I loved Such A Fun Age so had high hopes for Kiley Reid’s second novel unfortunately it is okay at best. The characters are one dimensional and the plot is paper thin.

An unusual story set in a university dorm, Millie is working as an RA while she finishes her second senior year of college. Her life becomes complicated by some of the residents that she is responsible for and by her involvement with a visiting professor, Agatha. While Agatha has her own issues, Millie is striving to realize her dreams of being promoted in a resident life job and owning a home.
I feel like this book hasn't been given the love that it deserves.It seems like the issues are somewhat petty - mean girl drama, eavesdropping residents and typical dorm pranks but Kiley Reid uses these issues to develop the characters in subtle but impactful ways. I really liked the way the author wove serious issues into the seemingly petty day to day problems of dorm life. She addresses racism, complicated relationships, suicide, bullying and ethical dilemmas in subtle but powerful ways and I think she is talented in making her readers feel all the emotional ups and downs that her characters are experiencing. I also appreciated the creative ways that some of the problems were solved but this book is anything but a light read.
# NetGalley #PenguinGroupPutnam

Come Closer by Kiley Reid did not disappoint. Reid’s honest yet humorous outlook on life is thoroughly entertaining and this was a perfect follow up to Such a Fun Age. I look forward to reading more of Reid’s work and find her to be a necessary voice in contemporary women’s fiction.

I still don't really know what this book was supposed to be about. It was a jumbled mess with way too many 1D characters that seemed like variations of the same person. A lot of the pieces didn't really fit together and I legitimately thought my ARC was missing a few pages at the end when it went to acknowledgments out of nowhere. Nothing happened for 90% of the book and it was SO much meaningless dialogue.

Without spoiling anything, I think power dynamics should have been explored more and it's irresponsible not to have a clear conclusion there.

This was a fast read that I’m not sure exactly what I thought about it. There were storylines and characters that I really enjoyed, and then there was a lot of cringe that I don’t think was intentional cringe (beyond the microaggressions that were ment to be cringey). Maybe it’s just that I am getting too old to care deeply about the mistakes and thoughts of college age kids, I work with them so maybe I’m just at capacity. Maybe this just had one or two elements more than it should have to really work. I’m not sure.

I did read it quickly and it did hold my attention, even with some pretty one-two dimensional supporting characters. I think what held me attention the most was trying to figure out exactly what the author’s intent was. We have a few fully fleshed out dynamic characters who are experiencing the dehumanization of being treated as if they are stereotypical, but at the same time many other characters (other RAs, residents in the halls, etc) are written as very one dimensional. Was that an intentional decision? If so it’s interesting, but I don’t know if it worked that well over a 400 page book with that many characters, plot lines, and back stories.

Set at the University of Arkansas, this novel focuses on a number of different characters with some connections to one another (some of these connections are stronger than others). It’s hard to tell who the main character is, but a number of them are compelling. I liked the college setting.

University of Arkansas senior Millie Cousins is trying to get her life back on track after taking a year off due to her mom’s illness. She’s focused on graduating and buying a house, working as a resident assistant (RA) to help her achieve her goals. When a visiting professor provides an opportunity for Millie to make additional money, she can’t resist. But is all money good money?

I saw another review comparing this book to Seinfeld or an unscripted reality show and I immediately thought I finally have words for what I just experienced! Come and Get It is literally a book without a plot and not much happens.

Like watching a reality show, this is a train wreck that you can’t look away from. I learned a lot about these characters — Millie, the students in the room next to her, her fellow RAs, and of course the visiting professor. They are self-centered, at times greedy, and definitely flawed. However, the intended social commentary on race, class, and bad behavior doesn't come through clearly as it gets lost in the minutiae of detailed everyday experiences that are the vast majority of this book.

Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam for an early copy of this book.

I always gravitate toward campus novels so I was excited to read Come and Get It after having enjoyed Such a Fun Age. One thing that stood out to me was the care Reid had in developing supporting characters in the book. I could have read a whole book just about Collette and Ryland. Like others mentioned it was a little slow to start, but picked up towards the end. Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC.

I usually love campus novels, and stories of questionable relationships and power dynamics and ambiguity, so I was intrigued by the plot of “Come and Get it.” This is more of a character-driven tory that I would almost call a character study of quite a few women—the main characters, and a trio they become entangled with. The plot took awhile to develop, but it had a satisfying conclusion that made it worth it. As novels like "The Adult" by Bronwyn Fishcher gain popularity and raise interesting questions about consent and relationships, this novel provides a different perspective and would be a good pick for book clubs.

Such an interesting read that addresses topics of race, money, mental health, and relationships in a relatable way. What, on the surface, appears to be a story about a semester in college, took me so much deeper. While it started slow for me, I soon became invested in the characters and appreciated the look inside their inner lives, flaws and all.

3.5 stars (for now). I’m going to have to sit on this one for a while. What a weird book to end the year on. This book basically follows a group of students and one professor during a semester of college in Arkansas. I read some reviews prior to starting this, so was prepared for a slow plot, and I think that helped with my reading experience. The characters were well done, flawed and real. There were some plot points that were not at all believable but I always found the characters very realistic. I read this quickly and was always very interested, so I would say that overall, I did enjoy this. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

In Kiley Reid's latest novel, "Come and Get It," the reader is introduced to a captivating world set at the University of Arkansas in 2017. The story revolves around Millie Cousins, a senior resident assistant, and her intricate involvement with a visiting professor, Agatha Paul, and three troublesome students. Reid, known for her bestselling novel "Such a Fun Age," delivers once again with her signature writing style and keen exploration of themes like desire, consumption, and reckless abandon.

One of the novel's strengths lies in Reid's remarkable talent for character development. Each character is intricately crafted, and Reid skillfully delves into their complexities, providing readers with a fresh and intimate portrait. Additionally, her examination of race is as insightful and on-point as demonstrated in her previous work.

However, the reviewer expresses disappointment with the plot, stating that it takes a considerable amount of time for significant events to unfold. This delay in plot progression may make it challenging for some readers to maintain engagement with the narrative. The reviewer contrasts this with Reid's debut novel, "Such a Fun Age," which they found to be a perfect balance of plot and character development.

Despite the reservations about the plot, the reviewer acknowledges Reid's enduring talent and expresses a willingness to continue reading her future works. This suggests a level of trust in the author's abilities, even if "Come and Get It" didn't quite meet the expectations set by the previous novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC of this book to read and review.

This felt very different from Such A Fun Age, but has solidified my enjoyment of the author’s work! This felt a bit like a Sally Rooney novel, we follow young characters who are deeply flawed trying to navigate becoming adults and new relationships. This story was almost entirely contained to a college dorm and I think that really worked well.

The story is pretty slow moving throughout while we get to know the characters. But by the end we are moving at a speedy pace and things get a little wild.

This explores well-trod topics but manages to feel wholly its own, and I think is a success

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of Come and Get It! If you want a character driven novel, this is it! I really enjoyed Kiley Reid’s debut novel, and this one did not disappoint either. It was slightly slow for me to get into the story at first but that’s a me problem when I read character driven novels. Reid’s ability to write characters is amazing and seeing how they transform throughout the story was a wonderful journey. I feel very far removed from my college dorm days but this brought me right back to it which was a fun experience for me. Once I was really introduced to the characters and understood them, I wanted to keep reading to see what they’d do next in their lives. I enjoyed how they all entangled into each other’s lives and how it came together in the end. I absolutely loved the writing style and will be more than happy to read her next book! Again, if you like character driven novels, this is the book for you! Thanks again to NetGalley for the ARC!

Come and Get It is mostly centered on Millie, a senior at the University of Arkansas, although there are really like eight "main" characters. Millie is a hardworking Resident Assistant saving money to buy a house when she is approached by Agatha, a well known author, to allow residents of the dorm to be interviewed in exchange for money.

We as the reader watch this scheme unfold and the fallout as each character interacts with one another in different ways. This novel is written very much like each character is being followed around by a camera. There's not much action or drama, but rather a study on how humans interact with one another and handle the intricacies of life. People who enjoy character driven stories will absolutely like this book as it is written very well.

Thank you to NetGalley and and Penguin Group Putnam for the advanced e-copy of this book.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. I loved Kiley Reid's 1st book and this one is right up there. It follows a group of women living around a college campus. It's a coming of age story that gave me all the feels.

This was highly anticipated sophomore novel for me as I absolutely loved Such a Fun Age. This one started out incredibly slow and finally picked up about halfway or so. Deeply character driven, little plot. Follows a group of college room mates/dorm mates and their RA and a visiting professor and writer. The story jumps around with present day chapters and snip it's from the character's past. It was hard to keep everything straight. I love this author's writing and will read her next one but this one was a miss for me.

Ya Not perfect but super engaging!! Equal parts nostalgia for my undergrad years, thrilling to the point I had no clue where this was headed and a teeny bit of social commentary on race and money and privilege. I could not put it down!

After reading Such a Fun Age, I had very high hopes for Come and Get It. Sadly, it didn't really live up to my hopes. There was too much slow-burning drama, with not enough actually happening for me. I didn't really connect with any of the characters. I just wanted more to happen.

COME AND GET IT is a character driven campus novel that centers on young women at the University of Arkansas. The story captures all of the delicate intricacies of female friendships and relationships that are essentially forced due to the closeness of a college dormitory. While there were some parts of it that were interesting and made me think, overall it was too dramatic and not real for me. An advance reader copy was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.