A review by naturally
Such a Fun Age, by Kiley Reid
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
in the growing literary sub-genre featuring messy Black female twenty-somethings, i think that 'such a fun age' is the strongest entry i've read thus far. reid's writing has a kind of satirical edge. alix and kelley are awful characters and yet...the tone of the writing seems to poke fun at them as well as criticise and dissect their racism and white privilege. the plot was simple yet messy and i was thoroughly entertained by all the antics.
my only dislike is how underdeveloped emira feels as a character, despite being positioned as a driver of the story in the blurb. if anything alix is the star and emira is there to assist the narrative. but perhaps emira was deliberately written this way, seeing as she spends a large portion of this book feeling lost and confused about her life (plus she quite literally assists alix with childcare stuff)? which is pretty relatable, honestly.
my only dislike is how underdeveloped emira feels as a character, despite being positioned as a driver of the story in the blurb. if anything alix is the star and emira is there to assist the narrative. but perhaps emira was deliberately written this way, seeing as she spends a large portion of this book feeling lost and confused about her life (plus she quite literally assists alix with childcare stuff)? which is pretty relatable, honestly.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism and Sexism