Reviews with content warning for Racism - Such a Fun Age

Reviews tagging 'Racism'

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid

525 reviews

lottiegasp's review against another edition

reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

Covers topics of race and class, including the exploration of two white characters who in their own ways think they are the good guys and anti-racist but who nevertheless manipulate the Black protagonist to suit their own agendas. I like how neither of these white characters are entirely bad, and white readers like myself might even relate to them in certain ways, so it's important to examine those feelings and consider how our good intentions can still cause harm in Black and other racialised people. I was a little bored at the beginning as the topics seemed a bit vapid (I believe this was necessary to develop Alix's character, but the fact was that it was a still a bit boring) but it developed into an interesting examination of the characters and satisfying dramatic ending. I appreciated the depiction of Emira's experience struggling with money and how that affected all aspects of her life (her job choices which affected her life fulfilment, her relationships with her friends and boyfriend who all had more money than her). I thought Emira's relationship with 3-year-old Briar was sweet and it evoked the complicated feeling of loving a child who you're being paid to spend time with and who will one day forget you (and may even turn into a typical privileged white lady). And I liked the intersection of race and class, where there were two notable Black characters who were very wealthy and how their experiences are different to Emira's. In Shaunie's case she was sometimes naive but overall generous and mostly harmless, while Tamra was pretty problematic.

I didnt think the writing was amazing, but it's an easy read, and deals with its serious topics in quite an accessible and light way.

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siriface's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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kelliepalmer's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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kiwichill's review against another edition

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dark inspiring lighthearted tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A fresh take on race and how biases can influence our decisions throughout life. It wasn't a predictable book and kept me interested throughout.

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nanirump's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny informative lighthearted reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

At first I wasn't so sure what it was trying to say but then everything creeps in on you and sucks you in. I thought it was subtle enough with race issues that it didn't seem like it smacked you in the face but made you really think about it. I thought the characters were all believable and Briar added comedic relief which was great. I really enjoyed this book and would read more from Kiley Reid.

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charlotte_marchand's review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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stellahadz's review against another edition

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challenging reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
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

This book does an excellent job of what many books struggle to do - capturing the insidious nature of racism and transactional relationships.

I wish Emira had been a little more developed as a character - I found myself wanting to know more about her, and while I know the book was a satire of well-meaning white liberalism, I thought it was a bit ironic that the story ended up focusing more on a petty conflict between Kelley and Alix than on Emira, the Black main character. I wasn't a fan of the flashback chapter at the end of the book; it made Alix seem more like a caricature than the well-developed character she had been up until then. I also wish the ending hadn't been as rushed, but to be fair, the pacing in the rest of the book was excellent.

Overall, I really enjoyed Such a Fun Age. The writing is sharp and straightforward, which makes it a quick read, but it still packs a real punch in terms of the themes it explores. While it's not the only book to explore these themes, the addition of Kelley's storyline adds an extra dimension to the satire of "woke" white people. Definitely recommend.

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