There is a distinct pleasure to discovering an original voice. You pick up a book and suddenly you’re in an altered frame of mind because the author has done the hard work of articulating something in a new way.
Kiley Reid is the proverbial fresh take. Her novel Such a Fun Age takes a topical subject and puts a new spin on it. Emira is a young Temple University graduate working part-time for Alix, an influencer. One night while Emira is babysitting Alix’s small daughter, an unpleasant encounter happens at the local market. It’s the kind that you have probably seen in videos on your social media feeds, a handheld camera capturing white people overreacting to innocuous behavior by people of color. The plot point itself is not new, but it’s what Reid does with it that makes the book such a pleasure. The story that unfolds from that initial setup is surprising in many ways.
Early on, a character is introduced who seems at first glance to be minor bystander, a woke Good Samaritan who films Emira’s encounter with a security guard. Later when Emira runs into him on the subway, the story takes a different turn. And, by chapter’s end, there is a twist that puts everything we know about him in doubt.
The characterization isn’t perfect and some aspects of Alix’s frenzied life are trite, but overall this is thoughtful social commentary. Destined for many “Best of 2020” lists, I’m sure.
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