Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
Verdict:
First of all, this cover! This was one of my favorite covers of the year with its bright colors and whimsical art. It captures the book so well and immediately caught my eye. Such A Fun Age was such a fun read {pun definitely intended} with intricate detail and spot-on depictions of twenty-somethings, but it was so much more than that. Kiley Reid made me feel like I was best friends with the protagonist, Emira, and the author pushed me to ponder privilege, performative "wokeness," and prejudice / bias. I felt so frustrated at times reading this book, but that was the entire point. I cannot wait for the next book from Reid.
About the Book (from Amazon):
Alix Chamberlain is a woman who gets what she wants and has made a living, with her confidence-driven brand, showing other women how to do the same. So she is shocked when her babysitter, Emira Tucker, is confronted while watching the Chamberlains' toddler one night, walking the aisles of their local high-end supermarket. The store's security guard, seeing a young black woman out late with a white child, accuses Emira of kidnapping two-year-old Briar. A small crowd gathers, a bystander films everything, and Emira is furious and humiliated. Alix resolves to make things right.
But Emira herself is aimless, broke, and wary of Alix's desire to help. At twenty-five, she is about to lose her health insurance and has no idea what to do with her life. When the video of Emira unearths someone from Alix's past, both women find themselves on a crash course that will upend everything they think they know about themselves, and each other.
With empathy and piercing social commentary, Such a Fun Age explores the stickiness of transactional relationships, what it means to make someone "family," and the complicated reality of being a grown up.
For those of you who have read the book, you know Briar loves nuts, which is what Emira takes her to see at the supermarket. Check out this recipe for turtle pecan clusters I made after reading this book!
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