I picked this book up in a Barnes & Noble on a whim in December based solely on its cover. I had seen some buzz about it from online book lovers and I figured it would be a quick, light read.
When I did sit down with it to read I was not delighted to find out the general subject matter appeared to be racism. This would not make for the light read I was anticipating BUT when I finally did pick it up again in January, it was by far one of my fastest reads.
"Such a Fun Age" by Kiley Reid is a refreshing and thought-provoking take on life in the USA post BLM and Viral Karens. Kiley Reid somehow manages to balance the darker tones of prejudice with self-deprecating humour and the reluctance of 20somethings to trade joie de vivre for anger. It explores race, class, and privilege and centers around Emira, a 20-something black woman who works as a babysitter for Alix, a white, privileged blogger and influencer.
The story begins with Emira being racially profiled at a grocery store while out with Alix's toddler daughter, Briar. The incident sets off a chain of events that forces both Emira and Alix to confront their own biases, assumptions, and privilege.
Reid's writing is witty, and thankfully does not resort to simplistic or didactic solutions for issues of privilege and power dynamics. Emira is a relatable and sympathetic character, and the novel effectively captures the frustration and fatigue that come with constantly having to explain and defend one's existence as a black woman.
The relationship between Emira and Alix is also a good balance between comical and cringe-worthy. The two women come from very different worlds, and their interactions highlight the gaps in understanding and communication that can arise from differences in race, class, and privilege. Alix's attempts to befriend Emira and be a "cool" white ally are well-intentioned but ultimately misguided, and the novel effectively illustrates the limitations of performative allyship.
I love the specific stages in life that Reid assigns to each woman because it shows the difference in mindset for each. I can distinctly remember what life was like when I was Emira’s age and the importance I assigned enjoyment; for Alex, I can sympathise with her struggle to validate herself and her image post-children and marriage and the guilt she carries with trying to craft an ‘aesthetic’ career.
For me though, it really caused me to think about the ‘privilege’ we have as black people living in a country that is predominantly black. Without going too far into it, it did make me wonder if we have bothered as a society to dissect our own classism in the same way that America has tried in examining their racism. Food for thought, right?
Funnily enough, the relationship that wound me up wasn’t between Amira and Alex. It was the love interest because boy that guy was such a jerk and a know-it-all. It was also so interesting how the author connected the women to both the toddler and the love interest - juxtaposing a pure love with an impure one and how both those relationships played out for each woman. It shows how Emira’s decisions regarding both those relationships shaped her future and how Alix’s choice had to do with how she dealt with those relationships and reconciled her lack of control in both. Alix’s self image and her perceived value to others prevented her from resolving her feelings of failure in both relationships. She was the definition of a people-pleaser and she definitely let her online branding dictate who she thought she was - which quite frankly is very very easy to do, especially when you’re already feeling lost.
Emira, on the other hand, even as the younger woman, was able to successfully distance herself by making a choice that didn’t have anything to do with what other people wanted from her. She certainly didn’t choose anything pretty or immediately admirable but the choice itself was her achievement. Crazy how that works…
Overall, "Such a Fun Age" is an interesting and nuanced book. The author does a good job of not swaying distinctively one way or the other, but portrays the characters for what we all are - flawed human beings. Not quite a heavy read, I came away with some questions about myself that I need to answer and that for me makes it a book good enough to recommend. Get your copy here.
Not easily forgotten - ‘Such a Fun Age’ gets 4/5 stars from me. Have you read it yet? What did you think?
‘til next time,
Jan