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A review by katbamkapow
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Such A Fun Age is a great book; I was surprised to learn that it was a debut novel. I thought that it would be a book about what happens to someone after a video of them being mistreated is publicly released. It turned out to be a nuanced look at the relationship between two women when a series of significant power dynamics are in play: boss/employee, high/low socioeconomic status, white/black. The novel spans the time between the video's recording and its release, and it's a remarkable display of interpersonal tension.
For all its complexity and nuance, the characters remain likeable and lighthearted enough (even when they are explicitly awful, Reid manages to write them with such grace and humour). They hit all the right marks, from endearing to infuriating. I was disappointed that a significant amount of the novel's attention was drawn to Alix's history and personal narrative; I wish that more of that attention had been given to Emira's. Because of this, it almost comes across as too-apologetic. Our final twist of the knife doesn't come until the epilogue! Its discussion of race toes the line between "believable and realistic" to "too palatable." I don't know how I feel about that one, and I'm not sure I'm necessarily qualified to say!
For all its complexity and nuance, the characters remain likeable and lighthearted enough (even when they are explicitly awful, Reid manages to write them with such grace and humour). They hit all the right marks, from endearing to infuriating. I was disappointed that a significant amount of the novel's attention was drawn to Alix's history and personal narrative; I wish that more of that attention had been given to Emira's. Because of this, it almost comes across as too-apologetic. Our final twist of the knife doesn't come until the epilogue! Its discussion of race toes the line between "believable and realistic" to "too palatable." I don't know how I feel about that one, and I'm not sure I'm necessarily qualified to say!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, and Toxic relationship