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!

I love a campus setting in a novel - I made so many connections to my own college and dorm life experience, including connections to money and that time in my life that I didn't have a great understanding of back then.

I'm a fan of Such a Fun Age. In that book, I was drawn in from the events in the first chapter. It's instantly compelling. Come and Get It is a slower ride. But both are introspective reads with characters that are thought out and well written.

My first five-star read of 2024! I loved this book but I know it won’t be for everyone. This is for the people who love character development and moral gray areas and don’t mind an open-ended plotline or two.

The book is essentially three separate character studies that occasionally intersect. Reid crafts characters with heart and humor and delights in putting them in impossible situations. She masterfully builds tension, while also providing a solid background to explain why characters are making their decisions, even as the reader you can see it will end in disaster. I wish I knew how she pulled it off!

My first through after finishing Come and Get It was that this won’t be a book for everyone, but the people who love it are REALLY going to love it. I fall into the love it category, and I’m super excited to discuss why.

Kiley Reid is incredible at building a clear portrait with vivid, sometimes humorous, descriptions of characters. Come and Get It does not have a very clear plot; instead, it relies on the development of three main characters - and a handful of minor characters - to strong the novel along. Each of these characters are flawed, and some are straight up unlikable…yet each one fits into the ongoing narrative of life at college.

It almost felt like I was reading three separate vignettes that tied together through the minor characters they all interacted with and the shared setting, and it was a really effective way to tell a story where there isn’t really a central plot bringing everything together.

I love the way Reid writes; it’s at times quite funny and wry, while also having many moments of deeper reflection and complexity. The character focus made me feel intimately involved in the events of the story, even when the events were seemingly small or insignificant.

There were some loose ends I wanted more closure on, and some moments that felt a bit over the top and/or unnecessary. For those reasons, this is more in the 4 star range for me than a 5 star.

Basically, if you’re a fan of character-driven stories that feel a bit meandering in terms of plot, this would be a great fit for you. If you need a bit more of a straight forward storyline, I could see this boring or frustrating you. Me personally, I am thrilled to be in the group of folks this was perfect for & I will be eagerly awaiting Reid’s next book!

4.25 stars. I’m aware this is getting mixed reviews, but I don’t really get why. I loved it! It’s both character driven and highly readable, and I found it compelling from start to finish.

It is mostly set in a dorm at University of Arkansas and follows a professor, an RA, and some students there as a way to explore dynamics of race and wealth. The characters each felt real to me, and I loved that she explored those topics through subtle interactions and micro-aggressions, rather than beating us over the head with the themes.

I think my enjoyment of this also stems from my college experience. I lived in a dorm all 4 years, was on financial aid, and worked jobs on campus. I was surrounded kids who came from both a lot more and a lot less money than me, and yet in some way living in the same dorms and eating the same dining hall food helped equalize us. I spent a lot of time thinking and money and different people’s relationships to it. All that to say, I was fascinated by Reid’s exploration of this topic.

If you don’t like character driven books or you’re completely bored by the beginning of this, it might just not be the right book for you. But if those themes sound interesting to you at all, pick this one up!

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for the free copy in exchange for my honest review.

Wanted to love this one but was slower than I’d hoped. Explored the dynamics of college, relationships, friendships, and dorm life but would have preferred deeper connections to the character and a stronger plot. Okay read.

(4.5 stars rounded up) As a person who works on a college campus, I LOVED THIS. There were a lot of characters that we followed, but for me, it didn't feel like overkill. I felt that each character had a purpose in driving the story forward and each characters' actions resulted in adding to the growing conflicts between them. Ultimately, this was a wonderful coming of age and character driven story that revolved around the inner conflicts of a college dorm.

Really enjoyed the writing and the concept. Such a unique idea to provide social commentary on college students and employees and how everything is amplified in that environment. I think for me personally I needed the plot to head in some sort of direction but this was almost completely character driven.

I really enjoyed Such a Fun Age when it came out, so I was excited to read Come and Get It…and it’s a bit of a falter. Reid’s sharp prose and solid characterization flails in the complete absence of plot - a plotless novel isn’t bad, but there was a lot of tension and nothing happening. Such a Fun Age was more focused, while Come and Get It stumbles in its own vagueness.

COME AND GET IT by Kiley Reid (author of Such A Fun Age) is about wealth- or lack thereof- among female college students living in a dorm, and how far they will go to get it. This is a purely character driven novel and even though the writing is fantastic, nothing really happens, so I had a hard time connecting with this read. It may appeal more to readers who prefer character stories. Thank NetGalley and Penguin for my earc.

This book was a bit weird, and I don't mean it in a bad way. It's mostly character-driven, which I love, but at the same time felt all over the place. On this book, we are introduced to some characters who go to the University of Arkansas, who then end up connecting with each other. I enjoyed the writing a lot, which made read this book fairly fast. The storytelling didn't drag at all, I just felt a bit lost along the way. The ending was a bit off too. I feel like I got interested on the characters and then, everything ended without much consequence. I don't know. I would still recommend it just for the writing and I will definitely read the author's future books, but this one just wasn't for me.

3.75/5 I’m a bit of a sucker for campus novels, and this one was getting mixed reviews from my bookstore coworkers, so I had to give it a try. It was a pretty easy read which didn’t take a long time. And it’s undoubtedly funny at times. Throughout, though, there are moments when the dialogue and the description doesn’t match up, and the writing feels a bit unpolished. I feel like the best section was the long one about Agatha, the adult in the book. I enjoyed some of the “nest of vipers” dorm intrigue, but it was a too rambling for the climax to be effective. Interesting, but I’m not sure the students were believable.