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Thanksgiving, Alix invites Emira and her boyfriend to the
Chamberlain home. Upon meeting, they realize that Alix (formerly Alex Murphy) and Kelley dated in high school and parted on bad terms. Later, Kelley tells Emira that she needs to quit her job because Alix is racist: in high school, she called the police to a party at her mansion home, indirectly causing a Black student, Robbie, to lose his scholarship when he was arrested with drugs, and has a history of surrounding herself with black employees. Emira, feeling Kelley is being inconsiderate of her anxiety about her employment status and lack of professional career, refuses to quit.
305:", by having the two main white characters use their relationships with Emira as the battleground through which each intends to prove their racial virtue. Reid explained that she did not think of her characters as inherently bad, conversely, that they "were dying to help, but kind of going through mental gymnastics to ignore the broken systems that put people where they are to begin with."
301:] tropes of the white savior and unknowing racist as they play out in everyday life. Throughout the novel, the white characters assume they know what is best for the protagonist, without ever seeing anything from her perspective, and speak about her with a sense of ownership. The novel satirizes what has been described as "the white pursuit of
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Alix
Chamberlain is a wealthy influencer, blogger, and public speaker in her early thirties who has built a brand known as "LetHer Speak" around the practice of writing old-fashioned letters to businesses, often in exchange for free product samples and encouraging women to be assertive. Alix's family
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took place, and Reid said she was "absolutely inspired by the everyday terror" but that, in the novel, she wanted to explore "instances of racial biases that don't end in violence as a way of highlighting those moments that we don't see on the news but still exist every day." Reid has also said that
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Minutes before the interview, Emira learns that it was in fact Alix who leaked the video on social media. On air, Emira embarrasses Alix by quitting and using the same line that Kelley had used to break up with her in high school. When Alix confronts her, Emira urges Alix to be a better mother to
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black people in high school: he invited Robbie and the cool kids to the house to become friends with them and later broke up with Alix in favor of them. When Emira dismisses her advice, Alix gains access to Emira's email and leaks the video of the grocery store incident. To Emira's shock, it goes
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Years pass and Emira begins working as an administrative assistant. She sees Kelley with his black girlfriend and Mrs. Chamberlain with an older Briar but does not approach any of them. Well into her thirties, Emira wonders what she learned from her time at the
Chamberlain house and what kind of
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and confusion over career choices. Over the course of the book, Emira's main concern is to find a secure job, as she will be removed from her parents' healthcare insurance cover upon turning 26. While she remains at her babysitting job, her group of friends start advancing in their careers,
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and are noticed by an older white woman. After Zara leaves, a security guard approaches Emira at the white woman's behest and questions why Emira is with Briar. Emira explains the situation but the guard refuses to believe she is a babysitter, and Emira is freed only once Peter shows up and
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Alix is shocked by the incident and tries to treat Emira better, offering her extra pay and gifts, and becomes intent on developing a friendship with her, though Emira simply regards Alix as her employer. Meanwhile, Emira runs into Kelley again on the train, and the two start dating. For
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and transactional relationships. Reid stated in an interview that "the history of black women taking care of white children is at the forefront . It's this job that is so important, with really high stakes and a very small margin of error—but also, a 13-year-old could do it."
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remark on-air, though he insists the comment was thoughtless. Alix calls Emira, who is at a party with friends, to take Briar with her to a local, trendy supermarket while she and Peter speak with the police. At the store, Emira, her friend Zara, and Briar dance to
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gave the novel a rave review, calling it "the calling card of a virtuoso talent" and writing that it "skillfully interweaves race-related explorations with astute musings on friendship, motherhood, marriage, love and more." The novel also received praise from
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criticized the character development of Alix
Chamberlain as well as the novel's plot for " on an almighty coincidence" but nonetheless called it a "cracking debut" and wrote that "Reid writes with a confidence and verve that produce magnetic prose."
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corroborates her story. The incident is recorded by a white bystander, Kelley
Copeland, who urges Emira to seek justice against the store. Emira is shaken but does not want attention; she has him email the video to her and delete it from his phone.
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viral. Believing that Kelley leaked it, she breaks up with him. Alix comforts her and offers her a full-time job as Briar's nanny, which she accepts. Alix also arranges an interview with Emira and herself on local television.
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for her husband Peter's job as a television anchor, and her career is stalling as she raises two children and attempts to write her first book. Alix hires Emira Tucker, a 25-year-old
African-American college graduate, as a
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concurred, noting that the second half of the novel was based on a "contrived" coincidence but "once you buy into the path Reid chooses, she deftly ratchets up the tension and the characters always ring true."
381:, with the latter describing it as a "nuanced portrait of a young black woman struggling to define herself apart from the white people in her life who are all too ready to speak and act on her behalf."
217:, who is wrongly accused of kidnapping while babysitting a white child, and the events that follow the incident. The novel received favorable reviews and was longlisted for the
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intensifying her desire for "a real adult job", which neither she nor her friends consider babysitting to be. In the context of Emira's job, the novel also explores
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The novel was very well received by critics, who described it as having timely themes, authentic dialogue and believable characters. Sara
Collins of
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gave the novel a mixed review, criticizing the plot's "many lapses in credibility" as well as Reid's "cloying vernacular".
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Reid started writing the novel in 2015, while she was applying to graduate school, and finished it while pursuing her
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on
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Alix and Peter's home is egged at night and a window is broken after Peter received backlash for making a
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to care for her three-year-old daughter Briar. Alix also has an infant daughter named
Catherine.
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786:"Kiley Reid: 'Some black women say: "I don't want to explain anything." I'm not one of them'"
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the novel was partly inspired by the years she spent in her 20s working as a babysitter.
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Briar. After the interview airs, Kelley tries to contact Emira but she does not respond.
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The novel was published in the United States in hardcover and paperback by
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1181:"Lena Waithe & Sight Unseen Acquire Kiley Reid Novel 'Such A Fun Age'"
815:"Kiley Reid's Novel Is About Race and Class and Other People's Children"
673:"In 'Such a Fun Age,' Kiley Reid takes aim at race and class in America"
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729:"Kiley Reid has written the most provocative page-turner of the year"
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on
December 31, 2019. It tells the story of a young Black woman in
1022:"Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid – charming, authentic, entertaining"
701:"Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid — a compelling indictment of humans"
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Alix tells Emira that she should break up with Kelley because he
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942:"Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid review – an essential new talent"
1050:"When It Comes to Race, How Progressive Are the Progressives?"
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841:"Such A Fun Age Author Kiley Reid Wants To Make You Cringe"
542:"Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid review — a new literary star"
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The novel also deals with millennial anxiety relating to
513:"'Such A Fun Age' Is A Complex, Layered Page-Turner"
995:"Fiction Book Review: Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid"
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295:anxiety, and wealth. Reid interrogates [
334:. It was during this period that the deaths of
895:The Booker Prizes | The Booker Library | Books
115:Print (hardcover and paperback), e-book, audio
869:"Kiley Reid A debut with a social conscience"
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287:deals with themes of interracial relations,
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1048:Christensen, Lauren (December 31, 2019).
813:de León, Concepción (December 28, 2019).
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1075:"Hardcover Fiction Books - Best Sellers"
891:"Such a Fun Age | Written by Kiley Reid"
612:Satirizes the White Pursuit of Wokeness"
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1020:Anderson, Hephzibah (January 7, 2020).
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727:Canfield, David (December 17, 2019).
671:Patrick, Bethanne (January 6, 2020).
416:Hardcover Fiction best-sellers list.
410:The novel debuted at number three on
276:person Briar will grow up to become.
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1257:Literature by African-American women
1179:Fleming, Mike Jr (August 29, 2018).
839:Kovan, Brianna (December 28, 2019).
699:Crawford, Maria (January 10, 2020).
643:Grady, Constance (January 8, 2020).
606:Hayes, Stephanie (January 8, 2020).
1237:Novels about child care occupations
577:"The Babysitter and the Influencer"
539:Crisell, Hattie (January 1, 2020).
201:is a 2019 novel by American author
784:Lea, Richard (December 28, 2019).
758:Miller, Stuart (January 2, 2020).
511:Masad, Ilana (December 28, 2019).
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940:Collins, Sara (January 2, 2020).
867:Bufferd, Lauren (January 2020).
1054:The New York Times Book Review
967:"Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid"
487:"Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid"
459:"Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid"
404:The New York Times Book Review
16:2019 debut novel by Kiley Reid
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916:"Such a Fun Age | Book Marks"
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1232:Novels set in Philadelphia
463:Penguin Random House Audio
1242:Novels about social media
1222:G. P. Putnam's Sons books
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1247:Novels set in the 2010s
1227:African-American novels
1153:"Best Debut Novel 2020"
1101:"The Booker Prize 2020"
428:Goodreads Choice Awards
422:was longlisted for the
49:Audio read by
401:Lauren Christensen of
384:Hephzibah Anderson of
354:, on January 7, 2020.
352:Bloomsbury Publishing
209:and was published by
174:PS3618.E5363 S83 2020
1212:2019 American novels
734:Entertainment Weekly
491:Penguin Random House
79:, Pennsylvania, U.S.
1252:Fiction set in 2015
1126:"Best Fiction 2020"
678:The Washington Post
575:(January 7, 2020).
348:G. P. Putnam's Sons
234:to her hometown of
211:G. P. Putnam's Sons
88:G. P. Putnam's Sons
33:First edition cover
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1081:. January 19, 2020
1079:The New York Times
975:. October 14, 2019
819:The New York Times
413:The New York Times
332:University of Iowa
1217:2019 debut novels
1105:The Booker Prizes
1001:. August 14, 2019
999:Publishers Weekly
424:2020 Booker Prize
378:Publishers Weekly
219:2020 Booker Prize
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134:978-0-525-54190-5
104:Publication place
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900:October 23,
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684:January 10,
439:Lena Waithe
207:debut novel
136:(hardcover)
73:Set in
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445:References
434:Adaptation
322:Background
293:millennial
265:fetishized
241:babysitter
203:Kiley Reid
149:1090706582
43:Kiley Reid
1158:Goodreads
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548:The Times
358:Reception
289:privilege
184:kileyreid
84:Publisher
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303:wokeness
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330:at the
179:Website
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280:Themes
248:racist
162:813/.6
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120:Pages
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186:.com
143:OCLC
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650:Vox
518:NPR
328:MFA
298:sic
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1155:.
1128:.
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