I was really excited for this one since I was a big fan of the author’s first book. This one struck me as very different and it wasn’t what I was expecting. It was very character driven and not much happened until the last quarter. There were extensive backstories on the characters and in a way they didn’t seem to connect to much else in the book or seem quite necessary (except for maybe one). I kept waiting for something to happen or for the characters/backstories to kind of coalesce into something and it didn’t really happen. I liked the campus aspect but I found the book overall to be a bit perplexing. Maybe I was just missing something so I’ll be interested to read reviews and see what others have say when it comes out. It was well-written and I think it will stick with me despite my qualms with it, and I’ll be looking forward to reading more from the author.

I did not really enjoy this novel. The characters were not relatable and I struggled to follow a plot line.

Come and Get it follows an RA, a group of her residents, and a professor as their lives slowly become entangled over the course of a semester.

As someone who spent over 8 years working in residential life, I was thrilled to find a story set in a college dorm. I very much connected with Millie and her struggles as an RA.

It did take a minute for me to get into this book. We started with a chapter from one character’s perspective and the. Hopped back in time to a different character’s perspective and it took a while to connect how they related to each other. There were also a lot of characters to remember at the top of the book and I found myself mixing up several of them.

Nonetheless, once I got further into the book I found it very enjoyable. I loved finding out how all of these seemingly unconnected lives ended up tangled together, and uncovering everyone’s secrets and pasts.

I will warn that if you prefer plot driven books over character driven, this one might not be for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This novel will be published January 30th, 2024. Putnam and Sons, an imprint of the Penguin Group, provided an early galley for review.

My initial draw to this one was the mention that it took place at a college campus; I have fond memories of my own college days. As far as the author goes, she was new to me (I had not read her debut novel Such a Fun Age from 2019).

First impression: Reid likes to provide a lot of details (in descriptions, background, etc.). She uses those details to ground her story in a very contemporary reality. After an opening chapter which, for me, I was not sure where it was leading, we jump to some flashback chapters to give us Millie's background and how she came to be an RA. I did like the way Reid introduces the other staff members via a game at their first meeting; that really rang true to the whole college expereince (even though mine was nearly four decades prior). And the move-in day brought back major memories for me (I was on a student orientation volunteer who helped move in hundreds of new students each year).

Second impression: lots of characters are introduced with many only having tangential connections. It was like the first chapter dropped us in the center of a spider's web, and then we are shunted to one side for some backstory only to be shunted to another side for different backstory. Just as I was starting to get my bearings and into one groove, I was jerked around and lost again. Not the way I like my stories. Eventually, things settled into the here-and-now part of the plot, but my vested interest had already waned.

With the right audience, I am sure this book will hit. I just don't think I was the right audience for it.

I really enjoyed the characters and the story. The characters, especially their dialogue, and the situations in this novel are quite interesting. Who hasn’t thought of doing something unethical at one time or another? Love them or hate them, the author developed some amazing characters and situations in this book that made for a compelling read. Each time I picked it up to read, I had a hard time finding a place to stop and put it down. Thank you NetGalley for providing the ARC.

4.5 stars. I was excited to get the ARC for Come and Get It after really enjoying Reid’s debut, Such a Fun Age. I found Reid’s social commentary and observational humor to be as sharp as ever here.

Come and Get It centers on Belgrade dorm at the University of Arkansas and follows an RA, a group of residents, and a professor who wants to write about them. The decisions that follow entangle them all. Reid excels at creating characters who make bad decisions with really human intentions, which creates really believable tension throughout the novel.

As in her previous work, Come and Get It examines race, privilege, and age, but I found this to be a little less on the nose than Such a Fun Age. I have seen critique that this is not plot driven enough, but I did not struggle with the pace.
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

I found this novel to be a very quick read, but ultimately this was a miss for me. I'm giving it 3 stars, but that's probably rounded up. I think Kiley Reid is a talented writer, and I enjoyed her first novel Such a Fun Age, but I had quite a few issues with Come and Get It.

I'll start with the dialogue. To start with, there was way too much of it. I felt like the words the (many) characters said came across as trying too hard to be funny or adorable. It was almost as if it were a parody skit about college students talking.

There was also too much description of scenes that didn't progress the story or have enough relevance. Lots of this happened, this happened, also this happened....

Maybe I'm missing something, but I'm not understanding the meaning of the title in relation to the story? I do like the cover art though.

Too many characters that were similar--was sometimes difficult to remember who Casey was, for example, vs. Peyton. I think this would've worked better with a few less characters involved in the storyline.

Not a lot of plot, which is ok, but I also felt like the main characters, especially Millie, Agatha, and Tyler didn't feel authentic or match their actions. Agatha in particular had behaviors that didn't seem very believable.

I generally like a campus novel, so I was disappointed that this one wasn't a great read for me. I think this novel could benefit from a tighter edit and a little less heavy-handedness on the dialogue amongst the college students.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. This novel will be published on 1/30/24.

Not so much a plot driven novel, but more so a book that focuses on character development—COME AND GET IT was different, but in a good way! It takes place primarily in a college dorm in Arkansas and follows Millie, a 24 year old Black RA who dreams of owning her own home, and a few of the residents of the dorm, as well as a mysterious professor.

This book has the same eerie sense that Reid's first novel was excellent at. You can see the progression in her writing for this book. The characters are multi-dimensional, and Reid excellently displays the contrast between the college-aged characters and the 'adults' in the novel. At times, I found the writing of the dialogue of the characters to be drawn-out. I thought I had sense of where this novel was going but Reid surprised me in the end. I will continue to read what Reid publishes and look forward to her next novel.

I was so excited t get this book! I loved the thought provoking nature it had about multiple society norms. I will say the only critique would be that there were two many characters explored at such a deep level. I kept getting some of the girls in the dorm especially confused. I loved Agatha and Kennedy's story the most and wish they actually got to interact more.

This is Kiley Reid's second novel, and after reading her first (Such a Fun Age, published in 2019), I was really looking forward to this one. However, I was a little disappointed.

This book is set in a dormitory at University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. There is quite a large cast of characters, but the story primarily focuses on Millie (an RA at the dorm), Agatha (an English professor at the college), and five of the students in the dorm. The novel is character-driven rather than plot-driven, and deals with the subjects of racism, LGBTQ, social inequities, financial goals, and student priorities. I think this book might be better appreciated by those readers in the 20s who can identify with many of the characters.

After her first book was published, I heard Kiley Reid speak at the Literati Bookstore in Ann Arbor and was very impressed. Since then she has become an Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan English Language & Literature Department. I will definitely be looking forward to her next book in hopes that it is more consistent with the writing of her first book.

Many thanks to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy. The book is due to be published January 9, 2024

Kiley Reid's 'Come and Get It' immerses readers into the tumultuous life of Millie Cousins, a senior resident assistant entangled in complex relationships with a visiting professor and dorm mates. While Reid's vivid characterizations and sharp humor shine, the plot's slow pace only gains momentum in a hurried finale.

In my opinion it’s not as captivating as Reid's previous work, 'Such a Fun Age,' but it was a quick read that still offers intriguing glimpses into intricate relationships.

Thank you Netgalley for the e-ARC!

I enjoyed Such A Fun Age by Kiley Reid and was thrilled to receive an ARC of her latest book, Come And Get It, the story of an RA at the University of Arkansas and her messy entanglements with some of the girls on her floor and a visiting professor.

I love a good college novel, and while I enjoyed Reid’s writing, character development, descriptions, and sharp humor, this book didn’t resonate with me. I kept waiting for something to happen, and it wasn’t until the final third of the book that the plot moved forward, and then it seemed like a mad race to the finish.

The book addresses some interesting issues related to race, class, and power dynamics, but though the characters were layered and nuanced, most of them were extremely unlikeable, and I found myself having trouble caring too much about what happened to any of them. Kiley Reid really sees people, and she did a great job of capturing language patterns and quirky behavior, but the cast of characters seemed more like satire than real people.

It was an OK read that could have used more action and a more discerning editor.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really really loved this book! I could not put it down. All of the characters were well-written and dynamic. I wasn't ever too sure how it was going to go, but I was happy to keep reading along. I don't feel like anything that happened was too outrageous or unbelievable. I was on the edge of my seat for a lot of this book, and a little anxious but not in a bad way. I definitely recommend this book. Thank you to G.P. Putnam's Sons and NetGalley for this ARC!

Another interesting read from KileyReid.
Her character development was amazing and the story was fresh and provocative.
I will definitely be handselling this book, as well as recommending it for a book club pick

3/5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy of Kiley Reid’s latest Come and Get It! This book was fine. Not great, not bad. Just fine. I had a hard time discerning where it was going plotwise, and when we got there, I felt like the ending was rushed. Mostly it was a character study, however, we were studying about 6 different characters and that felt like too many. They were all well written, but it was too many people to follow. Ultimately, Such a Fun Age by Reid was much better. I wouldn’t drop everything to read this one, but if you find yourself with time and this book, it was a quick read.

“Come and Get It” is a heart-wrenching, sharp, contemporary insight into college life and its consequences in North America. The book’s discourse on love and the impurities that arise in relationships influenced by mental health, drugs, age and power differentials, and ambition. I was astonished by the depth and complexity of all of the book’s characters, and even though I find myself with a sense of unease pooling at the bottom on my stomach as I read its final chapters, this is exactly the type of literary fiction that the world needs to better understand itself.

Totally serviceable. Reid does a good job of capturing voice and of creating characters who naturally must come into conflict with one another, though sometimes the way characters reacted to each other emotionally felt unjustified to the point of silliness. This was very quick read for me, and fairly compelling, but I don't think it will be quite memorable. Very of a kind with other midlist-y general fiction.

Following the success of her debut novel, Such a Fun Age, Kiley Reid returns with another look at class and race. Agatha Paul arrives at the University of Arkansas as a visiting professor. Looking to interview women for her research about weddings, Agatha meets Millie Cousins, a resident advisor. But as Agatha interviews the residents in Millie's hall, she wonders how she can use what she finds about their views on class and race to her advantage.

There's no other way to say it. Come & Get It is a hot mess. Which is highly disappointing because Kiley Reid had all the right pieces to create a masterpiece. The opening chapter hooks you with fascinating characters and an implication that the story will collide into a powerful look at race and class. Instead, the novel goes nowhere, wandering into unnecessarily complicated backstories without any discernible plot. Yet, when a major event does finally happen at the 80% mark, the story just fizzles out, leaving you completely unsatisfied.

I struggled to get through this uninspired book so full of characters that have zero depth or evolution.