Such a Fun Age
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- Create Date：2021-05-09 07:51:57
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Kiley Reid
- ISBN：1526612143
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Summary
What happens when you do the right thing for the wrong reason？
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。
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。
Reviews
Deb
，
Compelling characters and storyline。 I very much liked it， until towards the end。 Events that transpired really made me dislike all the characters at the end， except for the children。 All the adults do horrible things to each other and the children suffer for it。 This could have been， and I was expecting it to be， a commentary on race relations， but actually it just highlights how all people do horrible things。
Christine Jenkins
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Couldn't put it down。 Loved her insight into each character。 Couldn't put it down。 Loved her insight into each character。 。。。more
Gwen
，
I have no idea how to rate this book。 It is so full of awkwardness。 And I don’t know if this is a critique on political correctness， white feitishism of black people， maybe just a statement on racism or just an analysis of the current relation between black and white Americans。 Really， I don’t know。 I love the ambiguousness of the title: referringto the child’s age or the current times we live in。 But it also suggests some kind of political activism that I can’t make sense of。 It was entertainin I have no idea how to rate this book。 It is so full of awkwardness。 And I don’t know if this is a critique on political correctness， white feitishism of black people， maybe just a statement on racism or just an analysis of the current relation between black and white Americans。 Really， I don’t know。 I love the ambiguousness of the title: referringto the child’s age or the current times we live in。 But it also suggests some kind of political activism that I can’t make sense of。 It was entertaining， yes。 But do I have the framework to understand this novel correctly？ 。。。more
Teresa M。
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Fun and quick readIt was a fun and quick read and make me think about race relations and how quickly we judge people。
Laura
，
This book raised a lot of questions for me about race and white saviors。 Can a white woman sincerely want to help a young black woman find a direction in life， or is it only a means to make the white woman feel better about herself and her lifestyle？ （Not that I believe Alix was sincere， but could another person be sincere？） What forms can allyship take that aren't condescending in a nanny-boss relationship？ Why can't a woman be happy raising someone else's child？ Aren't we closing off relations This book raised a lot of questions for me about race and white saviors。 Can a white woman sincerely want to help a young black woman find a direction in life， or is it only a means to make the white woman feel better about herself and her lifestyle？ （Not that I believe Alix was sincere， but could another person be sincere？） What forms can allyship take that aren't condescending in a nanny-boss relationship？ Why can't a woman be happy raising someone else's child？ Aren't we closing off relationships and options because our society devalues parenting and connection？ Is a black woman taking care of a white woman's child always going to make one think of plantation homes and racial disparity？ Can a white man serially date black women without it being fetishization？ Can a white woman be friends with only one black woman without it being tokenism？ Without racial equity， these relationships will always be fraught with historical and racial baggage。 I appreciate that this book made me think about these things， while telling an interesting story。 。。。more
Sarah Duensing
，
I listened to the audiobook and Nicole Lewis and an EXCELLENT narrator。 I couldn’t stop listening！ The plot keeps you engaged from start to finish， I didn’t want it to end。 Highly recommend！
Assem Ihab
，
Fifth
Kylee Allen
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I’m struggling with why this book didn’t quite hit the mark for me。 I think what it boils down to is that I didn’t particularly enjoy any of the characters。 There is a lack of empathy from all characters。 Alix and Kelley were both brutally unlikeable in my opinion， both playing the role of people with a white saviour complex。 While Emira lacked direction and allowed others to make decisions for her， coming down to her friends practically forcing her to apply to new jobs。 Then we had Peter， Alix’ I’m struggling with why this book didn’t quite hit the mark for me。 I think what it boils down to is that I didn’t particularly enjoy any of the characters。 There is a lack of empathy from all characters。 Alix and Kelley were both brutally unlikeable in my opinion， both playing the role of people with a white saviour complex。 While Emira lacked direction and allowed others to make decisions for her， coming down to her friends practically forcing her to apply to new jobs。 Then we had Peter， Alix’s completely underdeveloped husband who we practically never got to hear from as his wife made life changing decisions for Emira and swooned over her old high school fling。 The only contribution he made to this story was making a racially charged statement on the news， creating controversy for Alix。 Maybe the point was that she was already checked out of their marriage but it still would’ve been nice to have a more fleshed out character。 My last problem with this book is with Briar。 I have met quite a few three year olds and they definitely don’t say something as existential as Briar in every single sentence。 It just seemed like the only point of her existence was to be this profound， misunderstood kid。What is valuable in this book， is its look on two different white people and their take on how they are “helping the helpless” through completely misguided means rather than actually listening to what is being told to them。 。。。more
CJ
，
Brilliantly capturing the ambiguity of unspoken modern age
Lídia André
，
4 1/2 ⭐️
Michelle
，
4。5 stars！
Kim
，
I really enjoyed this book， it was written in a breezy style while still addressing issues such as white saviourism， exoticisation/fetishisation， and racism。 I liked how Reid implicitly wove them into the fabric of the entire story but cleverly made it explicit and overt whenever white characters interacted with each other or at times interacted with Emira。Apart from some unnecessary mentions of Alix Chamberlain's weight and attempts to lose weight， which I found annoying and unhelpful， this was I really enjoyed this book， it was written in a breezy style while still addressing issues such as white saviourism， exoticisation/fetishisation， and racism。 I liked how Reid implicitly wove them into the fabric of the entire story but cleverly made it explicit and overt whenever white characters interacted with each other or at times interacted with Emira。Apart from some unnecessary mentions of Alix Chamberlain's weight and attempts to lose weight， which I found annoying and unhelpful， this was a great read - with some slight melancholy for living in Philly！Great to see how the story ended for Emira， too！ 。。。more
Talia Pick
，
I sipped this book like a fine wine and now I’m sad I’ve finished it， but it’s beautiful and so deftly observed and funny and important all at once。
Laura Stamp
，
At the beginning of this book， when the Black female babysitter is racially profiled at a grocery store after the white family she works for was targeted for a racist comment made by the husband， I rolled my eyes。 It seemed like I was going to read another book that explores racial dynamics in our “fun age” in a really obvious way。 I’m glad I kept reading it， though。 Elmira， the sitter， who is confused about what she wants to do with her life， is insightful about who she is and has an inner stre At the beginning of this book， when the Black female babysitter is racially profiled at a grocery store after the white family she works for was targeted for a racist comment made by the husband， I rolled my eyes。 It seemed like I was going to read another book that explores racial dynamics in our “fun age” in a really obvious way。 I’m glad I kept reading it， though。 Elmira， the sitter， who is confused about what she wants to do with her life， is insightful about who she is and has an inner strength and complexity that leads to a great ending and shows that the other characters are trapped in their childhood insecurities。 When I read books like this， books that are so obviously placed in a certain time frame with so many pop cultural references， I really wonder how （or if） they are going to be read 50-100 years from now。 I guess I read Jane Austen books which seem timeless to me。 。 。I think this author has been as insightful with her characters as Jane was with the folks in Pride and Prejudice， but will people 150 years from now get the references to cell phones and Ubers and Pinterest？ 。。。more
Kirsten
，
What a fantastic book！ I thoroughly enjoyed reading this sharp yet warm， funny yet challenging story of two women navigating through a whole lot of racial， cultural and class- based situations。 What was deeply refreshing and original was the author’s ability to create a well paced and compelling narrative that created space to explore significant issues without it feeling staged or in any way becoming ‘preachy’ or arrogant。 I loved the nuanced characters and the complexity of their stories。 In a What a fantastic book！ I thoroughly enjoyed reading this sharp yet warm， funny yet challenging story of two women navigating through a whole lot of racial， cultural and class- based situations。 What was deeply refreshing and original was the author’s ability to create a well paced and compelling narrative that created space to explore significant issues without it feeling staged or in any way becoming ‘preachy’ or arrogant。 I loved the nuanced characters and the complexity of their stories。 In an interview at the end of the book， Reid hoped that ‘the novel works as both a gateway and a mirror’ as well as readers being able to get ‘wrapped up in the characters and experience that ‘what’s gonna happen？！’ feeling’。 I think she absolutely succeeded。 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 。。。more
Jo
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Very original take on racism and approaches of whites who wanna be hip without being real。
Anna
，
The audiobook narrator Nicole Lewis makes this book incredible - worth a listen just because of her voices！
Natalie
，
3。5 🌟 sort of lost me at the end， but overall a good read！
Allison Parker
，
I loved this book！ What an engaging read from a new author。 This story seemed like it could happen anywhere and that’s what I loved about it。 A coming of age story with strong themes about race and what white allyship does and doesn’t look like。
Jill
，
The plot of Such a Fun Age is implausible yet completely satisfying in a way that feels expertly engineered for TV/film adaptation （kind of like Little Fires Everywhere）。 That is not a disparagement。 I greatly enjoyed reading it and feel that novels can be literary/sharp/insightful and also very entertaining。 I laughed out loud many times and also just really liked the central character， Emira， a 26 year old Black babysitter for a white mom Instagram influencer born "Alex" who later rebrands her The plot of Such a Fun Age is implausible yet completely satisfying in a way that feels expertly engineered for TV/film adaptation （kind of like Little Fires Everywhere）。 That is not a disparagement。 I greatly enjoyed reading it and feel that novels can be literary/sharp/insightful and also very entertaining。 I laughed out loud many times and also just really liked the central character， Emira， a 26 year old Black babysitter for a white mom Instagram influencer born "Alex" who later rebrands herself "Alix。" Doesn't that alone communicate so much？ Emira is not ambitious or thriving by her friends' and society's standard。 She's not "leaning in。" Instead Emira loves the child she babysits， is content babysitting， and wants to live her life at her own rhythm and pace。 She doesn't want to be on social media， and she doesn't want to leverage a traumatic and very public clash with other peoples' racism to enhance her "personal brand" and visibility。 Emira wants what she wants， and what she wants for herself is not what the wider world wants for her。 I respect Emira as a character and appreciate that author Reid allows her to live out her own story， however modest it might be in comparison to the lives constructed in the many social media/alternative realities that exist nowadays。 However modest Emira's choices may appear， her decisions seem guided by self-respect and an inclination to stay close to an inner knowing and what makes her actually fulfilled。 Maybe this is freedom。 。。。more
Maria
，
I loved this book。 It was quirky and funny and yet also touched on some serious subject matters which caused me to think。 However， I wish it would’ve ended differently for Emira。 Even if it didn’t make me dislike the book， I just wanted a happier ending。
Tara
，
I’ve been working my way through new titles I ordered for my grade 11/12 classroom。 I’m so happy I chose this title。 The story is told by two perspectives and with a style that made me laugh out loud or gasp and mostly think。 Lots。 About by 20s and about who I am now。
Kine
，
What’s the hype all about？ Jeg forstår ikke。
Emi Christensen
，
It was alright。 Didn’t love any of the characters or their development （they were all kind of shallow）， but it kept me mildly entertained for like the first half。
Joana
，
Ich wollte es gern mögen！So ein wichtiges Thema， doch leider erschien mir die Handlung gewisser Figuren übertrieben und dadurch unglaubwürdig。Viel mehr hätte mich Emiras Wahrnehmung interessiert， aber abgesehen von der Präsentation ihres Werdegangs im letzten Kapitel wirkte sie mehr wie eine Statistin。
Michelle
，
Five stars because my expectations were fairly set！ A few friends shared this would be an easy read BUT would still be layered as a contemporary tale on privilege。 Finished this in two days and it matched the description well。Good book to get back into reading。 Excited for Reid’s next story。
Mesrak
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Whew， do I have a lot to say about this book。 Presuming you've read the synopsis already， you know how the book starts; a black woman gets accused of stealing the white child she babysits at the grocery store。 The 2 main characters Emira， （the sitter） and Alix， （the mother） have different POVs throughout the book。 While Emira is at the store with Briar， （the kid） she meets a man and they start dating。 It turns out that the man is Alix's ex-boyfriend from high school。 He believes she is racist， a Whew， do I have a lot to say about this book。 Presuming you've read the synopsis already， you know how the book starts; a black woman gets accused of stealing the white child she babysits at the grocery store。 The 2 main characters Emira， （the sitter） and Alix， （the mother） have different POVs throughout the book。 While Emira is at the store with Briar， （the kid） she meets a man and they start dating。 It turns out that the man is Alix's ex-boyfriend from high school。 He believes she is racist， and she thinks he's just a jerk who fetishizes WOC。 （I think they both were slightly right， but he was more wrong。） They end up feuding a little， even sort of fighting over Emira， which I found amusing。 I believe that Alix doesn't really recognize her privilege， or realizes she has it at all。 Speaking of Alix， one thing I noticed is that she often says she only has one child， her youngest Catherine， forgetting about Briar without even realizing it。 She spends a lot of her time focusing on what she used to have， like her pre-baby weight & her old life in NYC。 She tends to believe her actions are what's best for everyone， just like when she leaks the video at the grocery store， against Emira's wishes。 The ending sort of felt unfulfilling， but overall I'd recommend this book it was a great read！ 。。。more
Joko
，
I really laughed at some points。 However， weird reading a book where the main character feels like。。。 a prop？ In their own life？ I think that was the point， though not sure I enjoyed that。 But the dude is a software engineer， so at least I get to tick off my "A book where a main character works at your current/dream job" Popsugar prompt。 I really laughed at some points。 However， weird reading a book where the main character feels like。。。 a prop？ In their own life？ I think that was the point， though not sure I enjoyed that。 But the dude is a software engineer， so at least I get to tick off my "A book where a main character works at your current/dream job" Popsugar prompt。 。。。more
Clare Swapp
，
Emira Tucker is a 25-year-old black woman trying to figure out what she wants in life。 Alix is a well-off， white woman， a mother of two young children who makes a living through her personal brand that is centered on asking for （and getting） what you want。 The intersection of their lives brings up issues around race and privilege， especially after Emira， who babysits for Alix， was accused by an older white woman and a security guard of kidnapping Alix’s daughter while at a high-end grocery store Emira Tucker is a 25-year-old black woman trying to figure out what she wants in life。 Alix is a well-off， white woman， a mother of two young children who makes a living through her personal brand that is centered on asking for （and getting） what you want。 The intersection of their lives brings up issues around race and privilege， especially after Emira， who babysits for Alix， was accused by an older white woman and a security guard of kidnapping Alix’s daughter while at a high-end grocery store late at night。 The nuances of these issues are explored throughout the novel from the perspectives of both women， and Reid’s immersive writing makes it an emotionally engaging read。 In a way， this is a coming-of-age story as Emira goes through relatable young adult struggles and self-discovery revelations， and Alix’s eyes are opened to the reality of her privilege。Lewis's excellent narration in the audiobook really enhances this dialogue-rich story。 。。。more
Cindi Pieklo
，
I really enjoyed this book and the subtlety of it。
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Such a Fun Age
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Such a Fun Age&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Such a Fun Age&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0