Winner of the African American Literary Award
Finalist for:
The New York Public Library’s Young Lions Fiction Award
The Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award
The VCU Cabell First Novelist Award
The NAACP Image Award
The Athenaeum of Philadelphia’s Literary Award
A Book Club Pick:
Vox • Marie Claire #ReadWithMC • Buzzfeed • Book Girl Magic • Well-Read Black Girl • WNYC Get Lit With All of It • Nerdette
“So sharp it almost hurts… This book disappears faster than a bag of potato chips.” —Oprah Daily
“Lively…[A] carefully observed study of class and race, whose portrait of white urban affluence—Everlane sweaters, pseudo-feminist babble—is especially pointed. Attempting to navigate the white conscience in the age of Black Lives Matter, Reid unsparingly maps the moments when good intentions founder.” —The New Yorker
“Provocative…Surprisingly resonant insights into the casual racism in everyday life, especially in the America of the liberal elite.” —The New York Times Book Review
“[A] funny, fast-paced social satire about privilege in America…Beneath her comedy of good intentions, [Reid] stages a Millennial bildungsroman that is likely to resonate with 20-something postgraduates scrambling to get launched in just about any American city.” —The Atlantic
“Reid constructs a plot so beautifully intricate and real and fascinating that readers will forget it’s also full of tough questions about race, class and identity….With this entertaining novel, Reid subverts our notions of what it means to write about race and class in America, not to mention what it means to write about love. In short, it’s a great way to kick off 2020.” —Washington Post
“A complex, layered page-turner…This is a book that will read, I suspect, quite differently to various audiences….Let its empathetic approach to even the ickiest characters stir you…and rejoice that Kiley Reid is only just getting started.” —NPR
“[Such a Fun Age] feels bound for book-club glory, due to its sheer readability. The dialogue crackles with naturalistic flair. The plotting is breezy and surprising. Plus, while Reid’s feel for both the funny and the political is undeniable, she imbues her flawed heroes with real heart.” —Entertainment Weekly
“Darkly funny and often sincere… Reid’s novel captures something important about race and the inexorability of whiteness, upward mobility, and the inescapability of digital life.” —BookForum
“Reid’s acerbic send-up of identity politics thrives in the tension between the horror and semiabsurdity of race relations in the social media era. But she is too gifted a storyteller to reduce her tale to, well, black-and-white…. Clever and hilariously cringe-y, this debut is a provocative reminder of what the road to hell is paved with.” —O, The Oprah Magazine
“Such a Fun Age is blessedly free of preaching, but if Reid has an ethos, it’s attention: the attention Emira pays to who Briar really is, and the attention that Alix fails to pay to Emira, instead spending her time thinking about her….The novel is often funny and always acute, but never savage; Reid is too fascinated by how human beings work to tear them apart. All great novelists are great listeners, and Such a Fun Age marks the debut of an extraordinarily gifted one.” —Slate
“[A] hilarious, uncomfortable and compulsively readable story about race and class.” –TIME
“[An] entertainingly sharp observation of money, class and racism.” —Parade
“Fun is the operative word in Such a Fun Age, Kiley Reid’s delectably discomfiting debut… This page-turner goes down like comfort food, but there’s no escaping the heartburn.” —Vogue
“Buoyed by a tight narrative structure, Such a Fun Age is a compulsive read whose dark humor comes at the expense of Emira, who often finds herself sitting in the wormy discomfort of a social faux pas.” —Elle
“[Such a Fun Age] grapples with racism and nods to titans of literature….[A] vivid page-turner [that] explores agency and culpability through the entangled lives of Emira and her employer, Alix.” —Vanity Fair
“Such a Fun Age keeps it real on race, wealth, and class…The question that will sit with readers for days after finishing the book: What role do I play?” —Marie Claire
“If you don’t read [Such a Fun Age] soon, you will have nothing to talk about at book clubs, dinner parties, playgroups, or friend drinks. Kiley Reid’s debut novel…is getting raves and making waves.” —Glamour
“[A] sparkling debut…[Such A Fun Age is] an entertaining tale with plenty to say about race, human connection, and the pitfalls of good intentions.” —People (Book of the Week)
“To call this a novel about race would be to diminish its considerable powers, just as to focus on race alone is to diminish a human being. It skillfully interweaves race-related explorations with astute musings on friendship, motherhood, marriage, love and more, underlining that there’s so much more to us than skin. This is the calling card of a virtuoso talent, a thrilling millennial spin on the 19th-century novel of manners that may call to mind another recent literary sensation.” —The Guardian
“Such a Fun Age tackles big issues—race, class, employer-caregiver tensions—through a riveting story.” —Real Simple
“Crack open Kiley Reid’s buzzy, addictive debut, Such a Fun Age—you’ll inhale it. Reid deftly reveals a surprising overlap between a twentysomething babysitter’s and her well-to-do employer’s very different circles, then plunks you down to wait for the collision.” —Martha Stewart Living
“This striking exploration of race, class, and what it means to be ‘woke’ in today’s world will stick with readers long after the last page.” —Good Housekeeping
“An exploration of race and racism and misguided perceptions of the issue, executed with wit and a sharp edge.” —The Boston Globe
“A bold, urgent, essential exploration of race, class, labor, friendship, identity and self-delusion, both deliciously readable and incredibly complex. Reid’s debut is an exemplar novel….Not a word is wasted, and not a nuance goes unnoticed in this masterwork.” —Minneapolis Star Tribune
“With concise writing and characters who continually reveal new layers, Such a Fun Age uses a modern setting to examine age-old topics such as race, class and transactional relationships. It’s a rewarding read, not just because those topics are important, but also because readers will be thinking about them long after the last page.” —San Francisco Chronicle
“A sharply clever debut novel about the uneasy relationship between a privileged young woman, Alix, and her black babysitter, Emira.” —New York Post
“With all its awkwardness and tension considered, Such a Fun Age is immensely readable, almost unbelievably so” —Michigan Daily
“Witty and biting…[Reid] is writing smart, accomplished satire here. The prose is so accessible and immediate that it seems to turn transparent as water as you read, but it’s laced with telling details about liberal racial politics….[Such a Fun Age’s] satire never overwhelms its empathy toward its characters. That’s what makes them feel like fully realized people—and what makes their casual bourgeois racism so painfully, cringingly familiar to read.” —Vox
“Instantly compelling, this debut novel from bold new voice Kiley Reid is poised to be one of 2020’s most-talked-about books….Braids coincidence with pitch-perfect dialogue as it dives deep into the uncomfortable dynamics of race and privilege. It’s also hilariously astute about myriad other aspects of modern life, from dating to décor.” —Net-a-Porter
“Writing in a breezy, conversational style, Reid has a knack for creating recognizable characters — both Alix and Kelley are particularly devastating send-ups of a certain kind of earnest white liberal… Fortunately, the seeming simplicity of the prose doesn’t detract from the complicated morass Reid creates, showing us how race and class become entangled in a way that is refreshingly humorous and compulsively readable.” —Buzzfeed
“A searing commentary on race and privilege.” —Refinery29
“[A] sharp and gripping debut…Written with both empathy and unflinching candor, Reid’s novel delivers piercing social commentary on race and privilege in America that will have you contemplating it long after you finish reading.” —BookRiot
“A smart, thoughtful novel that you will want to discuss with your friends. Perfect for book clubs.” —PopSugar
“[A] pitch-perfect debut novel….” —PureWow
“[A] narrative rife with empathy as it explores race, privilege, and what happens when we do the right things for the wrong reasons.” —Shondaland
“This novel about race and privilege is the book we all need to read.” —Electric Literature
“Readers who enjoy coming-of-age stories that tackle serious issues with a touch of wit will find this a worthy alternative to a wild night out.” —Ms. Magazine
“Witty, smart, and relevant.” —Omaha World-Herald
“Such a Fun Age sucks you in and surprises you.” —Chicago Review of Books
“[Reid] blends black horror, satire, and current events to create a scathing critique of white, middle-class America. Her social commentaries land like a series of swift kicks to the ribs; tokenizing, fetishizing, and every microaggression you can imagine are blown up to proportions too large to miss, unless you’re in denial.” —Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
“[A] deft and heartfelt exploration of race, class, parenthood, and youth.” —Business Insider
“[A] compelling indictment of humans, of how we interact with ourselves and each other. . . Reid is joyously funny on the wokeness of the white progressive liberal [yet] the novel undermines stereotypes even as it courts them.” —Financial Times
“What a joy to find a debut novel so good that it leaves you looking forward to the rest of its author’s career. With an unfussy, witty voice… Kiley Reid has painted a portrait of the liberal middle class that resonates far beyond its Philadelphia setting…. Such a Fun Age speaks for itself; I suspect it will turn its writer into a star.” —The Times (UK)
“A crackling debut—charming, authentic and every bit as entertaining as it is calmly, intelligently damning.” —The Observer (UK)
“The first chapter of… Such a Fun Age, might be one of the most powerful opening scenes you’ll read in the coming months…The pages sing with charisma and humor.” —Sunday Times Style (UK)
“A whip-smart, keenly observed and thought-provoking examination of privilege, race and gender.” —Daily Mail (UK)
“Reid is wincingly good on the well-intentioned attitudes that mainly serve to sooth white liberal consciences but her eye for social comedy roves far and wide….A smart, witty debut that smuggles sharp points about racial blindness, privilege and the gig economy inside a zesty comedy of manners.” —Metro (UK)
“Reid explores privilege and the problematic nature of the white savior in a debut you won’t be able to put down.” —Bookish
“Brilliant…Witty, relevant, and thought-provoking.” —BookBub
“Briskly told and devilishly well-plotted. . . Kiley Reid’s game-changing debut novel is rooted in classic dialogue-driven storytelling and is a marker for precisely where our culture is today. . . Such a Fun Age hits every note just right….Smart, witty and even a bit sly, this penetrating social commentary is also one of this year’s most readable novels.” —BookPage (starred review)
“Reid’s debut sparkles with sharp observations and perfect details…Charming, challenging, and so interesting you can hardly put it down.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“In her debut novel, Reid illuminates difficult truths about race, society, and power with a fresh, light hand.” —Library Journal (starred review)
“Reid crafts 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…. An impressive, memorable first outing.” —Publishers Weekly
“In her smart and timely debut, Reid has her finder solidly on the pulse of the pressures and ironies inherent in social media, privilege, modern parenting, racial tension, and political correctness.” —Booklist
“Reid is a sharp and delightful storyteller, with a keen eye, buoyant prose, and twists that made me gasp out loud.” —Madeline Miller, author of Circe
“Such a Fun Age is a startling, razor-sharp debut. Kiley Reid has written a book with no easy answers, instead, filling her story with delicious gray areas and flawed points of view. It’s both wildly fun and breathtakingly wise, deftly and confidently confronting issues of race, class, and privilege. I have to admit, I’m in awe.” —Taylor Jenkins Reid, author of Atmosphere
“An amazing debut…A sort of modern Austen-esque take on racism and modern liberal sensibilities…except that description makes it sound far more serious and less clever than it is. [Kiley Reid] has a forensic eye.” —Jojo Moyes, author of Me Before You
“This is a deft coming-of-age story for the current American moment, one written so confidently it’s hard to believe it’s a first novel. Kiley Reid explores serious issues—race, class, sex, power, ambition, and what it’s like to live in our hyperconnected world—with a light touch and sly humor.” —Rumaan Alam, author of That Kind of Mother
“Kiley Reid’s propulsive, page-turning book is full of complex characters and even more complex truths. A bullseye of a debut.” —Emma Straub, author of Modern Lovers
“Such a Fun Age is nothing short of brilliant, and Kiley Reid is the writer we need now.” —Chloe Benjamin, author of The Immortalists
“Such a Fun Age is such a fabulous book–a crisp, wry, and insightful novel about class, race, and relationships. Kiley Reid is a gifted young writer with a generosity that makes her keen social eye that much funnier and sharper.” —Jess Walter, author of Beautiful Ruins
“Gripping, substantive, complicated, compelling, and just plain true….Such a fantastic, serious, and, I should say, fun read.” —Paul Harding, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Tinkers
“The first time in a long time that I had a novel glued to my hands for two days… Just utterly phenomenal.” —Jessie Burton, author of The Miniaturist
“Such a Fun Age is such a fresh voice. It’s a unique, honest portrayal of what it’s like to be a black woman in America today. Kiley Reid has delivered a poignant novel that could not be more necessary.” —Lena Waithe
#1 Indie Next Pick
#1 LibraryReads Pick
One of…
The New York Times‘ 10 Books to Watch for in January
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People‘s Book of the Week
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The Millions‘ Most Anticipated of December
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