Book review: ‘Such a Fun Age’ by Kiley Reid

Let me just say I hated the last 3-4 chapters. Such a good book put to waste with that ending.

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid centers on Emira Tucker, a 25-year-old black nanny, Alix Chamberlain, the white suburban mom she works for, and Kelley Copeland, Emira’s boyfriend and a little more (though I shall not spoil). The story unfolds at the fancy grocery store Market Depot one night when emir does her job on an emergency call after a night at the club with her friends.

There, she takes 2-year-old Briar to wait out her parents situation with the cops after a window at the house is broken. At the store with little Briar and Emira’s bestie, Zara, things are fine. Until they aren’t. One nosey shopper thinks Emira has kidnapped the child and alerts the security guard. From there, all hell breaks loose and Kelley has it all on camera. The events and mobile video, which Emira refuses to share or upload, are the backdrop for the entire book and its multiple plot twists and insanity.

So, admittedly, I was curious how Reid would stretch this event out over the entire of a novel, but she managed, thanks to that third-person narrative and giving weight to each of the three main characters perspectives. I really enjoyed and had strong feelings about this book for the most part, always had me looking forward to the next chapter.

However, I really wish Emira was written… differently. She comes off as flat and debilitatingly indecisive. She’s this college-educated Black woman who can type at the speed of lighting and has connections to the Green Party (for what that’s worth) and successful friends, yet she doesn’t know what she wants to do in life or how to get there. She also doesn’t seem to have emotions that are beyond surface-level or apathy. In that regard, everyone outshines her in personality, especially Briar.

Briar has the most personality out of anybody in this book. The way the author describes her mannerisms, endless inquisitiveness(?), seriousness, and overstimulation— you can’t tell me this kid isn’t neurodivergent. I’m not gonna say I relate, but I get it! I feel like it really added depth to the story as well as Emira. Through her time with Briar, we get a small slice of the character Emira might have.

I liked Kelley, I liked Alix and her friends, I sometimes liked Emira’s friends. Even though Alix and her friends in particular all screamed privilege and not quite in touch with the average person. What really kept me drawn, however, was the pacing and subplots within the story. But then, with all the build up, it fell flat. Almost as if the author got bored or forgot where she wanted to go with the conclusion. It left me with several unanswered questions and kinda pissed.

Overall, before that ending, Such a Fun Age would have been a 4.5/5 book. But I’m honestly giving it a 3/5.

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