Such a Fun Age

I think Kiley Reid is quite skilled at highlighting subtle things that people do in a way that brings those things much needed attention. So much of the actions and reactions in this book made me uncomfortable, which was the entire point the author was trying to make. It was well-executed and the biggest strength of the writing. I also loved the complexity that was shown in how the characters responded to the same situation. There are massively differing opinions, and it shows that people need to educate themselves on racism, performative activism, and microaggressions. You can't read one book about slavery and ask the opinion of your one Black friend and call it a day.

This was a pretty straightforward and simple story. I wasn't really surprised at any point, I wouldn't say that's a bad thing though. That just means it was more of a quiet story for me, much more slice-of-life/crossroads moment than I was expecting. I kinda wish it was shorter, closer to 200 pages or so. I didn't love being in Alix's head most of the time, but I know people like her exist (and many, many people possess her and Nick's thoughts/traits). It makes sense that we'd be in her head to hear how she justifies her actions to herself. I look forward to reading more from Kiley Reid.