Millie is an RA in a college dorm at UMissouri. Angela is a gay writer who has taken a temporary teaching position at the university. Their paths cross when Angela asks Millie for help in finding students to interview about weddings. As Angela listens to the students talking, her interviews take a new direction and she begins writing pieces about college students for Teen Vogue. She uses Millie’s room to eavesdrop on students’ conversations and over time she and Millie develop a relationship. I was a big fan of Kiley Reid’s first book and I had high hopes for this one. Though some of the aspects of dorm life were interesting, Angela’s “research methodology” was troubling. Her relationship with Millie bordered on inappropriate. The RAs seeking revenge on their students also was concerning. I finished this book but I cannot say I’d recommend it. I thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I absolutely adore Kiley Reid, her writing captivates me instantly and I want to hear everything she has to say. I loved Such A Fun Age, so I was very excited going into Come and Get It, and I'm happy to say that I enjoyed it a lot as well. I love that money is at the forefront of the conversation in this novel, and Reid brings her signature observational wit to a nuanced discussion about wealth, race, and power. There is just something about Kiley Reid's writing style that hooks me, I love her observational skills and how she really has her finger on the pulse of the culture, of the specific moment in time that she's writing about. This book takes place at a college in the year 2017, and maybe it's because I was in college at that time, but everything in here felt pitch-perfect.
Add on to that Reid's insightful commentary on race (as was the focus of her first novel Such A Fun Age), money (though that was always present as well), and even dicier interpersonal drama, and you've got another strong entry into the Contemporary/LitFic cannon.
All that being said though, I do think some people will have a problem with the pacing, the fact that nothing "happens" (I would disagree with this, but I see the argument). This isn't as propulsive as Such A Fun Age, and not as tightly written, but I still found a lot of really good stuff in here. Lastly, one small sticking point for me was that this is written from 3 perspectives, and I didn't fully understand the purpose of one of them. I was still engaged with that perspective, but I felt it wasn't as focused as the other 2.

This book was a slow burn character study on a group of women connected to a university either through being a student or faculty. There are a lot of bad choices that happen. And some appalling things said. But that was the point! Despite it being a slower paced character driven book I was motivated to keep reading just one more page so that I would see what choices were made or what was said next. Overall I enjoyed it but I did like her first book a bit better! I felt like it moved just a bit too slow at times.

COME AND GET IT by Kiley Reid is a contemporary, coming of age novel set in 2017 around a university dorm in Arkansas, USA. There are multiple POVs that tell the story from different women at the school: the RA (Millie), a student, (Kennedy) and a professor, (Agatha).
COME AND GET IT is a very quick read, and I wanted to keep up with the story, especially after the introduction of Agatha and her work. Agatha was the most compelling character to me, maybe because we are the same age and her frustrations with the students felt the easiest.

There are larger plot points as well that the women of COME AND GET IT touch on: feeling lonely when surrounded by people, budding sexuality, research ethics, not learning from mistakes, and racial micro aggressions. I’m sure there’s more to be said of the sorority girls’ interactions with each other and how they treat others, but it’s all Greek to me (ha ha).

The book felt like it was inspired by Alabama Rush TikTok and decided to turn the characters somewhat likeable. I didn’t think the college girls were fully annoying, just young. And I don’t think these young Americans in college are very interesting. And without giving away any any spoilers, I feel like that’s how the book ends as well.

Thank you #NetGalley for this ARC of Come and Get It by Kiley Reid. #ComeandGetIt

Kilet Reid knows how to poke at our cultural and social dynamics like no one else. This story is ni exception. Set on college campus, this is and is not a “academic campus life novel.” It’s light on plot but rich in character and tone. Masterful detail too.

If I'm reading a character-driven book, it needs to WOW me, and this one just didn't. Could take it or leave it.

I wasn’t sure how to take this book. It seemed far fetched, but I wasn’t sure, so I called my daughter and ran a couple scenarios by her. After many years as associate director of residential life at her university, I knew she could set me straight. But she said it wasn’t far fetched at all. Roommates turn their backs on roommates, RAs have their own agendas, and dishes get left in the sink unwashed. In fact, she said, the dishes is one of the biggest problems between the students. And race in a school that’s mostly white is a confrontation waiting to happen. Well done Kiley Reid. Another book that finds and identifies touchy subjects.

The characters in Kiley Reid’s new novel jump off the page screaming. You will read a scene and think, “I know someone just like that and I HATE her” and then two pages later think, “ooops oh no it’s me.”

The dialogue is hilarious and spot on.

As with “such a fun age” I learned so much from these emotive characters as they worked through class and race and gender in their everyday lives.

Kiley Reid has been on my radar since Such A Fun Age, and her second novel is even better than the first. Reid writes her characters so well, and I couldn’t help but root for and be enraged by them at the same time.

Millie is an RA, still in college at 24 after taking a gap year and missing her senior year to care for her ill mother. When she returns to the University of Arkansas to finish out her studies, she has a singular goal of saving up to buy a house. When she is presented with an unconventional way to earn money towards her down payment upon meeting visiting professor Agatha Paul, she goes along willingly. As the semester goes on and Millie's priorities shift, her young and impressionable residents pay the price.

This was... okay. It was definitely character driven vs. plot driven, but that being said, none of the characters had much to offer or root for. I don't feel like we actually came away with any singular message or theme. Almost everyone in the book was unethical, especially Agatha Paul, the visiting professor, who was pretty caulous. The only character I sort of empathized with was Kennedy - she had been through a lot and was so insecure and just wanted to be liked, which I think anyone, especially millenial women, can relate to having those feelings during their college experience. There were also WAYYYY too many characters and it was very hard to keep track of who was who, who lived with who, etc. I did think the sense of place was done well and would be curious to hear how true it was to those from Fayetteville. Overall, not the worst book I've ever read and won't put me off Reid's writing in the future, but I don't think it's one that will stick with me.

TW: Mention of death of an animal, suicidal thoughts, mention of chronic illness, racism, homophobia

Kiley Reid is a total master of two things:
🏆100% true-to-life dialogue
🏆Making her reader feel completely uncomfortable in the most thought-provoking way

These two areas really shine in Come and Get It as Reid hones in on a fascinating microcosm of dorm life.

I loved Such a Fun Age, and it is a book that truly stuck with me, so I was very excited to get an eARC of her latest novel. This is a very different setting, but it still pushes the reader to go to that squeamish place and examine their own prejudices and preconceptions. While race is a huge part of this novel, it seems Reid is more focused on money and overall power dynamics. Race, gender, and sexuality are, of course, facets of all this, and Reid brings it all to life with the most vivid characters. And let's not forget the humor! Come and Get It has many laugh-out-loud moments.

I saw the NYT book review state that Reid never passes judgment in her books, and I think that is both true and wonderful. She truly does invite the reader to "come and get" what she is offering and then draw their own conclusions.

I've seen the criticism that this book feels more like a series of vignettes or small stories focusing on each character, and while I can see that I just don't agree. For me, everything was woven together nicely with the dorm itself as a central hub for all of the other narratives. I enjoyed that the book did not have one main character but instead gave us many dimensions through all of the women.

I think Kylie Reid is one to watch out for. Both of her novels have really pushed me to a thoughtful place and I definitely count myself as a fan.

3.5/5

Set primarily in the University of Arkansas, Come and Get It follows multiple perspectives of very different women, with Millie Cousins the primary narrative. A senior resident assistant, Millie has a goal - graduate college and buy a house. When Agatha Paul, a writer and visiting professor asks her for help that seems easy enough, Millie can’t help but say yes. It also doesn’t help that there’s something about Agatha she can’t stop thinking about. Her last year at the university is filled with interesting new friends, unexpected dorm pranks from unruly students, and different journeys of self-discovery from a wide-range of characters.

“Maybe this is a good thing. What you did wasn’t cool to me. And I don’t think I should feel this way. Actually, I know I shouldn’t. Like, you shouldn’t get to do whatever you want, and then I’m all like, ‘Oh, okay, that’s fine.’ And you did do whatever you wanted… And even though I know it’s not good in my mind, I still don’t like, know how to know it in the moment. You know what I mean? Like right now. I’m so sad that you’re leaving that I could literally punch myself in the face. But if you tried to like, I don’t know, murder me or something, I’d probably be all, ‘Oh, okay,’ and just like… offer to help—’”

It’s really hard for me to like stories with multiple perspectives because I start to dread reading at least one perspective, and sometimes the characters aren’t as fleshed out as I’d like them to be. Come and Get it was ok in that regard. Every character was interesting enough, but I couldn’t really get into the story until the halfway point. After that, when things and characters tied together more, then I became more interested. In the beginning, I was wondering why we were following these characters and delving into their backstories so much. I still want to read Such a Fun Age, and Kiley Reid’s writing is definitely great, but this book was just ok for me.

I requested this book because I really loved Reid's Such a Fun Age and particularly the way she represents the complexity of identity as a college-aged kid/young adult. Similarly, Come and Get It nailed this as well. I work on a college campus in residence life and so much of what was written on these pages are represented in my halls--seeking status and popularity, consumerism, finding comfort in the "stuff" that softens the challenges of being a young adult and finding one's own way. And I read the last quarter of the book biting my knuckles because everything that was happening was just so hard to watch, despite knowing it was the natural consequences of all that led up to it. My ONLY complaint was that it represented the residence directors as live-off staff and that is not generally how it works. Most residence directors live on campus in an apartment provided by the college so they can respond quickly to emergencies (and I suspect also so we can justify the low pay most RDs get).

Sigh. I absolutely LOVED Kiley Reid’s first book, Such a Fun Age and was so looking forward to another novel from her brilliant mind. I still think she is brilliant, but this book did not do it for me. Pages and pages of descriptions and character study that ultimately went nowhere, so much banal conversation (albeit zippy and well-written), and positively, literally zero plot. I kept waiting for something—anything—to happen, and it’s to Reid's credit that I didn’t put the book down as I really do think she’s a fantastic writer with a sharp eye who knows what she’s doing as a novelist. Some semi-crazy stuff happens near the end and some secrets are revealed about some characters, but it all seemed slapped on to the page in order for the book to have some sort of ending. There are a lot of big ideas in here about consumerism and materialism and Gen z, but this seemed less of a novel than a collection of character pieces and half-formed scenes that in my opinion would have been a lot stronger had their been a plot with more tension and conflict at the center.

I wanted to love this book with every fiber of my being but unfortunately this book didn’t live up to the wonderful hype that was Such A Fun Age. I’m not sure if this was another case of the “Sophomore Slump” or another categorizing mishap, but this book leans more towards a lit-fic character study with a little mystery incorporated instead of the mystery thriller that it was pitched as. Most of the characters were either super bland and boring or so annoying I wished they didn’t even exist in the story.

I will forever love the writing of Kiley Reed, and her literary voice. And will most definitely be giving her third book a read. I’m just chocking this one up to this particular book didn’t work for me, but still a huge fan! Also I absolutely loved this cover so there’s that.

2.0⭐️

Special thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Son for the review copy in exchange for my honest review.

Incisive writing that keeps the pages turning -- easy to recommend to readers of literary fiction. Think I'll check out Kiley Reid's debut now.

Thank you, G.P. Putnam's Sons and NetGalley for the early digital copy of this book.

I read and loved the author's debut novel, but unfortunately, this book did not work out for me.
I enjoyed razor-sharp humor and commentary in this story and understood why the author chose the particular language style, some parts made me cringe but that was the whole point I guess. What did not work for me at all was the story overall, I needed a little bit more of a plot and/or connections between characters.
If you like stories about people, this would be a great fit.

"Come & Get It" delves into power, money, privilege, ethics, and the intersection of race. Set at the University of Arkansas in 2017, the multi-pov novel explores complicated relationships among a lesbian professor, a journalist, an RA, and three students. Smart, dramatic, and compulsively readable, it raises thought-provoking questions about ethics in academia, the intertwining of power, sexuality, and race, and the lasting impact of mistakes. A must-read that follows the success of "Such a Fun Age."

Kiley Reid's writing feels like kryptonite — I couldn't resist being pulled swiftly into the story of Millie and Agatha and all the people in their orbit on the University of Arkansas campus. At its heart, it's a story with questions without clear answers: What does it mean to be good to others? What forms can power take? Kennedy's character sits as the quiet star of the show, written beautifully, subtly, emotionally. In a plot filled with high- and low-key drama, Reid reveals enough of each character's world at just the right pace to make it tantalizing with a mix of mystery, humor, and heart, perhaps leaving the reader with a few open wounds that'll take some time to heal.

Delighted to include this title in the January edition of Novel Encounters, my column highlighting the month’s most anticipated fiction for the Books section of Zoomer, Canada’s national culture magazine. (see column and mini-review at link)