Come and Get It by Kiley Reid
(Format used for this read: Audiobook)
It’s 2017 at the University of Arkansas. Millie Cousins, a senior resident assistant, wants to graduate, get a job, and buy a house. So when Agatha Paul, a visiting professor and writer, offers Millie an easy yet unusual opportunity, she jumps at the chance. But Millie’s starry-eyed hustle becomes jeopardized by odd new friends, vengeful dorm pranks, and illicit intrigue.
A fresh and intimate portrait of desire, consumption, and reckless abandon, Come and Get It is a tension-filled story about money, indiscretion, and bad behavior—and the highly anticipated new novel by acclaimed and award-winning author Kiley Reid.
I was absolutely wowed by the talent of Kiley Reid when I read her book “Such a Fun Age” awhile back in 2020…..and was reminded what a FRIGGIN’ EXTRAORDINARY WRITER she is in this book right here.
First of all, before I sing HER praises…..let me say that the narrator of this audiobook–Nicole Lewis—is the best narrator I have heard in a loooonnnngggg time.
Seriously, yall.
She embodies the various character voices with precision, emotion and SO MUCH HUMOR
…ESPECIALLY the white Southern sorority girl dorm inhabitants. 🤣
Kiley Reid writes dialogue with such realness and was SPOT ON with her characterizations…..all the “likes” and “ums” and “oh my gawds” that the young folks use now a days….all there and all SO GOOD.
Her conversational writing skills combined with Nicole Lewis’ PHENOMENAL voice acting and storytelling skills made this a book I could NOT STOP LISTENING TO.
SO MANY of the characters are legit unlikeable…but you just become so INVESTED in listening to what happens to them.
There is plenty of laugh out loud college related humor….the way the dorm girls gossip had me CACKLING.
But.
Just like Kiley Reid’s other book, this one is PACKED with dealing with pretty big topics as well.
There’s plenty of typical college related issues , such as roommate drama, identity searching, and difficult class requirements.
But there are also power dynamics at play, whether it is related to race, class, sexuality, gender or finances.
Plenty of stereotypes are thrown around as well as LOTS of racial microagressions, most of them directed at Millie, the Black R.A. who is one of the main characters.
The evils of white privilege and entitlement are EXTREMELY evident in a lot of the dorm girls….mainly Tyler.
(Oooooo you will REALLLLLYYYYY not like her yall…but she ain’t the only one lol)
There are several plot twists and surprise moments as the story progresses…I don’t know how I feel about the ending…but I get why she wrote it the way she did.
This was SUPER good read, yall….and listening to it made it even BETTER.