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)

- Kiley Reid proves once again that she is a master of complicated, uncomfortable, multi-layered situations brimming with unanswerable questions and emotions.
- COME AND GET IT is a slow build of a book, each decisions the characters make pushing them closer to their individual and collective tipping points.
- In additional the race and class dynamics that animated SUCH A FUN AGE, Reid adds with this book gender and sexuality, creating a cast of characters and experiences that feel so real.

This is a solid coming of age character driven novel set at the University of Arkansas. The story kept me engaged and the characters were definitely flawed. I look forward to Reid's next novel.

Thanks to GP Putnam Sons and NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of the book.

This book seemed to be more of a character case study than a plot driven novel, but it worked well for me. I enjoyed Reid's prose and exploration of each of the main characters though their moments of crossover didn't feel quite as hefty as they were intended. Overall, an enjoyable and quick read!

I loved Kiley Reid's first book from start to finish. Unfortunately, I didn't have the same response to this one. It is completely character based without much of a plot. My major problem with it was the annoyingness of the characters. If there isn't much plot, you better love the characters, and I just didn't. I do appreciate the ideas of bringing attention to the class and race tensions that exist in dorm/college settings. It starts with a visiting professor who sits down with a small group of woman who live in the same dorm at the University of Arkansas. Immediately there is a clear sense of judgement by the professor. She is asking questions of these young women about the idea of weddings and then veers into questions about their families and that sort of thing. She is basing her judgements on the answers on "what do your parents do for a living?" or "spending habits?", etc. I think this could be done with insight and depth and respect for different backgrounds, but this was not that.
I have heard of others whose reading tastes I trust absolutely love this so it will be for plenty of readers, just not for me.
#ComeandGetIt #NetGalley

We need to invent a new category for "over 18, but still whiney and immature" because that is exactly where this book falls. This book was heavily character-driven, which isn't really my thing. On top of that, I found the characters to be very flat and unrelatable. I also thought the resolution at the end was, for lack of a better description, lame. I went into this one with high hopes, and I'm disappointed that I didn't like it. Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam Books for this ARC.

Kiley Reid's previous book, Such a Fun Age, was a 5 star book so needless to say I was very excited for this book, even if the subject matter for this one seemed a bit different. I'm happy to say that I really liked this one too, and even though the subject matter of the story was a bit difference on its face, a lot of the same themes from Such a Fun Age, like class and power dynamics, were here as well. I know other reviewers have said that this book was lacking a real plot or direction, but I found the characters interesting and the storylines between each of the characters. I will admit that the plot was not as structured as may be typical in a good novel, but sometimes the setting, characters, themes, and dialogue can stand on their own, as I felt was the case here. I dropped this book a star due to the relative lack of plot, but it is still an enjoyable read that I would definitely recommend.

In Come and Get It, levelheaded resident advisor Millie Cousins allows a visiting professor, Agatha Paul, to interview students in the University of Arkansas dorms about their opinions on weddings. Agatha quickly realizes that these interviews could provide fruitful content for a book, and she and Millie go down a slippery slope of rule-breaking and ethics-skirting while their relationship evolves. We meet the original interviewees, Jenna, Casey, and Tyler, as well as two other students, Peyton and Kennedy, who share a suite with Tyler. The plot evolves in a primarily forward motion while sprinkling in backstories about these characters.

Come and Get It is a fascinating read. I wondered if Kiley Reid had spent any time as an anthropologist, as the way she depicts college students (how they talk and interact) is absolutely pitch perfect. I tore through the book, eager to learn more about these girls and to find out where the plot was heading. While the book focuses primarily on money and what it means to different people, it also brings up questions about race, class, finances, friendship, sexuality, and what it means to be an adult.

Even though I wouldn’t necessarily want to be friends with anyone in this novel, I found myself completely enraptured by each and every one of them. My heart ached for each one as they tried to navigate the beginnings of adulthood to the best of their ability. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can’t wait to see what Reid does next.

"It's 2017 at the University of Arkansas. Millie Cousins, a senior resident assistant, wants to graduate, get a job, and buy a house. So when Agatha Paul, a visiting professor and writer, offers Millie an easy yet unusual opportunity, she jumps at the chance. But Millie's starry-eyed hustle becomes jeopardized by odd new friends, vengeful dorm pranks and illicit intrigue. A fresh and intimate portrait of desire, consumption and reckless abandon, Come and Get It is a tension-filled story about money, indiscretion, and bad behavior."

The latest novel from Kiley Reid examines communities within colleges, dorms, student life and real life drama. She so clearly examines her characters motivations and their failures that they feel like real, human people you're following.

I really enjoyed being part of the world she created and the trials and tribulations they go through in this segment of their lives. This is the first book I read from Reid and I will definitely keep reading her works.

Kiley Reid does it again! If you liked Such a Fun Age I think you’ll like this one as well. Reid does such a good job of capturing the college experience in such a way that I felt like I was back in college. It’s not looking back through rose-colored glasses, you see all the cringey flaws as well as the good. And her character building is so on the nose! I don’t know how but Reid teleports you into the novel with the characters. I felt like I was watching a slow train-wreck and I couldn’t look away. I was captivated by every word.

I don’t think the character growth itself was strong, as no one really learned their lesson and they all ended up okay anyways without any reflection. But that happens sometimes! Life isn’t fair. I didn’t really mind that as much in this book because the journey to get to the end of the book was so entrancing and I liked the ending anyways. I felt like overall it was true to the characters and the journey they went on and also young adults can be stubborn and refuse to admit their faults. As the book says, I think these characters will reflect back on their experiences in a few years and that’s when they’ll have learned their lesson.

There's a lot happening in the words and actions exchanged between characters about class and race - both subtle and blatant. Reid's writing is smart and the dialogue feels fully realized. I really admire when a writer is able to say so much without having to say too much. This was a very character driven story in a way that didn't totally work for me. There were elements I really enjoyed but I did feel like there were too many characters with not a strong enough background plot to hold my interest through the entire book. I didn't particularly care for the way things were wrapped up in the end either.

A rather messy story following an RA, a professor and three college students attending the University of Arkansas. Kiley Reid for sure knows how to write and develop captivating, multi-layered characters. A story packed with social commentary on race, privilege, class, and gender. We see how micro and macro aggressions shape these characters conflicts and impact their relationships. There's drama and mess. The writing is tense full of witty dialogue. However not much unfolds and it it is like a social study of the characters or a reality series and we're the observers. The novel being so heavily character driven means they are the plot, the story. The characters being so intriguing you want to know what these characters will do next which keeps you turning the pages.