Things I Liked about Come and Get It: The character development & setting… This story takes place at a big southern university (I think in Arkansas) in 2017 on an all-girls hall in a big dorm building, but it may as well have been 2003 in South Carolina on the fifth floor of Manning (my freshman dorm). 😉 I really loved the banter between the girls, the details of dorm life, and the southern sorority-ish culture. It honestly took me right back – the good, the bad, and the ugly! Even though much of it was cringy, it was a fun little trip down memory and even prompted some reflection about my younger years that was good for me. I thought Reid totally nailed this part! (TBH, it was so accurate for my early-2000s college experience that i wondered if maybe she mis-placed it a bit in time… or maybe some things just never change!) *Also, the narrator in the audiobook did an incredible job with the southern accents!

Things I Didn’t Like: The plot (a visiting professor / journalist becomes intertwined with the hall’s RA and uses her - along with the other girls - as unknowing subjects for her writing) was just OK. I was never really invested in the actual action of the story, and I really didn’t care as much about Agatha and Millie (the “main” characters) as I think I was supposed to… Much like this author’s first book, Such a Fun Age - which received a lot of hype but didn’t live up to it imo - I think she tried to do too much… There are some important messages about race, money, privilege, etc. but they get a little lost in everything else going on.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Come and Get It officially releases next week (1/30/24), and I'll be anxious to see what the masses say… Maybe it's just me. 🤷🏼‍♀️ (Thanks @librofm and @netgalley for the early access!)

DNF - I got about halfway thru this and I was just bored. Nothing happened and I didn't care about the characters. People who like slow, character driven books may like this one though, just wasn't for me.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars? I really enjoyed Reid's first book, especially her remarkable ear for dialogue. This book takes a lot longer to get to any real action (unlike Such A Fun Age). I was more than halfway through when I started to wonder if anything would actually happen and if any of the characters -- which slowly pass through each others' orbits -- would have any substantive conflict with each other.

This is a hard one- it's quite character driven, focused on activities in a university dorm, and it feels almost YA. That said, Agatha, Millie, and Kennedy are vibrant and intriguing. Agatha, a writer, is on campus and meant to be researching her next book- on weddings. She's more interested, however, in how the young women in the Belgrade dorm view and deal with money. And she's interested in Millie, the RA. Millie is perhaps the most likable character while Kennedy, the odd student out, is the most concerning. Their back stories are detailed- but the same is not true for the other young women who are the source of so many issues. To be honest, I didn't understand Tyler's dog thing, what the problem was with Peyton and had no sense of Casey. There's a bit of satire here and no one, no one comes off well at various points. It's not really about privilege or race but rather just about a hotpot of young women. I read it, I laughed at some of it, I felt for Kennedy and Millie, but in the end, I still have difficulty with it. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. Fans of the campus novel should give it a try.

Kiley Reid sure knows how to grab you from the beginning. From the author of Such a fun age, comes her latest book. I enjoyed every page of this story and recommend to everyone. This coming of age story is sharp and very character driven, which I love. This story is about the conflicts within a group of women’s lives who live in and around a college campus. This book is smart and hilarious and while fun it certainly tackles tougher topics. Highly recommend.
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Thank you netgalley and Putnam sons for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

This story mostly takes place in a dorm at the University of Arkansas. There are 8 main characters, and we read about the usual college/dorm antics, with a more modern twist. Unfortunately, the storylines were hard for me to follow, because there were so many characters, and it was difficult to differentiate between them. Also, there wasn’t really a plot – the author alluded to a big event later in the story which kept me reading, but there seemed to be several separate stories that never came together in the end. Thank-you to NetGalley, Ms. Reid, and the publisher for the ARC of this title.

4/10 - Overall, I’m not entire sure the point of this book. There really was no real plot whatsoever. I guess some may say it is a character driven plot; however, I didn’t particularly like any of the characters. There were at least 8 main characters and several more minor characters, which definitely made it hard to remember everyone’s background and how they all connected to one another. A lot going on, which made it hard to keep everything straight. But also not a lot going on plot wise at the same time. Overall, I gave this book a four out of ten only because I did finish the book fairly quickly and didn’t completely hate all of the chapters. I still would not recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam / G. P. Putnam’s Sons for sharing this digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

An array of female characters are united by one thing: Belgrade residence at the University of Arkansas. Each character’s words and actions starts affecting the others as their lives begin to intertwine and intersect. Great character study of female thoughts and actions that remind me of how glad I am to not be living in a dormitory. A medium paced book that quietly builds. If you need big plot twists and crazy gotchas, this might not be the book for you.

I struggled with this largely due to the writing. It felt choppy and uneven, and didn’t propel the story for me. I love Kiley Reid, and love her voice and unique perspectives, but this novel didn’t work for me, unfortunately.

I enjoyed Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid and had high expectations for Come and Get It. Unfortunately, this book did not work for me and I found it to be meandering and disjointed. A character-driven campus novel that follows a group of students and an RA at the University of Arkansas. I didn’t enjoy this one, but I look forward to reading Kiley Reid again in the future.

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam and NetGalley for this ARC.

I really liked this book, but it definitely won’t be for everyone. The story follows a group of students living in the same dorm at University of Arkansas. Reid shares all of their backstories while exploring the messy relationships that exist between the students, their RAs, and a visiting professor whose become fascinated with the social dynamics at play in this dorm. The book slowly builds to a pretty dramatic event, but from the marketing copy you’d (mistakenly) think this book is high drama from start to finish. Instead, I’d describe this story as high cringe. I was so uncomfortable while reading, and I could not look away. In particular, I love the way Reid explores the subtleties and complexities of social power. Sometimes, the book posits, power is contextual, shape-shifting, and ambiguous. And sometimes it’s constant and inescapable. Fair warning that this book does get pretty messy and then ends a little too tidily, but I enjoyed the ride quite a bit more than Such a Fun Age. I listened to this on audio and that was highly enjoyable. I always get a lot out more out of satirical stories when I hear them read aloud! I’m not sure this will be as popular as her debut, but I hope this one finds its audience and think fans of Disorientation and Members Only might find a lot to like here.

COME AND GET IT was really gripping in a strange, gossipy way. It's extremely character-driven, and while I typically love plotless books, I couldn't tell where this one was going. I usually like to go into books partially blind, but I had to go read the summary to help me understand what was supposed to be happening here. I can't remember ever having to do that before, but this book had me asking "What's the point of this?" for a long time. That didn't stop me from compulsively reading it, though—it definitely kept me entertained.

It's a multi-POV campus novel that captures the feeling of being in college, discovering yourself, and feeling feelings you don't understand. It's about when you act impulsively in an effort to understand those feelings and have to watch the consequences crumble around you. COME AND GET IT felt realistic to me, with the confusion of your early twenties, your looming grown-up future, the vindictiveness of young women...even the vindictiveness of our own hearts and intentions, how far we'll go for what we want and how badly things can turn out.

The book subtly (very subtly) touches on themes like class, sexuality, and race. There was a lot of cringe involved, but the characters—who were the major drivers of the story—felt authentic and appropriately flawed. I understand the mixed reviews and criticism for COME AND GET IT, but I think this novel had something to say. Kennedy’s storyline seemed unfinished; I would’ve read more about where she ended up and would even welcome another book about her. This novel felt pretty ambitious to me, and I don't think the execution came together perfectly. But there was enough there for me to grasp a lot of what it was aiming for and in the end, I enjoyed it.

Millie is a 24 year old college senior at the University of Arkansas who took time off to care for her mom. She has now returned and is an RA in a dorm for transfer and scholarship students. She is also one of the only Black residents of the dorm. She helps a visiting professor set up interviews with some residents of the dorm and a friendship begins. Millie and the professor are well developed characters. I was not fond of the dorm residents but perhaps that was the point. Ultimately the story left me with an icky feeling which would probably make it an excellent book club book as there is so much to discuss.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! Sadly, this story did not meet my expectations. There were three main characters, and way too many side characters. I kept forgetting who people were and most of the time it didn’t matter because many of the side characters just felt like confusing filler. With so many characters, back stories were introduced that seemingly did not connect to anything at the end. Storylines that had potential to be impactful were introduced so late in the book that they fell completely flat. I did not expect this book to be dark, and I was surprised by some of the character’s choices. I enjoy reading about characters that are do not always make the best decisions, but this fell flat. I enjoyed the diverse characters and the themes related to money, race and sexuality. I think these were well thought out and pushed me to keep reading. I think others may enjoy this book, but overall, it fell flat for me.

I'd loved Such a Fun Age, so of course I would have picked up this book.

Come and Get It is set in a university, the central characters being a visiting professor, Agatha, and a student, Millie. Agatha is also a writer, so when she offers Millie an opportunity to earn extra money (not in the way you are thinking), Millie agrees.

This book is more of a character-based novel where not a lot happens for at least 80% of the book. You get to know the background of these characters as well as a portrait of the other characters involved in their lives. Someone rightly said that it felt like reality TV where hidden cams have been installed in the dorms of some college students. It becomes a little boring after a while, because how much would you even want to know about some entitled characters and their lives after a while? It does show an interesting contrast with the lives of Millie, who is a Black college student and even Agatha, who is more mature but has also faced similar issues.

The last 20% is when the other shoe drops, and the pace picks up. I felt that it was a little too botchy to follow and a lot happens in this part, as if to compensate for the slowness of the other 80%. This 20% reminded me of how absorbing Such a Fun Age was, with the writing and the pace. But sadly, Come And Get It is not able to do that. I imagine a lot of people might stop reading the book in the first half itself because of the pace and the storytelling.

I wish the storytelling and the pace was as crisp as the last 20%. A solid 3.15 /5.

** spoiler alert ** Kiley Reid follows her debut novel Such a Fun Age with another great character-driven book. Come and Get It is similar in a way it explores the relationships between the classes and touches on casual racism and little and big things that some people don’t recognize as issues while others see as deeply offensive. The book also explores different characters relationship to money and shows great character development as they grapple with ethical issues.

What I loved:

📚 character descriptions and back stories really bring them to life. I’m seeing some reviewers saying there isn’t much plot to the story but I disagree. This is a well thought through book where no loose ends are left in the end and everything makes sense, in my opinion. Every single detail was included for a reason and it all comes together nicely in the final pages.
📚 the story is female driven and features multiple lesbian characters
📚 I loved Millie - she is a very likable and relatable character and I was rooting for her. She is also not perfect and makes mistakes but then takes an effort to make things right. I am happy she got the girl even if it was very much in the gray area ethically and it’s for the best that she did not get the guy. (Was he just nice or was he too flirty? We will never know.) I hope she gets whatever/whoever makes her happy in her little yellow house.
📚 Agatha is a great character and a pleasure to read about because she is far from one-dimensional. Did she lose her moral compass just because she is heartbroken? Why is she fixing everything with money? There is a nice irony in it, given she is writing about the younger women’s relationships with money, yet she clearly has a complicated relationship with it herself, from the dynamic with her gf/wife Robyn to giving heaps of cash to Millie and Tyler (that was a weird part that somehow still worked? I guess the author really wanted to bring them face to face one last time.)

Overall, a great read and a wonderful story. Thank you for the eARC, NetGalley!

Honestly giving my review is a bit difficult.

For the most part, I enjoyed the story and was interested in reading more as the story unfolded. However, I had trouble figuring out who the story was really about AND I did not like how the book ended. There was no real explanation for why Kennedy’s situation was left as a lie?

Otherwise, I loved the dorm scenes, the conversations were so realistic and the setting was wonderful. Lots to love, just somewhat confusing.

Millie Cousins is a senior resident assistant at the University of Arkansas in 2017. Agatha Paul is a visiting professor and writer who has left her wife at home and taken a position for a year. They meet when Agatha comes to the dorm to interview students about weddings as research for her next book.

This meeting creates an opportunity for Millie she cannot resist until an accident from a prank gone wrong threatens to ruin everything for Millie.

Reid's sophomore novel has a cast of characters that fell a little flat for me. The beginning chapters about Agatha and Millie are promising but ultimately, didn't fulfill my expectations. The other characters like Tyler, Casey, and Peyton seem to fit stereotypes rather than dynamic characters.

Kiley Reid tackled many subjects in this book such as racism and socioeconomic status all while having LGBTQ representation in a college setting. I appreciate what the author tried to accomplish in this character-driven novel but for me, it didn't quite hit the mark. I look forward to more from this talented writer. #gifted

Thank you NetGalley for the early copy of Come & Get It! I loved Such a Fun Age and was excited to read this book. This book is based in the south with all our southern mannerisms, so I felt the need to rep all my universities. You get the POV of Millie, a young adult trying balance, work, savings, relationships, and lots of college-aged drama. You also get the POV of Agatha, a renowned author who moves to Arkansas as a visiting professor who is struggling with her own relationships and work. Overall, this was a 3 ⭐️ read for me. Because it’s just women’s fiction, there’s not much of a plot or final ending. It took about 30% of the way in for me to get interested too. I think it would’ve been more enjoyable as an audiobook for me.

Come and Get It by Kiley Reid transported me back to a period of time that I have had a few years to reflect on: my college years. This book centers around Millie, an RA at the University of Arkansas, and the messy interactions that weave into her life. Full of recklessness, money, and Southern flair, Come and Get It is a fresh and real take on what it's like to feel disconnected while simulteanously be thrust into madness.

To start, Reids descriptions of her characters, down to the vernacular, are so spot on that I had this weird sense she was writing about my time at Texas State University. The interactions that Millie had with the girls in Belgrade named Tyler, Kennedy, Casey, and Peyton, so closely reflected people that I had interacted with and were friends with in college that it almost spooked me how well-done it was. I think that Reid did an excellent job introducing us to the characters separately before showing us how they eventually are all apart of and impact each others lives throughout the novel. Agatha being apart of the narrative but not being fully behind the wheel was a great touch because she was more of an omniscient point of view while still adding to the chaos and complexity of the story. Tyler, Casey, and Peyton's friendship was so lighthearted and funny and made me reminisce on all the conversations I used to have with my friends in my dorm. My favorite character overall was Kennedy because I closely related to her feelings and experience as a college student. Despite her struggling to make friends, she often made no effort to introduce herself or talk with her roommates or classmates. She was in a constant state of loneliness and pity and, as odd as it sounds, it was refreshing to see considering I had the same feelings when I was her age. Despite going to a class with 300 people in a room and having people around you at all times, college can truly feel like the loneliest time in your life if that's what you make it.

For me, this novel picked up pretty quickly from the beginning and through the middle, but I did feel as though towards the end it slowed down significantly and did not feel complete or well wrapped up when I read the conclusion. It wasn't until I had finished the book and reflected on what I had read that I realized Millie was actually the protagonist. Throughout my reading experience I actually was not able to pinpoint a specific protagonist and I honestly thought it could've or perhaps should've been Agatha. I also did not understand why despite Kennedy being cut and almost dying purely out of accident that it was penned as if she had tried to commit suicide. Not to mention Peyton didn't tell anyone the truth either. It really threw me through a loop and agitated me that it was not mentioned to anyone and I would love an explanation why that is and what that added to Kennedy's story overall.

All that to say, I liked this book and found it to be enjoyable. I would definitely recommend this to a friend!