Last year, I saw Such a Fun Age on lots of best-of-2020 lists. However, I also saw it on quite a few worst-of-2020 lists. It has been described as light and somewhat superficial, but it also featured on the Booker Prize 2020 longlist. So a bit of a conundrum.
Alix is a young career mum, who used to live a glamorous life in New York, being a social media influencer and hanging out with her yummy-mummy friends. After having moved to Philadelphia with her family, her life has slowed down a bit, but she still tries to keep up appearances and regularly posts photos of herself at Manhattan. After all, which influencer with respect for herself would voluntarily admit to living in Philadelphia? π
Emira is the African-American babysitter, Alix hires to look after her oldest daughter, Briar. Emira is 25 and still struggling to find her place in life.
Kelley is a white guy, who happens to see Elmira being held back by security at the local mall, because they suspect she kidnapped little Briar.
Ok, here we go. To me Such a Fun Age felt like a crossover between a gossip magazine and a soap opera. This kind of entertainment might be fun, when you have a 10 minutes wait at the hairdressers, before you can get your hair blow-dried. But 10 hours straight? Nope. Didn’t work. To begin with, I really enjoyed it, but as the story progressed, I found myself increasingly desperate to reach the end quickly.
None of the characters were well-developed. Emira barely felt like a person at all. I found it difficult to get a grasp of her personality and at best she came across as bland.
Alix was a stereotype. Although I can’t rule out I met younger versions of her, when I lived in New York. Superficial, insecure and rather annoying.
I couldn’t feel empathy with any of the characters, except perhaps little Briar. The poor kid was completely ignored by her mother, who had a clear preference for Briar’s younger sister.
Zara leaned in closer. βThatβs the guy who filmed you that night?!β βGirl, yes.β βWhy you so sneaky?β βI didnβt think heβd come!β
In the elevator up to Kelley’s apartment, Emira checked her phone. OH OKAY BYE BITCH, Zara texted. TRAP TRAP TRAP TRAP GET THAT L.L.BEAN DICK GUR.
The dialogue was often somewhat tedious. Like the kind of gossipy chit-chat you might hear in the ladies room at a party, where the world revolves around what he said or what she wore. And the conversations between Emira and her friends felt over the top. I mean, they were relatively well-educated 25-year olds. Would they really communicate like this? I don’t know. Maybe they would.
The main theme in the book, racial biases, was an interesting one, though. Both Kelley and Alix were the well-meaning types, who still did the wrong things or did the right things for the wrong reasons. Both had a strong urge to support Emira, but they were to a high extent driven by a need to feel better about themselves or look better in the eyes of their surroundings. Non of them bothered to figure out what Emira wanted.
The interesting theme wasn’t enough to save this one for me and 2 1/2 stars is all I can manage. Compared to the only other 2020 Booker longlist novel I’ve read, Love and Other Thought Experiments, Such a Fun Age, appeared like a library book, which has incorrectly been placed under the Booker category by an inattentive library assistant. However, you might wanna bring it with you, next time you go to the hairdresser…
Title: Such a Fun Age [2019] Author: Kiley Reid Format: Audiobook, narrated by Nicole Lewis Genre: Contemporary Fiction
This is perfect. I’m always delighted when a book review leaves me knowing I don’t even have to consider putting it on to my toppling TBR list. Thank you. Thank you.
Yes, I think it is relatively safe to leave this off your TBR. I would say that life is too short for this book, but then again, quite a lot of people seem to love it…
Fantastic review! I didn’t like this either in fact I tried the first few pages and gave up as I couldn’t get to grips with the dialogue either. I’m glad it wasn’t just me!
Thanks so much Nicki! π No, it wasn’t just you, at best the dialogue was annoying, at worst cringeworthy!
Iβve seen such polarised views on this one as well. Iβm still intrigued, but itβs good to read your take on it before I give it a go!
Well, if you decide to go ahead, I sincerely hope you’ll be amongst those who really enjoy it. I was definitely not the right kind of audience for this one.
I’m glad to have escaped this one. Thanks for the review.
Haha, glad if I have saved you from a bad reading experience! π
Oh no, and I wanted to read this one π Thank you for the review, I know what you mean by hairdresser-literature. I usually stay away from such books too, unless some of them are really well-hiden by confusing covers, thought-out blurbs and multiple awards
Well, who knows, maybe you’d enjoy it more than I did. It is quite a popular book. But unfortunately I found the interesting elements (because some of these issues are for real – not easy to be the right kind of woke π) being overshadowed by the tedious gossipy soap opera quality of it all.
Great review. Thank you.
You are welcome! π
Thanks for sharing your review. I sampled the first chapter and knew I wouldn’t like it.
I should have sampled it as well, I suppose. But actually I quite enjoyed it in the beginning. Didn’t last long, though. π
Sounds dire! To answer your question, if Twitter is anything to go by then, yes, even supposedly educated young people do seem to communicate like this – not to mention older people who should really know better… *stomps off, grumpily* π
Well, at least I wasnt’ the right audience for this one. I actually thought the author exaggerated the dialogue between the sitter and her friends to contrast her life with that of Alix. But maybe not…
Thank you for this honest review π
You are welcome. And yes, it was very honest! π
Hmm I’d probably not get along with this one either, it reminds me a little bit of one I read, The High Moments, where the characters were self-centered and the conversations didn’t go very deep either. Thank you for the review Stargazer!
Oh really, I doubt the conversations were as bad and cringeworthy in The High Moments. Still, I am going to avoid it, that is for sure. π You are welcome Inge!
Great review as always! Well, judging by that short snippet here, I don’t think it’s my cup of tea either. Though maybe I’d give it a shot if I wanted to just read something to pass the time without thinking too much about it π
Thanks! π Yes, I thought it might have been fun as light entertainment, but the dialogue was terrible, the soap opera events unbearable and the characters rather annoying, so it didn’t really work for me even as entertainment. π
It’s going to be a while before we’re allowed to go to the hairdressers again but when I do, I will be sure to have something more interesting with me than this book. My niece gave me a copy because she was curious what I’d think of it – she wasn’t all that convinced (she is 25 years old). Now seeing your reaction I am sure it will not be one for me. What on earth were the Booker judges thinking of????
I am sure you can find something better to read at the hairdressers. Hopefully, it won’t be too long before they reopen. π It is interesting though, how this book seems to divide the waters. Either people love it or they don’t get on at all. Not too many “in the middle of the road” reviews. I wonder if your niece found the dialogue of Emira and her friends realistic?
Interesting. I read the sample and decided to pass. Now, I’m glad I did.
Yes, I think that was probably the right decision! π
OMG my dear friend. Your review made me feel so much better about how I felt about the book. THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! I didn’t really enjoy it either and I couldn’t understand the hype. ANd those dialogues…*faint* Well, like you said, MAYBE there are 25 year-olds who talk like that. WHo knows! LOL Love your review!
Really?! I am of course sorry you didn’t enjoy it either, but still amazed how many books we seem to agree on. π Haha, there may be 25 year olds who speak like that, but even if there is I’m not sure, I want to read a whole book about them! π Thanks so much Jee and I hope your new year celebrations went well – with lots of food, fun and karaoke!π€©π₯³
Haha TQ my friend! But no karaoke this time round, which is fine by me! LOL π
I am sure you will take revenge next year, with an extended marathon karaoke sessions with all of your family and friends!! π
OOOOO yeeeahhh I’m sure! I love listening to my uncles and aunties singing haha
Something to look forward to! π₯³π€©π
I’m glad I searched reviews before purchasing this! A great review of a book I think I’ll sample before buying now!!
Thanks so much. Yes, you should definitely sample before buying. But many people love this book and who knows, you may be one of them. π
I love an honest review. I’ve taken myself off the library waiting list for this one. Life’s too short to waste on hyped up nonsense! Thank you!
I too love an honest review and in my opinion you are not missing out, by skipping this one. As you say, life is too short, and there are so many great books out there!
Great reviewπππ I completely agree with you. But I’ll give it a 3 just because even though I found the beginning slow it had a satisfying end.
Thanks! π Yes, there were some good parts in it and I also liked that it wasn’t a “happily ever after” ending. That wouldn’t have been consistent with the tone of the book.