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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
Would have been a 4 stars except the ending fell apart for me. It had a lot of potential but just didn’t quite make it. That said it was compelling enough that I listened to the audiobook in less than 24 hours. Definitely a page turner.
One complaint, and I realize this may have been very intentional, was that all of the characters seemed very tropey and lacked nuance. Similar to my complaints about the characters in “Little Fires Everywhere” each character seemed to reflect or was supposed to reflect one stereotype and therefore made it hard to like anyone of them (except for when Emira is with Briar which is where her character really felt authentic). Also, I know what Kelly was suppose to represent but i felt we were supposed to jump to conclusions about him (based on the words of a very untrustworthy source) without the story backing it up. As such, the little blip about him at the end (which is supposed to confirm that the source was correct) just didn’t work for me.
In the end the story itself is very compelling. The characters were not, in my opinion, but I do judge harshly stories where the characters lack nuance, so take that for what’s its worth. I will say the level of frustration I have about the ending probably reveals how invested I was in the story, so that is a credit to Kiley Reid’s writing. I still stand by the fact that it is an absolute (stay up an extra two hours) page turner.
One complaint, and I realize this may have been very intentional, was that all of the characters seemed very tropey and lacked nuance. Similar to my complaints about the characters in “Little Fires Everywhere” each character seemed to reflect or was supposed to reflect one stereotype and therefore made it hard to like anyone of them (except for when Emira is with Briar which is where her character really felt authentic). Also, I know what Kelly was suppose to represent but i felt we were supposed to jump to conclusions about him (based on the words of a very untrustworthy source) without the story backing it up. As such, the little blip about him at the end (which is supposed to confirm that the source was correct) just didn’t work for me.
In the end the story itself is very compelling. The characters were not, in my opinion, but I do judge harshly stories where the characters lack nuance, so take that for what’s its worth. I will say the level of frustration I have about the ending probably reveals how invested I was in the story, so that is a credit to Kiley Reid’s writing. I still stand by the fact that it is an absolute (stay up an extra two hours) page turner.
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A very fast read. Emira, a young black woman. is hired to sit for Briar - the daughter of a wealthy white woman. Loved Emira’s relationship with Briar as well as Emira’s friendships. Depicted well the awkward balance of a mom trying to be both boss and friend to her sitter and also wanting to be seen as cool and “woke.” Lots of revelations about Alix’s past that kept the book moving.
One of the best books I’ve read in a very long time! Couldn’t put it down. These characters are so identifiable and flawed and annoying and lovable and frustrating and they’ll spark deep and meaningful thoughts on race and class and society today. Read this book right now!
challenging
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Alix and Kelly annoyed me but I get why they annoyed me. I’m glad Emira stood up for herself.
Under the mariachi music that suddenly seemed quite loud, Emira’s eyes went wide and her mouth twisted as if she’d found a hair in her food. Kelley went on.
This book is a minor miracle. It is light, breezy, and funny, while being simultaneously gripping and deeply distressing. Particularly for a white girl who, although she's mostly like the minor character Rachel, sees a bit too much Alix than she'd like to admit in her own personality. It's eye-opening, heartbreakingly real and mundane, and somehow a near-thriller based around microaggressions, turning on a dime from four girls in their 20s choreographing a nude ("'Wait Emira's better at this,' Zara tossed Emira the phone. 'I'll get down and hold your t*ts up, though.'") to a mother cyberstalking her babysitter, neglecting her work and children in the process.
On top of this, it is written just about masterfully. A critique of the saviour mentality between races and classes, the characters could've easily fallen into cookie cutter stereotypes. Kiley Reid deftly avoids this, while providing fluid, readable description and dialogue that gives you a perfect picture of the people and situations at hand.
SpoilerLike many others, I thought the ending broke Reid's carefully woven spell a bit. Everything suddenly becomes very, for lack of a better term, black and white. Emira and her friends get picture perfect ends - which, good for them, seriously - and Kelley and Alix fall unceremoniously into villain moulds, stripped of complexity. Just kind of feels like Reid ran out of space and underthought it.
This is a fun, nuanced, page-turning read, and an absolute slump killer. If you've been thinking about picking it up for a year like I have, do it now.
This book is a minor miracle. It is light, breezy, and funny, while being simultaneously gripping and deeply distressing. Particularly for a white girl who, although she's mostly like the minor character Rachel, sees a bit too much Alix than she'd like to admit in her own personality. It's eye-opening, heartbreakingly real and mundane, and somehow a near-thriller based around microaggressions, turning on a dime from four girls in their 20s choreographing a nude ("'Wait Emira's better at this,' Zara tossed Emira the phone. 'I'll get down and hold your t*ts up, though.'") to a mother cyberstalking her babysitter, neglecting her work and children in the process.
On top of this, it is written just about masterfully. A critique of the saviour mentality between races and classes, the characters could've easily fallen into cookie cutter stereotypes. Kiley Reid deftly avoids this, while providing fluid, readable description and dialogue that gives you a perfect picture of the people and situations at hand.
SpoilerLike many others, I thought the ending broke Reid's carefully woven spell a bit. Everything suddenly becomes very, for lack of a better term, black and white. Emira and her friends get picture perfect ends - which, good for them, seriously - and Kelley and Alix fall unceremoniously into villain moulds, stripped of complexity. Just kind of feels like Reid ran out of space and underthought it.
This is a fun, nuanced, page-turning read, and an absolute slump killer. If you've been thinking about picking it up for a year like I have, do it now.
I have so loved getting back into fun fiction over the past few weeks. These books make me care way more than the more critically-acclaimed, educational alternatives that I used to force myself to stick to. Even when these books are rife with cliches, unbelievable dialogue, and choppy sentences, they still hook you in to their world and leave you needing to finish the story. These fun books have reminded me why I love reading!!!! This book in particular deals with really interesting themes of race, class, and gender, through new lenses. It feels like you are in on a joke with the author, making fun of the self-centered white mom, even while reading the story through her perspective. This book, subtly and not-so-subtly, allows a way into so many important and timely discussions about these difficult topics while still being so fun and entertaining.
This book left me reflecting on the way “good intentioned” white folk can and are problematic without being aware of it… really examining how racism is deeply imbedded in our American culture. The story was gripping from page one and the character development was spot on for me.
challenging
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes