Summary: Alix Chamberlain is a woman who gets what she wants and has made a living showing other women how to do the same. A mother to two small girls, she started out as a blogger and has quickly built herself into a confidence-driven brand. So she is shocked when her babysitter, Emira Tucker, is confronted while watching the Chamberlains’ toddler one night. Seeing a young black woman out late with a white child, a security guard at their local high-end supermarket 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 it 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,” the complicated reality of being a grown up, and the consequences of doing the right thing for the wrong reason. My Ramblings:
A few weeks ago a friend told me about Reese's Book Club and I realized that I missed being part of a book club, so I thought I would check it out. Which is how I ended up with Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reed. Admittedly, I do not read a lot of books outside the YA genre, this happens when you are a middle school librarian who loves all the drama and shenanigans that often come with that age group. In short- I'm great with Middle Grade and YA, but when it comes to finding other books, I definitely need a hand finding good ones, which is why Reese's Book Club was so appealing. I was really happy with this first book. At the outset I wasn't sure where the story was going or what to expect. Was it a story about a girl trying to find herself and her purpose? Or was it about a women learning to let go and discover what would truly make her happy? Was it about media consumption and the way we judge people based on the tiny fraction of their lives we see online? Or, was it a book that was going to delve into race relationships? The answer was deceptively simple. It was yes. Yes, it was all those things, and Reid manages to weave them all together masterfully. As always I'm going to be vague so as not to spoil the story. Reid creates 2 characters in Alix and Emira that are well rounded and are searching for something that will make their lives feel more complete. Both of these characters are flawed, they face struggles and make some horrible decisions. They both also have good friends and as much as I don't understand a character like Alix, I can appreciate the fact that she is trying to do what she believes is best. The parts of the book I liked the most, and which made me most uncomfortable, were those that dealt with media consumption and race. These are two topics that don't often get dealt an even hand in fiction because they are so hard to write about in a way that is both reflective and entertaining. I think Reid did a great job here. As I read the book I found myself reflecting on what I post online, what persona people are putting out there, and what I would have done if I was in Emira's position. I also took a hard look at my own actions and relationships to compare against Alix. She is objectively behaving horribly at certain points, but would I have acted any differently if I was in her shoes? It's a rare book that manages to make the reader reflect on their own actions and life, and can still deliver an interesting story. This was a great introduction to both Reid and Reese's Book Club.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
About
Home of the ramblings of an avid reader. In my spare time I also run, ride, teach, go on adventures and get into shenanigans. Find me here: Goodreads Etsy TikTok Categories
All
Archives
October 2022
|