If you’re finding yourself bored in lockdown, I have a fascinating read for you this month to keep you busy! I chose to read this book after it was recommended to me and I even suggested it for our last book club read at work. I was very intrigued, and it has certainly sparked a lot of debate. 

This month’s book club pick is Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid. 

Kiley Reid 

Kiley Reid is an American novelist from Los Angeles, California and now resides in Philadelphia, US. She writes fiction about class, money and race. 

When Reid went off to college in New York, she became a nanny, caring for the children of wealthy families to earn an income. Although people mistake her for the main character of her story, Emira, her experiences definitely sparked the inspiration for the novel. She started writing the book when applying to grad school. She completed it while earning an MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop where she was the recipient of the Truman Capote Fellowship. 

Such a Fun Age is her debut novel. Reid is now working on the screenplay adaptation of Such a Fun Age and is writing her second novel. 

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid 

Featured on The Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller list, Such a Fun Age has become a famous novel in a short space of time. Released in the UK in January 2020, Reid has received praise from many fellow novelists and readers alike. So, what’s the story about?  

Emira is a 25-year-old typist and babysitter who looks after Alix’s two-year-old, Briar. The story kicks off when Alix calls Emira late at night asking her to come and take Briar out of the house while she sorts out an emergency. Leaving her friends and a party behind, Emira collects Briar, and they head down to the supermarket. However, Emira is quickly accused of kidnapping the white child, Briar, and finds herself in a difficult situation. She is only appeased when she calls Briar’s dad, news anchor Peter, to set the record straight. This sets off a chain of events. 

Alix, an influencer who has built a female-centric brand, has previously spent a lot of time working and not much time with her kids. Later in the story, this changes. She tries to get closer to Emira, but this relationship develops into something a bit strange, almost obsessive. Alix regularly reads Emira’s phone for gossip, traps her in the kitchen for conversations over wine and invites her and her new boyfriend over for Thanksgiving. This would have been fine until it’s revealed that Alix know’s Emira’s new boyfriend and has a personal vendetta against him. This shakes things up, and the relationships explored throughout the novel get even more complicated.

Emira knows that she must leave the job, but broke, lost and with a soft spot for Briar, this becomes harder to do. The story comes to an explosive end where all feelings are laid out on the table, no stone unturned. 

A funny, charismatic book that will fire off a million debates… The one to watch.

Sunday Times

I’m going, to be honest. I felt that there were certain moments in the book that went too far. I didn’t really understand the motivations behind some of the characters – which we thought as a collective when discussing during my other book club. Having said that, it’s an exciting book that covers so many important themes of race, class, love, marriage, motherhood and is undoubtedly one to read! 

So there you have our May book club pick. I would love to hear your thoughts about the book and the characters! Please leave your comments below or on my Instagram, and I’ll respond! 

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