This shows the discrepancies in the ways that women of colour are treated compared to their caucasian peers.

It’s interesting & a quick read and the ending was realistic and unfortunately not necessarily the happiest.

If I'd read the book summary before reading this book I probably wouldn't have bothered. I am however really glad I did. This is a well written and believable story of a young girl trying to decide where her future lies and dealing with both class and racial prejudice from both her part time employer and her boyfriend both of whom don't seem to realise that their really prejudiced. In some ways a story or every day life for the world.

I have to admit, I didn’t get this book at all. I feel like I’m in the minority here, but personally it felt like an aimless, pedestrian story without any clear focus,

The actual premise the story was based upon - that black people are more likely to be unfairly accused of misdemeanours, and whether the perpetrators of these injustices should be named and shamed - is a very real and interesting idea, however I just didn’t enjoy the telling of it at all.

Of the main characters, Emira is quite likeable but slightly irritating in that she seemed to drift along without real purpose. I’m guessing that Alix, her employer, was written as a self-centred annoying person - a blogger who asks companies for freebies so she can review them - as she had little going for her, and the boyfriend Kelley wasn’t much better.

Sadly not for me.

Summary

Such a Fun Age was an interesting and thought provoking read.

Such a Fun Age is essentially about a privileged white woman taking it upon herself to interfere in her young black employee’s life by offering unwanted help.

Emira is out celebrating a friend’s birthday when her employer, Alix, calls her asking her to take her young daughter Briar to the grocery store to get her out of the house.

Whilst in the grocery store a security guard and concerned woman challenge why Emira is in the grocery store at that time of night with a small white child. The situation escalates and a young man films the whole thing.

When a figure from Alix’s past turns up in Emira’s life it sets of a chain of events that will unsettle the lives of both Emira and Alix.



A few quotes

“It was almost astonishing that Emira’s daily babysitting job (a place of pricey onesies, colourful stacking toys, baby wipes and sectioned dinner plates) could interrupt her current night-time[sC1] state (loud music, bodycon dresses, lip liner and red solo cups…Under the veil of two strong mixed drinks, the intersection of these spaces almost seemed funny, but what wasn’t funny was Emira’s current bank balance: a total of seventy-nine dollars and sixteen cents.”

“Hi, sweetie” The woman bent down and pressed her hands into her knees.

“Do you know where your mommy is?”

“Her mom is at home.” Emira tapped her collarbone twice as she said, “You can just talk to me.”

“So you’re saying,” the guard clarified, “that a random woman three blocks away, asked you to watch her child this late at night?”

“Oh my god, no. That’s not what I said. I’m her nanny.”

My opinion

I think in general it makes you think about checking your help is wanted before you offer it and you aren’t overstepping the mark. In the case of Emira and Alix here ‘help’ was clearly motivated by other factors though and wasn’t completely from an unselfish place.

I thought the characters were well written and I particularly liked Emira and Briar.

My only criticism is that the ending felt a bit rushed and I ended the book feeling dissatisfied. There were a few things I felt weren’t resolved and things I wanted to know but maybe they just weren’t resolved in the way I wanted. The conclusion of the book is why I haven’t given it a higher rating.

2.5 stars rounded up.

The premise of this book is important and it had great potential. Sadly, I just could not get into the book. The writing seemed slightly immature as if it was aimed at teenagers. The storyline was also slow moving and at points lost all momentum. At times the story felt rushed as if the author was running out of ideas.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Having read some mixed reviews on this book I was not sure what to expect, but my feelings are quite mixed. I really liked the main character Emira and her babysitting charge Briar. It appears that Emira is the only person who really 'knows' Briar and has her best interests at heart.
The book centres around race and class. I think for such controversial topics it generally handles these quite well. It certainly captures people in their efforts to try and let everyone know that they are not 'racist', they manage to achieve the exact opposite. There were certainly a lot of cringeworthy moments where Alix/Alex (Emira's employer) and Kelley (Emira's boyfriend) try to impose their beliefs on Emira as to how she should live her life.
An interesting exploration of a young woman's life as she tries to become more of an adult in a world where people seem to treat her as a child.
Thank you Bloomsbury Publishing and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this digital ARC.

I enjoyed reading this book, which although slow to get started was an interesting story. We follow two women, Alix and Emira, and the events following an incident of racism in a grocery store. The narrative from the two characters is well thought out and thought provoking to see from both sides.

You are taken straight into Emira’s world from the very first line when she has an emergency call on her mobile during a very lively birthday party celebration. This is not one of the standard family dramas but a much more interesting novel about race and class. I am not in a position to comment on it’s authenticity since I am not from either world, just somewhere in between.....lower middle class teacher! However due to this I have an understanding of Emira’s status as I worked for several years in a private nursery and the dynamic between parent and child carer is variable and Kiley portrays this very well.

Individual behaviour of the main characters is that they seem to have the best of intentions but it does show how much our personal experiences affect our perceptions of the world and our unintentional reactions to events and situations. Altogether a really well written and paced novel dealing with interesting and current issues in our society.

Thank you Netgalley for free copy in exchange for unbiased review.

As soon as I saw this was Reece Witherspoons book club pick I had to start it and I was not disappointed!

Such a Fun Age is a fascinating look at issues like race, class, privilege, motherhood, finding yourself and personal relationships.

Kiley Reid is tremendously talented and I cant wait to read more from her. Well done on a great debut novel. Not a bad book to start 2020 with!!

A sincere thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for providing me an ebook copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. I enjoyed this story very much and felt like I knew each character personally due to the description of them. I enjoyed the storyline. This is not my usual genre but in this instance I am extremely pleased and grateful for opening up my mind to something totally different. Thanks again.

A fun fast paced read with interesting characters. Emira was really likeable but I could never make my mind up on either Alix or Kelley - sometimes I liked them, sometimes I didn't.

I'd definitely recommend to others and look forward to future reads from Kiley Reid.

4 stars.

Thank you to Bloomsbury for my free reading copy.

I haven't read a book quite like this before. The psychology at play in the story creates a wonderfully character-driven plot, which Kiley Reid pulls off seamlessly. She moves between commentary on class, race, age and love so smoothly that you hardly notice her doing it, and this is the true gift of the book. The underlying unease of the conflicting elements adds a pace to the story which keeps you moving through and I really enjoyed the ride. The addition of Briar, who the main character child minds for, adds moments of comedy and sweetness, to break through the tension. I had thought that the ending might be slightly more devastating than it was, but it is probably just a more realistic ending for a book that makes some very accurate and cutting commentary on today's world.

Such a Fun Age is a novel about transactional relationships, race, and making the right decisions. Emira is nearly twenty-six, about to lose her health insurance, and works as a babysitter for Alix Chamberlain, a wealthy white woman who built a brand around female confidence. One night, Alix asks Emira to take two-year-old Briar to an upmarket supermarket whilst they deal with a situation at home, but whilst there Emira is confronted by a security guard who thinks Emira has kidnapped Briar. In the aftermath, Emira deals with the fact a bystander filmed the moment and Alix desires to help Emira but doesn't know how, and things are complicated when Emira meets someone from Alix's past.

This is a clever novel that looks at the ways interpersonal relationships work and how they can be seen differently by the people involved, using Emira and Alix's viewpoints to unfold the narrative but also get across the gulf between how they view their lives. Emira is a complex and relatable character, aimless but given purpose by the bond she has formed with Briar whilst babysitting, particular as Alix ignores her eldest daughter in favour of her younger one. This relationship formed of necessary mirrors the way Alix desperately wants to be friend with Emira, all whilst Emira isn't really aware of this fact. Reid writes the characters and situations carefully to show not only how Alix tries to be a 'white saviour', but how Emira views her actions and ultimately uses it to work out what she wants. Summary-style endings can be a let down, but in this case it feels important to cast a look at what happens to the characters after the events of the main narrative.

Such a Fun Age is social commentary with gripping character and a protagonist who you really want the best for, and is being quite rightfully hyped as a book that shines a light on power and race in a fresh, sharp way.

I had seen this book everywhere on social media and was really glad to see I had been accepted to recieve an advanced copy. This book was excellent. It was a powerful and insightful read that touched on an important (political) message in a way that didn't bore the reader. Emira was a fantastic character and really stuck with me after I had read the book. I would really love to see this onscreen.

This was an excellent debut novel. Alix Chamberlain runs her own business and has a small daughter. One night, there is an incident involving the police and Alix phones her part-time babysitter, Elmira, to take the little girl out for a while. They go to a supermarket, but Elmira is confronted by a security guard and accused of kidnapping the child – simply because she is black, and the child is white.

Race, class, and gender are all covered, and in a realistic and sympathetic way.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing plc for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

Wow wow wow. Such A Fun Age was my first read of the year and it did not disappoint. •
Such A Fun Age is the story of Emira, a young black woman who is unsure of what to do with her life and so in the meantime she babysits for the whimsical and truly fabulous Briar. The story starts with a simple favour which ends up with Emira defending herself to a store security guard because another customer, a white customer, is filled with faux concern for Briar. •
The repercussions of that evening filter out through the book and ultimately come to a head in a messy ending. •
The way that Reid addresses everyday racism is astounding. So often, books about racism are about the extremes and so it’s so refreshing to read a book that shows the mundanity of everyday racism. How it’s ingrained in our society so deep that you don’t even notice it. We think because we vote for the ‘right’ people and we have black friends that we no longer say the wrong thing or address people in a way that makes them feel uncomfortable, in a way that is racist. •
I thoroughly enjoyed Such A Fun Age. It’s truly a read for our generation. Every year I have a book that I gift to people in an effort to expand their reading and elaborate our conversations, in 2018 it was The Truth About The Harry Quebert Affair, in 2019 it was Milk and Honey and for 2020, it will be this. Read it. It’s important

What a stunning debut Such a fun Age is. Only into the first month of 2020 and I’ve already discovered a book that will be hard to surpass in terms of sheer readability. With a strong, bright,sassy young woman as the lead character, I couldn’t put this book down.
Emira is part time baby sitter to Briar Chamberlain whose parents Peter and Alix are part of the wealthy white elite of Philadelphia. As a poor black woman working two jobs to survive they couldn’t be more different. When Emira is accused late one night of ‘stealing’ Briar whilst they are browsing the market depot store, this is the catalyst for the unfolding drama that has much to say about race and prejudice and class and privilege that exists in society today.
Without divulging the storyline and rehashing the synopsis, Such a fun age is full of unexpected surprises that had me turning the pages, with the dynamics between Alix and Emira shifting from the privileged employer/employee relationship to one where Alix is desperate to befriend Emira and champion the cause for the underdog. But not for the right reasons!
The love Emira has for her young charge grabs you from the start; their relationship is a joy behold since it’s apparent Briar is an odd little girl with such an enquiring mind and requires much patience and attention that her own mother seems unwilling/unable to provide. Emira is fulfilling her role of surrogate mummy with aplomb and in her own style. She might be broke and lacking in ambition but she’s clearly someone you’d want fighting your battles with you. Loyal, honest and bursting with love she’s worth more than the likes of Alix many times over;Alix is cold, selfish and only concerned with outward appearances in the way that the privileged can be. The conversations between Emira and Briar are brilliantly imagined,their bond so evident, making it incredibly easy to love both these characters.
Themes also explored encompass friendship (the difference between Emira’s girlfriends and Alix’s is stark) as well as motherhood and marriage.
The ending isn’t how I’d imagined which makes it all the more realistic. Sad and yet inevitable (no spoilers here!) but Emira is a character who will linger in your thoughts long after the last page has been read.
I predict Such a Fun Age to make a huge impact when it hits the shelves and defy anyone not to enjoy this. Without a doubt this storyline is thought provoking
and an absolute pleasure to read.
My thanks as always to the author and publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read in exchange for an honest review.

This book wasn't quite what I expected.
The synopsis obviously indicated a seriousness that the cover and title don't suggest. However, I thought that the main "incident" - i.e. Emira, a young black woman being stopped in the supermarket when she is babysitting a white child and the whole incident being filmed - would be a central part of the book.

Instead, we deviate a little from that and delve into the relationships and dynamics of a few key characters; namely the mother of the child, Mrs Chamberlain, the babysitter Emira and the man who filmed the incident, Kelley.
Obviously, we do return to the incident but not in a way I expected and I was left guessing in the final part of the book.

I absolutely loved the "voices" of the chatacters, particularly Emira and the child Briar. The voices were so authentic and I could hear them loud and clear in my head.

The book confronts some very complex issues and does so in a sensitive but realistic manner.

I loved that there are so many strong female protagonists and supporting characters.

What I didn't love was the ending. I felt that both Emira and Alix were somehow left wanting after the events of the book. It felt a tiny bit rushed to summarise what happened to both of them after.

I also didn't love the fact that working in childcare is never seen as a viable option for Emira as a career, even though she is so very good at it and clearly drawn to it. Women don't need to be in corporate or "high flying" careers to be successful but there feels like a tiny element of that seeps in here. Emira seems to be constantly comparing herself to her more successful friends and I don't think thats a good thing between women (even though we do all do it from time to time, I just didn't like seeing it in Emira).

A very thought provoking book that I will be recommending.

The novel starts with Emira - a black babysitter for privileged white toddler, Briar Chamberlain - being challenged in a store about supposedly kidnapping that child. Emira deals with it with dignity but the scene is videoed by a bystander and there are far-reaching consequences.
It’s an intriguing start. The novel goes on to explore the relationship between Emira and her employer Alix - a complicated inter-racial and inter-class relationship that also involves a mutual boyfriend.
I didn’t always feel drawn in by it but it’s a well-written novel with strong dialogue and is easy to read and feels real.
It also feels very topical and relevant and I’ve no doubt it will be the big hit it deserves.

Really enjoyed this - great writing, almost impossible to put down! Utterly believable characters and scenarios