege was shown just perfectly..
the1kate's review against another edition
4.0
Great writing. Enlightening story about privilege and how blind some can be to it. The end felt rushed, I really wanted more.
petrifypdx's review against another edition
5.0
Such a Fun Age is your classic journey and return story archetype. Emira travels to Karen world and returns a stronger, more independent women that is getting closer to knowing what she wants in life. It’s clear, from her strong plot and heroine’s journey, that Kiley Reid has spent a lot of time in writing workshops. She has built her story on a strong foundation and I was impressed by her use of classic methods of story telling to tell such a modern story. The only part I felt myself wanting was in the confrontation. I really wanted Ms. Chamberline to get called out on TV for doing what she did, but we got Zara acting a fool instead. I suspect there were some undertones there that I did not grasp and it might take me a reread to decipher. Overall, it’s a five star novel and I would highly recommend it.
hlillian's review against another edition
5.0
Which age is the fun age? Not sure but still a great book with a bit of love an mystery.
backtoreading2022's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
berjean's review against another edition
3.0
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Summary:
Emira is a young black woman who is called by her boss, Alix, to babysit her daughter late at night. With this abrupt but seemingly urgent request, Emira leaves a gathering she was attending with friends and decides to take Briar (Alix’s daughter) to a neighborhood market to entertain her. There, she’s accosted by the security guard and is accused of kidnapping a white toddler. With this as a monumental moment for Emira who’s still figuring out what she wants from life, she struggles to figure out how to navigate her life after the incident- and she soon figures out that things don’t always go as planned.
Review:
This was an easy read that focused on racism and what seemed like the white savior complex (looking at Alix and Kelley). It started off strong, like seriously the beginning was really good! But then somewhere down the line, the story started losing me. I think the only part I really liked about this book was the relationship between Emira (the MC) and Briar (the toddler). It was so heartwarming, their interactions were always meaningful and sweet. Other than that, if I wasn’t frustrated at the characters then I was cringing at the dialogue. I also felt like the ending was unsatisfying because it seemed so out-of-character for Emira.
With that being said, I feel like the characters weren’t developed to their fullest potential. They seemed kinda flat, and there wasn’t really any development. Plus, I was a little confused at Kelley’s character. I get that maybe his purpose was to be portrayed as a type of white savior, but his exit from the book was so abrupt. Lastly, was there really a resolution to anything? Again, that ending felt so forced and it didn’t really solve anything.
If you like coming-of-age novels that focus on racism and privilege in the US, then this is a good read!
Summary:
Emira is a young black woman who is called by her boss, Alix, to babysit her daughter late at night. With this abrupt but seemingly urgent request, Emira leaves a gathering she was attending with friends and decides to take Briar (Alix’s daughter) to a neighborhood market to entertain her. There, she’s accosted by the security guard and is accused of kidnapping a white toddler. With this as a monumental moment for Emira who’s still figuring out what she wants from life, she struggles to figure out how to navigate her life after the incident- and she soon figures out that things don’t always go as planned.
Review:
This was an easy read that focused on racism and what seemed like the white savior complex (looking at Alix and Kelley). It started off strong, like seriously the beginning was really good! But then somewhere down the line, the story started losing me. I think the only part I really liked about this book was the relationship between Emira (the MC) and Briar (the toddler). It was so heartwarming, their interactions were always meaningful and sweet. Other than that, if I wasn’t frustrated at the characters then I was cringing at the dialogue. I also felt like the ending was unsatisfying because it seemed so out-of-character for Emira.
With that being said, I feel like the characters weren’t developed to their fullest potential. They seemed kinda flat, and there wasn’t really any development. Plus, I was a little confused at Kelley’s character. I get that maybe his purpose was to be portrayed as a type of white savior, but his exit from the book was so abrupt. Lastly, was there really a resolution to anything? Again, that ending felt so forced and it didn’t really solve anything.
If you like coming-of-age novels that focus on racism and privilege in the US, then this is a good read!