A review by corvicore
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid

challenging reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

All in all, Such a Fun Age was a pretty fantastic book. It did not hold its punches and I'm grateful for that fact. Reid is great in her use of foreshadowing, especially in the way that Alix progresses as a character. Speaking of Alix, wow. What a fantastically terrible person. She first comes across as a somewhat entitled but well meaning person who genuinely wants the best for Emira, but that facade quickly falls apart as soon as things don't go her way.
Alix's breakdown at the end of the book makes total sense for her character, and yet it's devastating nonetheless. And Kelly? His performative activism and fetishization of Black people makes my skin crawl.


With Kelly and Alix being such complicated and nuanced people though, I can't help but feel as if the main character Emira is a little underdeveloped by comparison. I understand that her whole situation is that she doesn't really know who she is and she's trying to figure what she wants in life but that never really gets developed until the very end of the book, in the "aftermath" chapters. Another gripe I have is that, at least in my addition of the book, the book description mentions how
the video that Kelly takes of Emira gets leaked, implying that is the main issue for most of the book when that simply isn't the case. The video being leaked happens near the end of the book.
I know it sounds stupid, but I feel like putting such a major spoiler in the book's description isn't the best way to go? Regardless of that minor complaint though, I definitely think that this book is worth a read anytime, especially if you're white and want to be an ally.
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