I loved Reid’s debut novel, Such a Fun Age. With it, she showcased her sharp ability to create characters who are fully human—good, bad, and everything in between—and a narrative that’s as messy as life itself.

Set in an Arkansas University dorm, this novel is chockful of characters, but two take center stage: Millie, a 24-year-old Black woman who works as an RA and Agatha, a 38-year-old white woman, who’s a visiting professor and journalist researching a story about young women and weddings.

We also get to know a host of students and RAs, all living/working in a dorm for underprivileged students. Themes of money/power, both related to socio-economic status and race are explored through the everyday conversations and situations of these women. Agatha becomes so immersed in this dynamic, she gets Millie to agree to let her eavesdrop on the conversations in one of the suites for $40/week. Agatha then takes her research and turns it into profiles for Teen Vogue.

Reid’s ear for realistic dialogue is extraordinary...I listened to part of the audio for this, and narrator Nicole Lewis did an excellent job. I rightly cringed at the way Agatha was able to use her power over Millie, and how some of the students treated each other. While the characters were distinct and compelling, I still feel like this novel was missing the spark of Reid’s debut. The beginning of the book slogs a bit as we get convo after convo with no real narrative action. I have no problem with unlikeable characters, but Agatha tested my patience, even with the reveals in her backstory. While the “big” moments held narrative weight, they still didn’t combine into an even whole.

All that said, Reid’s writing is an absolutely fresh voice in contemporary fiction. Although this one didn’t fully connect with me, I’m very much looking forward to what she writes next.

Thanks to @netgalley and @putnambooks for the gifted copy in exchange for a review.