Goodreads Choice Awards Book Club discussion

Debut Winner


Such a Fun Age

A striking and surprising debut novel from an exhilarating new voice, Such a Fun Age is a page-turning and big-hearted 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 twenty-five, 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.

at 75%, liking it so far :)

Misha wrote: "at 75%, liking it so far :)"

Me too, first 70 pages read, and I am enjoying it.

I’m just about to start this and looking forward to it! Seen lots of great reviews 😊

I really loved this book! My first 5 star review in quite a while 🌟

I finished it within a few says because it was a compelling story, but am left a bit disappointed.

I felt the characters were a bit underdeveloped and the dialogue felt forced.

The commentary on race and good intentions are important, so this book might be for a certain audience, but I felt like it was served a bit too neatly.

A good beach read, though!

I really enjoyed the book

I loved this book too. It wasn't what I expected at all based on the cover. I was really surprised about the cover and title and then how deep the book really was.

Gah, this is now the 3rd time it's been on a monthly tbr and I've not got around to it.

Library holds kicked my arse this month :(

Lynn wrote: "Gah, this is now the 3rd time it's been on a monthly tbr and I've not got around to it.

Library holds kicked my arse this month :("

I wasn't able to read it this month either. It'll probably still be a couple of months out for me. I'd be happy to buddy read and discuss it in this thread if you don't read it sooner.

Just finished this one a couple days ago, I enjoyed it a lot! The first chapter was so intense and I thought the entire novel had really good pacing.

Very interesting and easy to get lost in!