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A review by boldfacejace
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
3.0
This book is and will be everywhere in 2020 so I’ll skip synopsis and jump right into review: Such a Fun Age shows racism’s more common systemic and subtle forms today: poorly made assumptions, fetishizing, and exploitation under the guise of protection. The scene where Kelley and Alix argue over who is more racist without Emira there to actually lend her perspective removes her agency and voice which is ultimately more problematic. I think this scene was the most reflective of what the author was trying to accomplish.
Speaking of problematic though, there were a lot of unsettling conclusions made and issues that I did not care for (spoilers):
- Childcare portrayed as not a dignified/legitimate career
- Lack of the the feminist perspective of Robbie’s life trajectory. Robbie was trespassing & while calling the cops has different repercussions for men of color, Alix was unfairly blamed for doing what she thought was right with the knowledge she had in the situation
- Emira’s total dismissal of Kelley when he was right because “then he would always think he is right.” Are you kidding me?
- Alix’s cringeworthy fat-shaming friends - Emira’s lack of confidence and eloquence on camera in the very anticlimactic television scene with Zara to the rescue
- The overdramatized and ellipses heavy dialogue
- Odd projection 4 years into the future regarding Emira’s career trajectory which wasn’t as urgent to tie up, but things that mattered to the reader were left unresolved
I liked Emira’s resistance to the overambition that our culture is obsessed with, & her struggle to find a health insurance before age 26 is a relatable concern of our generation. I also liked her awareness that sometimes a pursuit of justice has further racial complications and consequences: the grocery store scene was well written and her mature reaction to all of it was commendable. The scene in the bathroom where Zara builds Emira up after her rough day and encourages her to lose her bitterness and support Shaunie portrayed tender but tough adult female friendship, contrasted to the fat shaming friendships Alix has.
Ultimately Such a Fun Age did show how many nuances to situation there are to truly know if something is problematic. Race and class are so complex and Reid shows this. This book will open up a lot of opportunity for dialogue making it a good book club pick, and while it was a fast read, I have mixed feelings.
Beautiful cover. Overhyped, but it portrays a lot of current issues well and I keep thinking about it. 3 stars.
Speaking of problematic though, there were a lot of unsettling conclusions made and issues that I did not care for (spoilers):
- Childcare portrayed as not a dignified/legitimate career
- Lack of the the feminist perspective of Robbie’s life trajectory. Robbie was trespassing & while calling the cops has different repercussions for men of color, Alix was unfairly blamed for doing what she thought was right with the knowledge she had in the situation
- Emira’s total dismissal of Kelley when he was right because “then he would always think he is right.” Are you kidding me?
- Alix’s cringeworthy fat-shaming friends - Emira’s lack of confidence and eloquence on camera in the very anticlimactic television scene with Zara to the rescue
- The overdramatized and ellipses heavy dialogue
- Odd projection 4 years into the future regarding Emira’s career trajectory which wasn’t as urgent to tie up, but things that mattered to the reader were left unresolved
I liked Emira’s resistance to the overambition that our culture is obsessed with, & her struggle to find a health insurance before age 26 is a relatable concern of our generation. I also liked her awareness that sometimes a pursuit of justice has further racial complications and consequences: the grocery store scene was well written and her mature reaction to all of it was commendable. The scene in the bathroom where Zara builds Emira up after her rough day and encourages her to lose her bitterness and support Shaunie portrayed tender but tough adult female friendship, contrasted to the fat shaming friendships Alix has.
Ultimately Such a Fun Age did show how many nuances to situation there are to truly know if something is problematic. Race and class are so complex and Reid shows this. This book will open up a lot of opportunity for dialogue making it a good book club pick, and while it was a fast read, I have mixed feelings.
Beautiful cover. Overhyped, but it portrays a lot of current issues well and I keep thinking about it. 3 stars.