Such a Fun Age: a review

I fiinnallllyy finished Such a Fun Age. For how long it took me to finish it (a month), I surprisingly enjoyed it. I haven’t read a ton of realistic fiction centred around issues of race and racism, so it was more eye-opening for me to take in dynamics and perspectives. Kiley Reid touched on some micro-aggressions that are embedded within relationships and interactions, with a good touch of humour sandwiched within seriousness.

The story is thematically structured around race and privilege, where a well-off and outspoken women’s rights activist for her brand, Alix Chamberlain, hires a young black sitter, Emira, to take care of her child, Briar. And of course, when there’s an emergency, Alix calls Emira to take care of Briar very late. Emira comes right away in her mini dress and stilettos from a night out. She takes Briar to the grocery store, where the security guard approaches her and accuses her of misconduct, and implies that the child is not hers and that she kidnapped Briar. All of this was caught on film by a bystander, Kelley, who becomes even more entangled in the relationships between Emira and Alix.

There are lots of little things to pick up on here. Alix is extra nice to Emira. Kelley tends to date girls who are black. Both Alix and Kelley want Emira to release the tape of the grocery store encounter. Alix is sensitive about the racial difference between her family and her sitter, and she tries very hard to offset it, woke wannabe style. Right off the bat, I sympathized with both Alix and Emira, especially Emira, because she seems to be dealing with an unstable job and a lot of shit. The banter that Alix has with her girlfriends is also very millennial. I actually liked Alix so much, intially.

I guess it takes time to get to know someone, even in books. Emira and Alix both have some issues. Far from perfect people. The ending of this one was abrupt but very realistic and relatable, a well-done fallout.