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A review by literaryelephant
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
4.0
BOOKER LONGLIST 2020
Such a Fun Age is a drama-filled novel that unfolds like a soap opera. As such, its characters feel somewhat exaggerated, their dialogue and actions somewhat insufferable, and some of the plot details a little too coincidental or extreme to feel truly realistic. Even so, it has an addictive, gossip-y feel and manages to convey a serious message without taking itself too seriously in the process. It's a great summer read, a perfect book club choice, and a solid alternative to the often uber-white range of similar titles in this style (think: Claire Lombardo's The Most Fun We Ever Had, which made the Women's Prize longlist earlier this year).
The major players include: Emira, just a regular woman struggling with adulthood, whose pure love for the child she babysits is a beacon of joy amid the rest of the negativity and harm apparent in this tale; Alix Chamberlain, the influencer mom obsessed with her public image and what she can get out of any and every situation, including her babysitter's vulnerability; and Kelley, the man who films a racist interaction at the grocery store and strikes up a relationship with Emira, who turns out to be only one of the many Black people Kelley insists on filling every aspect of his life with. Reid does an excellent job of focusing on each character's story individually, including spouses, friends, and colleagues. Through them we see a wider view of key personalities and relevant motivations; importantly, the white characters are not the only ones whose actions hurt Emira, though they are frequently the ones who take matters too far.
Every chapter seems to present its own excitement; every wild revelation, even the ones that feel eye-roll worthy, had me mock gasping in delight at the ways in which the narrative is pushed as far as it will stretch. There's certainly something to be said for Reid's ability to turn a weighty discussion about performative allyship and modern racism into a piece this entertaining, and I think in doing so she'll be able to take these important messages to an audience that might not have bothered with a more heavily literary presentation, a victory not to be overlooked. But I do wonder whether Such a Fun Age loses a bit of impact amid the levity; it's a delicious romp for the casual reader, but Emira (and the real people who experience similar situations) stand to lose plenty when the allies they trust don't actually have their backs. There needs to be something more than fun here if Reid's intent is anything other than for readers to take these matters lightly, and I think the plot surrounding Alix and Kelley's actions is a bit too far-fetched to encourage much self-reflection related to the book's themes.
"Alix had started her day in Manhattan, ready to tell Kelly, I know who you really are. But now she sat in Philadelphia, participating in a losing game called 'Which One of Us Is Actually More Racist?' "
Because this book relishes over-the-top details and lacks a certain depth and engagement with form that I typically expect from Booker nominees, I think I might have enjoyed this title more if I had picked it up outside of the context of the Booker- but I don't want to imply that the book's themes or author are a bad fit for a literary prize. Only that it's easy to compare this book with Brandon Taylor's Real Life (also longlisted this year) in terms of racist microaggressions and what racism looks like for twenty-something Black Americans today; from a literary standpoint I think Taylor simply accomplishes more with his prose and implications. In the end I feel the right title made this year's shortlist, despite very much enjoying my time with this one.
Such a Fun Age is a drama-filled novel that unfolds like a soap opera. As such, its characters feel somewhat exaggerated, their dialogue and actions somewhat insufferable, and some of the plot details a little too coincidental or extreme to feel truly realistic. Even so, it has an addictive, gossip-y feel and manages to convey a serious message without taking itself too seriously in the process. It's a great summer read, a perfect book club choice, and a solid alternative to the often uber-white range of similar titles in this style (think: Claire Lombardo's The Most Fun We Ever Had, which made the Women's Prize longlist earlier this year).
The major players include: Emira, just a regular woman struggling with adulthood, whose pure love for the child she babysits is a beacon of joy amid the rest of the negativity and harm apparent in this tale; Alix Chamberlain, the influencer mom obsessed with her public image and what she can get out of any and every situation, including her babysitter's vulnerability; and Kelley, the man who films a racist interaction at the grocery store and strikes up a relationship with Emira, who turns out to be only one of the many Black people Kelley insists on filling every aspect of his life with. Reid does an excellent job of focusing on each character's story individually, including spouses, friends, and colleagues. Through them we see a wider view of key personalities and relevant motivations; importantly, the white characters are not the only ones whose actions hurt Emira, though they are frequently the ones who take matters too far.
Every chapter seems to present its own excitement; every wild revelation, even the ones that feel eye-roll worthy, had me mock gasping in delight at the ways in which the narrative is pushed as far as it will stretch. There's certainly something to be said for Reid's ability to turn a weighty discussion about performative allyship and modern racism into a piece this entertaining, and I think in doing so she'll be able to take these important messages to an audience that might not have bothered with a more heavily literary presentation, a victory not to be overlooked. But I do wonder whether Such a Fun Age loses a bit of impact amid the levity; it's a delicious romp for the casual reader, but Emira (and the real people who experience similar situations) stand to lose plenty when the allies they trust don't actually have their backs. There needs to be something more than fun here if Reid's intent is anything other than for readers to take these matters lightly, and I think the plot surrounding Alix and Kelley's actions is a bit too far-fetched to encourage much self-reflection related to the book's themes.
"Alix had started her day in Manhattan, ready to tell Kelly, I know who you really are. But now she sat in Philadelphia, participating in a losing game called 'Which One of Us Is Actually More Racist?' "
Because this book relishes over-the-top details and lacks a certain depth and engagement with form that I typically expect from Booker nominees, I think I might have enjoyed this title more if I had picked it up outside of the context of the Booker- but I don't want to imply that the book's themes or author are a bad fit for a literary prize. Only that it's easy to compare this book with Brandon Taylor's Real Life (also longlisted this year) in terms of racist microaggressions and what racism looks like for twenty-something Black Americans today; from a literary standpoint I think Taylor simply accomplishes more with his prose and implications. In the end I feel the right title made this year's shortlist, despite very much enjoying my time with this one.