This novel is 100s of pages of setup, waiting for the predictible trigger to be pulled. A disappointing follow up to Such A Fun Age.

What an incredible book! The writing and commentary are stellar and while the characters weren't particularly likable, their trajectories were very compelling.

A very special thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I loved Reid's first book, Such A Fun Age, so I was really looking forward to this book! There were aspects of it that I enjoyed but, overall, I much preferred Such A Fun Age over this book. This book was a bit of a challenge for me to write a review for so I'm taking a different approach than I usually do.

What I really enjoyed: I enjoy character driven novels and this was absolutely 100% character driven. I liked reading about the different perspectives of the women in the book. Millie- the 24 year old RA who is trying to set her future up for success by climbing the RA ladder at the University of Arkansas. Agatha- the visiting 38 year old professor who is studying Millie's dorm population in an effort to write her next book while also navigating a personal romantic relationship. Tyler, Kennedy and Peyton- 3 girls placed into a dorm suite together struggling with adjusting to each other's lifestyles and social circles. As all of their worlds become interwoven with each other, they are all forced to learn hard lessons about love, life, friendship, responsibility and accountability. I liked the writing style and I really enjoyed the depth Reid gave to each of the characters.

What lacked for me: Although this book was character driven I felt like it was almost TOO character driven. The little bit of plot that was featured in the story was very loose and, therefore, made me feel like something was missing from the book. The first 2/3rds of the book, I kept asking myself "Is something going to actually happen?" but the latter third made up for this a bit by having the characters come to their realizations and sort of sew up the end to the book. It was also hard to root for the characters because the majority of them were unlikable.

Overall, I know there have been two sides to the majority of the reviews I've seen. People either rave calling this one of their favorite books of 2024 already or it seems they feel "meh" about it. I leaned closer to the latter of the two perspectives.

This took me a few tries to get into it, as it was a slow start and I couldn’t really figure out the plot. However, I’m glad I picked it up again and once I got into the characters’ stories I found myself hooked. The story ambled through one semester of college, mostly taking place in a dormitory. It follows the paths of a student, and RA, and a professor and how their lives intersect. If I had to describe the plot, I would say it’s a story about choices people make, entitlement, mistakes, shame and how people react to their feelings revolving around consequences of their choices and actions, and how one person’s decisions can impact others. It led to a very climactic scene where seemingly innocuous decisions escalated to a high drama situation. I don’t feel like I was left with liking any of the characters, however I did have sympathy for each of them at different moments in time. I felt like characters I liked in the beginning I ended up feeling disappointed in, and characters I didn’t like in the beginning I grew to like more. It doesn’t really leave you with much positivity and I wasn’t sure any of the characters actually learned from their mistakes or even owned up to their culpability on what manifested from their choices— everyone kind of avoided conflict and ran away from the problems they caused. I rated this four stars because it felt slow throughout until about the final 20% when everything came crashing together, but I did think it was a realistic character study and commentary about human behavior.

This is a review of an ARC of #ComeAndGetIt from #netgalley

3.5 stars... I spent 30-40% of this book trying to figure out the point. Perhaps it was me and my tired brain, perhaps it was the writing? Once the theme of the book finally took shape, my enjoyment increased a bit, but I never felt a true interest in the characters or the (barely there) plot. I'm giving extra points for college nostalgia and highlighting micro- (and not so micro) aggressions. Oh, and the ending really pissed me off for reasons I will not discuss here because *spoilers*.

Thank you to the author Kiley Reid, publishers St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of COME AND GET IT. All views are mine.

I really connect to Agatha and Robin's relationship. Robin being younger, and artistic, Agatha being older and more of an activist. Even though the reader enters where their relationship is strained, I get a sense for how things once were better. The reader feels the sadness of the loss of this relationship, as Robin humanizes Agatha, who is all angles and sharp lines. But all the sections that take place at college feel stilted. Call me a cynic, but I just can't connect to jaded, amoral late-adolescents who are all prematurely witty and never speak to each other but merely snap clever retorts at one another. In dialogue-heavy stories, I want authentic dialogue, not "banter."

Rating: DNF @ 28%
Recommend? Yes, for readers who like "banter"
Finished: Feb 2 '24
Format: Digital arc, Kindle, NetGalley
Read this book if you like:
🏫 going-away-to-college stories
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 family stories, family drama
👭🏽 teenage friendships
💇‍♀️ girl's coming of age

Come and Get It by Kiley Reid – 4 Stars (Kindle, NetGalley)

A highly anticipated read for me, Come and Get It is the newest book from the author of Such a Fun Age, and it’s set in my hometown (basically?)! We follow a small cast of characters in 2017 Fayetteville, AR – a few residents of a transfer dorm on campus, the grad student RA on their floor, and a journalist/professor visiting from Chicago and living in Wilson Park. This is an incredibly character-driven story which is usually not my jam, but it was so much fun seeing all of the little local places called out, and Reid captured the vibes of the small town, Southern college life so perfectly. The last 25% of the book really saved it for me, as that’s when the plot picks up and things start to move. The further removed I am from it, the more I think I loved it? I know there will be mixed feelings on this one, but would love to know your thoughts!

Come and Get It was an interesting read from the started. I'm disappointed in that I loved the authors first book so much better and this one seems to pale in comparison. It read so much like a diary of a college girl, with sweeping grand characterization and so very little plot. While I typically love deep character development, truly nothing happened in this book until well over half way through. It was just a big overdramatic with not enough of a pay off for me. With all that said, there are certainly many points that were interesting, and there is potential that this book will be some readers favorite read of the year. No matter, I will look to read more from this author in the future.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions within this review are my own.

I thought this was a funny, engaging read with some moments of seriousness that popped up in the most unexpected moments, much like they do in real life.

Millie (the R.A.) && Agatha (a professor) are our main POVs, however we get so much depth on many of the other students in the dorms that they feel like main characters as well. After a dorm prank goes wrong, Millie & the other R.A.’s retaliate which leads to a series of miscommunications and events that are not so typical to dorm life. Agatha spends her time interviewing and eavesdropping on the same students for her next writing project and turns them into caricatures. While Millie & Agatha get closer, things get more and more chaotic in the dorm.

"Come and Get It" by Kiley Reid is an absolute page-turner. Reid's writing is sharp, witty, and incredibly relatable, making it impossible to put down. Her characters feel like friends you can't help but root for, and the way she tackles tough topics with humor and heart is both refreshing and inspiring.

Loved this story. I fell in love with Millie! This book explored relevant topic like classism, racism, queer inclusion and identity in compelling, relatable way. It did read a little more YA than I expected, but I thought the character development was good and there was so much under the surface. This would be a great book club book—I imagine and engaging discussion would happen!

*3.5 rounded up*

Kiley Reid can write a good character study. I loved the small snippets of each character's life as we switched from person to person, slowly gaining more information about each. Either sympathizing with those who appeared entirely dislikable or turning on those who seemed entirely reasonable (spoiler alert, they all suck and it's great).

Some people won't like it because it's not very plot-driven, and some people don't like unlikeable characters or the slow pace. While I won't call this one of my favourite books of the year, I had a fun time, it was an enjoyable read, and I'd recommend it.

Thank you to Penguin for letting me read an early copy of COME AND GET IT. This one is out now.

I really enjoyed Kiley Reid's previous book, SUCH A FUN AGE, but this one didn't compare at all. I kept looking for the plot and I never found it. I really wanted to like this book but it just wasn't for me. If you haven't read her first book, go snag yourself a copy and thank me later but skip out on this newest release.

Though it took me a hot second to get into it, there was a point where I had to accept that this was less of a plot driven story and more character driven, and that is totally fine! I love a book with multiple perspectives highlighting different experiences, as well as similar experiences that affect other people differently. Chock full of funny lines and a very accurate depiction of college life that brought me back to all the social anxiety I felt when I was a student (not necessarily in a bad way). This cover is also so incredible.

Told from multiple perspectives, Kiley Reid delivers a compelling story set in 2017 at the University of Arkansas. Millie Cousins is a senior resident assistant, Agatha Paul is a writer and visiting professor, and Kennedy is university student trying to navigate social anxiety as well as start over after a traumatic experience. I really enjoyed this, I loved the multiple perspectives. I enjoyed the realistic storyline and viewpoints presented in the story. I think this book shows how much split second decisions can really change the course of someone’s life.

Kiley Reid really kills it with a character study. This book has little plot all vibes and I greatly enjoyed that. This brought me back to college and had me feeling like I missed it a little. How people interact and the people you see and meet during college was a nice treat. I think a lot of people will dislike this book because it is based all on vibes, but I had a good time.

3.5

After all the hype surrounding this book, I was expecting a lot more. I almost quit reading several times, but kept going, thinking something would happen soon. Instead, it just meanders through some not too interesting dorm drama and the repercussions as experienced by various characters. I liked the writing style and character development though most of the characters were unlikable ....so maybe that's why this one just wasn't for me.

I really wanted to like this one but I found it less of a story and more of a series of funny lines and observations. Thanks to Penguin and NetGalley for the ARC.

Another good book by Kiley Reid. It was slow to start but picked up and was a captivating read. Really great characters.

This cements Kiley Reid as an absolute automatic buy. The story follows Millie, an RA at the University of Arkansas in 2017, Agatha, a visiting professor, Kennedy, a transfer undergraduate student, and a handful of other undergraduate residents. Millie is trying to graduate, save money to buy a small house, and get a job. Agatha is doing research on student behavior while working at the university and connects with Millie while conducting interviews in the dorm where Millie works. Kennedy, trying to recover and reinvent herself following a traumatic event at her previous school, struggles with fitting in.

As in her "Such a Fun Age," Kiley Reid subtly and flawlessly illustrates the disparate ways that Black and white people move through space and experiences. Namely, how bad behavior and poor decision making is either youthful indiscretion, a mental health concern, or a potential career ender. She also showcases how white women who consider themselves to be friends and allies of Black women will frequently blithely implicate or involve them in situations that will have wildly inequitable consequences.

Kiley Reid is a phenomenal writer and I will recommend her work to everyone forever.

Thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam and NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.