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Such a Fun Age

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Such a Fun Age

Written by: Kiley Reid
Narrated by: Nicole Lewis
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About this listen

A Best Book of the Year:

The Washington PostChicago Tribune • NPR • Vogue • Elle • Real SimpleInStyle • Good Housekeeping • Parade • Slate • Vox • Kirkus Reviews • Library Journal • BookPage

Longlisted for the 2020 Booker Prize

An instant New York Times best seller

A Reese's Book Club x Hello Sunshine Book Pick

"The most provocative page-turner of the year." (Entertainment Weekly)

"I urge you to read Such a Fun Age." (NPR)

A striking and surprising debut novel from an exhilarating new voice, Such a Fun Age is a binge-worthy and bighearted story about race and privilege, set around a young Black babysitter, her well-intentioned employer, and a surprising connection that threatens to undo them both.

Alix Chamberlain is a woman who gets what she wants and has made a living with her confidence-driven brand, showing other women how to do the same. So she is shocked when her babysitter, Emira Tucker, is confronted while watching the Chamberlains' toddler one night, walking the aisles of their local high-end supermarket. The store's security guard, seeing a young Black woman out late with a White child, accuses Emira of kidnapping two-year-old Briar. A small crowd gathers, a bystander films everything, and Emira is furious and humiliated. Alix resolves to make things right.

But Emira herself is aimless, broke, and wary of Alix's desire to help. At 25, she is about to lose her health insurance and has no idea what to do with her life. When the video of Emira unearths someone from Alix's past, both women find themselves on a crash course that will upend everything they think they know about themselves and each other.

With empathy and piercing social commentary, Such a Fun Age explores the stickiness of transactional relationships, what it means to make someone "family", and the complicated reality of being a grown up. It is a searing debut for our times.

©2019 Kiley Reid (P)2019 Penguin Audio
Coming of Age Fiction Literary Fiction Women's Fiction
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What the critics say

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

“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—funny to some, deeply uncomfortable and shamefully recognizable to others—but whatever the experience,....Let its empathetic approach to even the ickiest characters stir you, allow yourself to share Emira’s millennial anxieties about adulting, take joy in the innocence of Briar’s still-unmarred personhood, and rejoice that Kiley Reid is only just getting started.”—NPR

“[Such a Fun Age] nestl[es] a nuanced take on racial biases and class divides into a page-turning saga of betrayals, twists, and perfectly awkward relationships....The novel 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

Featured Article: 17 Brilliant Audiobooks for Growing Up and Growing Older

The aging process is unavoidable, so the best approach is to come to terms with it. That is easier said than done, but these brilliant audiobooks put growing up and growing older into context.

What listeners say about Such a Fun Age

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So good

An enjoyable book that articulates really complex issues in a fun and interesting way. Made me think about my position in this world, and how I interact with people. It is also funny, sweet and inspiring! Loved the characters so so much!

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reality

lol this book is basically about two white folks arguing over who is more racist and the Black woman who gets caught in their drama

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

I learned, I liked, and I was a bit disappointed

First, I think it's a worth a read. The topic is important and there is some thoughtful content here that lead to interesting conversations with friends about racism vs race awareness (which is not necessarily a good thing) vs race fetishism that I never considered before. However, I often found the characters full of stereotypes and I wanted to see Emira empowered in a way that would be more inspiring for young black women of her generation. It had a great curious start but could have had a stronger ending.

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pleasantly surprised by the amount of depth

when I first started it, I didn't think much. by the end of the book I found myself pondering many facets of life and the underlying nuances.

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hilarious and meaningful

i could not stop listening. it is fair to say that i binged this book!!
a very perfect and needed telling of racism, class, priviledge and technology.
please write another book!!!
and make this one into a movie!

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Such a great listen! Compelling book

I loved the performance, the voices and the story.
This book is a realistic glance at race and relationships but ultimately about characters and people and love.

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Wonderful

Really wonderful story and performance. I am very picky about the narrator and I think Nicole Lewis did an incredible job. Worth a listen.

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Couldn't stop!

Was riveted from part 2 to 3... then audibly said: "No Way..." at the beginning of part three. Definitely binged the last 3 hours of this book. Really great story, the narrated is wonderful, and the Three-Year Old Speak is perfect!

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    4 out of 5 stars
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good age

good narration of different characters. Liked the different social viewpoints. would read others by same author

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good reads

Such A Fun Age

I really enjoyed this E book, I had a hard time leaving it even for a short time.

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