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A review by mstall_
Come & Get It by Kiley Reid
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I love Kiley Reid and anything she writes! I devoured Such A Fun Age (her debut novel) during quarantine and it feels oddly reminiscent to be reading her second novel during the deja vu that is 2024. Overall, her second book Come & Get It was fun to read -- with quick, witty prose and an attention to dorm/university life detail that was superb. Kiley's characters are always so three dimensional and real. You never feel like you're reading a caricature of someone in Kiley's books.
Come & Get It centers around three main characters, Millie, Agatha and Kennedy during a span of about 8 months at the University of Arkansas in 2017. Millie is a 24 year old RA in an upperclassman dorm and desperately hoping to just get a good long term job and buy a house. She is curious and confused about her sexuality and spends a majority of the book trying to make meaning around what she's discovering. Agatha, a professor who is temporarily employed at UofA, stumbles upon what seems like a goldmine of research that could propel her career, however it comes at a cost. Kennedy finds herself in a new school, during junior year, in an upperclassman dorm with roommates who are terrible. She just wants to escape her past and make one friend at UofA. These three women's lives start to weave themselves together in a way that could threaten everything each of them desperately wants.
Overall, I gave this book a 4/5 stars. It's absolutely more character driven than plot driven, in fact there isn't really an overall plot here however Kiley's writing is so infections, succinct, and funny that the story moves quickly without a lot of plot devices. There are two reasons this book is a 4/5 instead of 5/5 stars for me personally.
First and foremost, the two biggest plot points that drive Kennedy's story feel so fake and unrealistic. Like laughably so. I had to reread them a few times to see if I missed something because they were so comically unreal. It really threw off the story for me and I'd love to know why Kiley chose these plot points to propel Kennedy's story forward.
Secondly, the ending felt almost bizarrely anti-climatic, given what had occurred a few pages before. Chapter 29 felt so out of character for Agatha and I didn't really understand the reason for her actions here. They didn't make sense given what I had just learned about her for the last 300+ pages. The ending felt like it just petered out and I wanted a bit more.
Overall, I really enjoyed Come & Get It and I'd probably re-read it again! Please note there are some TW so check those if you need to.
Come & Get It centers around three main characters, Millie, Agatha and Kennedy during a span of about 8 months at the University of Arkansas in 2017. Millie is a 24 year old RA in an upperclassman dorm and desperately hoping to just get a good long term job and buy a house. She is curious and confused about her sexuality and spends a majority of the book trying to make meaning around what she's discovering. Agatha, a professor who is temporarily employed at UofA, stumbles upon what seems like a goldmine of research that could propel her career, however it comes at a cost. Kennedy finds herself in a new school, during junior year, in an upperclassman dorm with roommates who are terrible. She just wants to escape her past and make one friend at UofA. These three women's lives start to weave themselves together in a way that could threaten everything each of them desperately wants.
Overall, I gave this book a 4/5 stars. It's absolutely more character driven than plot driven, in fact there isn't really an overall plot here however Kiley's writing is so infections, succinct, and funny that the story moves quickly without a lot of plot devices. There are two reasons this book is a 4/5 instead of 5/5 stars for me personally.
First and foremost, the two biggest plot points that drive Kennedy's story feel so fake and unrealistic. Like laughably so. I had to reread them a few times to see if I missed something because they were so comically unreal. It really threw off the story for me and I'd love to know why Kiley chose these plot points to propel Kennedy's story forward.
Secondly, the ending felt almost bizarrely anti-climatic, given what had occurred a few pages before. Chapter 29 felt so out of character for Agatha and I didn't really understand the reason for her actions here. They didn't make sense given what I had just learned about her for the last 300+ pages. The ending felt like it just petered out and I wanted a bit more.
Overall, I really enjoyed Come & Get It and I'd probably re-read it again! Please note there are some TW so check those if you need to.
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit