I was really looking forward to Come and Get It, especially after loving Such a Fun Age, but unfortunately, this one didn’t work for me. From the start, I struggled to make sense of the plot and where the story was headed. The conversations between characters felt mundane, and without a strong plot or character development to back them up, I found myself losing interest quickly.

It seemed like Kiley Reid was trying to explore themes of race and class, but those elements felt too subtle and underdeveloped. The characters were also a letdown—they didn’t resonate with me, and their lack of likability made it even harder to stay engaged. Overall I felt disappointed and feel hesitant to recommend this one. Regardless, I was so thankful for the opportunity to read an ARC of this one and hope Reid's future releases are more in line with the quality I found in her previous work.

I enjoyed Kiley Reid's first book Such a Fun Age and I also like her writing style. But this book didn't really do much for me. It felt like nothing really happened for the majority of the book and then so much got crammed into the last 20%. And some of the events that took place felt a little out of character for the characters that had been established.

I think I'll read more from her in the future. I just hope that for her next book, I can connect with the characters and the story a little better.

Very disappointed with this book, especially because I really liked Such a Fun Age. Throughout reading this book, I could not make heads or tails of what the plot is, where it's going, where the characters are going, and what point the author was trying to make. I understand a lot could be gleamed from mundane conversations if they fit within the context of a bigger plot or character arc, but none of those things were happening here. This "story" fell hugely flat in and not only did it not get the author's message across, but was incredibly boring to boot. The hints of what the author was trying to do re explorations of race and class were way too underdeveloped and subtle, and it didn't help that the characters were all unlikeable and boring. Overall quite a disappointing sophomore novel and would not recommend.

Thank you Penguin Group (Putnam) for the early review copy. This review alludes to some minor spoilers.

Kiley Reid develops incredibly rich characters. In the surface, I “disliked” all of the main characters because they were almost too real — each acted so selfishly but authentically. The internal struggles and willful ignore to be taken advantage of by other characters is the side of human behavior we don’t like to admit. Each of the women in the book’s POV had a unique voice and also unraveled in nuanced ways.

At the same time, this is also the reason it was difficult for the book to grab my attention. Each POV change I felt frustration when it felt like a slog to make it through the events and backstory. There were crumbs dropped that finally began to align and eventually crescendo (e.g., the frequent mentions of wanting to down a dog only to realize how triggering that would be to another character by the end of the book), but it was almost too late after I’d stopped “rooting” for each of them.

By the end of the book, I felt so unsettled by the lack of individual growth from each character after big events. Though, at the same time, this is also really authentic, and if the novel is a commentary on human behavior and a microcosm of conflict, I understand why the book ended the way it did. I will be thinking about this for a while.

Thank you G.P. Putnam's Sons for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own!

This story follows a bunch of characters set at college. We dive into their world and are introduced to a bunch of characters. These characters have different backgrounds and stories that make them who they are. There are many subjects discussed in this story that are important to today's society. I feel like they are not talked about enough. This story also brings them up and leaves you contemplating them more which I really enjoy. I feel like i was missing a bit more from the story. The ending felt a little bit abrupt and a few characters I was wondering what exactly happened. I really enjoyed the author's first book so I highly recommend checking that one out as well.

Read if you enjoy:
College setting
Diversity discussions
Difficult topics
Contemporary lit

Come & Get It is a book about power, money, privilege, ethics, and how race intersects with those. It's smart, but also dramatic and compulsively readable

i did not finish this book
I will try it again in the future but the subject matter did not grab my attention when I tried to read it and I didn't connect with the characters.

For anyone who loved Such A Fun Age, Come and get It delivers. Kiley Reid does it again in this novel as she tackles the intricacies of race, class, and social dynamics, as well as how relations of power enact upon us all even in the most seemingly benign interactions of our daily lives. Reid is a master in dialogue and capturing the essence of conversation and power. The conversational moments of this novel feel so real, feel so intimately depicted, that you (as a reader) feel like you are in the room with the characters like a fly on the wall. The characters are fun and flawed and wonderfully portrayed that they stay in your mind long after you finish the novel because you come to feel so close to the characters, so attached to their lives. Come and Get It is smart and provocative and well worth a read.

I finally got around to reading this and I"m SO glad I did. As an Arkansas resident, I get the whole "Fayetteville" thing. It's a culture all unto it's own. And, as a former resident assistant, I get that dynamic too. It was a great read and I can't wait to recommend it!

This was a fun book, and I really appreciated the opportunity to read it! I will recommend this book.

Kiley Reid’s Come and Get It is a captivating, razor-sharp exploration of desire and power dynamics that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Reid’s writing is vibrant and engaging, with a knack for creating characters who are both fascinating and deeply flawed. The plot unfolds with a blend of wit and tension, making it a truly gripping read. The novel doesn’t shy away from challenging themes, and Reid handles them with a deft touch, mixing humor and introspection in a way that feels both fresh and insightful. While it’s almost flawless, there are a few moments where the pacing slows down just a touch, but it’s a minor quibble in an otherwise stellar book. If you’re into provocative, thought-provoking fiction with a punch, Come and Get It is definitely worth picking up.

This book tackles important themes like socioeconomic class differences, racism, and LGBTQ representation. It also provides a detailed look into the life of an RA, which felt authentic—possibly because the author might have been one during her college years.

However, as I got into the book, I noticed that not much really happens. It reads more like a college documentary or an unscripted reality show, with the author almost placing cameras in dorm rooms to capture everyday college life. While it wasn’t boring, the lack of a clear plot made it a bit frustrating. The characters were interesting enough to keep me reading, but I kept hoping something major would happen—and it never did.

Overall, it was an okay read, but I expected more, especially after Such A Fun Age. I’m giving it three solid stars and still look forward to the author’s future work, hoping for a bit more excitement next time.

Hilarious and emotionally engaging, this is a brilliant second novel. The college students and RAs are hyperrealistic, yet fleshed out, and the subplots intertwine wonderfully. Race and class privilege are persistent themes, with intriguing and complicated takeaways.

In 2017, Millie Cousins serves as a resident assistant at Belgrade Dormitory, University of Arkansas (side note is that I attended the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.). Driven by ambition and the desire to save for a house, she seizes an unusual opportunity when visiting Professor Agatha Paul makes her an offer. However, Millie’s eagerness to earn extra money may have unintended consequences. Initially, everything appears fine, but the actions of four students—Tyler, Peyton, Casey, and Kennedy—threaten to unravel her plans. I found the author’s exploration of diverse topics thought-provoking. The intricate interplay between a person’s history and their behavior resonated with me, especially as she portrayed it through each character. The college campus setting added a creative dimension to the narrative. #netgalley #come and getit

An entertaining story of female friendship and the pressures of growing up. There were complicated and sometimes vengeful relationships amongst this group of college students and their peers and superiors. An honest portrayal and setting. I enjoyed and would recommend .
Thanks to Net Galley for an early read.

This was my first Kiley Reid. I plan on exploring her other works but this one was a tough nut to crack. This story explored racism, classism, sexism, prejudice and power from many different angles. I think this is a book I would have to give a second read to truly appreciate. That being said this was a unique and beautifully written story that I had a great time delving into.

I feel that the book is very human, so to those who do not like flawed characters, please be cautious. I loved the writing style and I really did enjoy how character driven and human it really felt. Overall I would give this a 3.5!

Life got in the way of me reading my NetGalley copy before pub date, but I so appreciate Putnam sharing it with me in exchange for my honest opinion. I mixed reading my review copy with listening to the audiobook.
Come & Get It is a character driven novel about race, money, power, and education. It took me a few different chunks of reading to finish it, and I’m not sure I fully understood the plot and its social commentary.

I became a huge fan of Kiley Reid when I read her debut, Such a Fun Age. While this is on the face of it a very different sort of book, Reid's strengths and voice are evident here. As with SAFA, Reid manages to create characters that are complicated and uncomfortable to think about, and through them leads us on a journey of exploration of race, gender, and power.

✨Book Review✨
Come and Get It by Kiley Reid
⭐️⭐️⭐️
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I am so confused about this book. Did I love it? Did I hate it? Neither? I am still not sure. First of all, Such a Fun Age was one of my favorite books I’ve ever read, so I had extremely high hopes for this one, which is maybe not fair. Parts of this book kept me wanting to read read read, but when I put it down I quickly forgot about it and struggled to pick it back up. Then I got pretty into it and read the last half quickly.
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I do get that this was a character study, but I’m not sure I understand the points Reid was trying to make with it. I also feel like the ending had such potential to make her points clear and to really tie it all together, but the ending she chose felt like a big lead up to nothing. Not really sure yet, but I don’t think I will be recommending this one.