Come and Get It - Kiley Reid

 Come and Get It by Kiley Reid transported me back to a period of time that I have had a few years to reflect on: my college years. This book centers around Millie, an RA at the University of Arkansas, and the messy interactions that weave into her life. Full of recklessness, money, and Southern flair, Come and Get It is a fresh and real take on what it's like to feel disconnected while simulteanously be thrust into madness.

To start, Reids descriptions of her characters, down to the vernacular, are so spot on that I had this weird sense she was writing about my time at Texas State University. The interactions that Millie had with the girls in Belgrade named Tyler, Kennedy, Casey, and Peyton, so closely reflected people that I had interacted with and were friends with in college that it almost spooked me how well-done it was. I think that Reid did an excellent job introducing us to the characters separately before showing us how they eventually are all apart of and impact each others lives throughout the novel. Agatha being apart of the narrative but not being fully behind the wheel was a great touch because she was more of an omniscient point of view while still adding to the chaos and complexity of the story. Tyler, Casey, and Peyton's friendship was so lighthearted and funny and made me reminisce on all the conversations I used to have with my friends in my dorm. My favorite character overall was Kennedy because I closely related to her feelings and experience as a college student. Despite her struggling to make friends, she often made no effort to introduce herself or talk with her roommates or classmates. She was in a constant state of loneliness and pity and, as odd as it sounds, it was refreshing to see considering I had the same feelings when I was her age. Despite going to a class with 300 people in a room and having people around you at all times, college can truly feel like the loneliest time in your life if that's what you make it.

For me, this novel picked up pretty quickly from the beginning and through the middle, but I did feel as though towards the end it slowed down significantly and did not feel complete or well wrapped up when I read the conclusion. It wasn't until I had finished the book and reflected on what I had read that I realized Millie was actually the protagonist. Throughout my reading experience I actually was not able to pinpoint a specific protagonist and I honestly thought it could've or perhaps should've been Agatha. I also did not understand why despite Kennedy being cut and almost dying purely out of accident that it was penned as if she had tried to commit suicide. Not to mention Peyton didn't tell anyone the truth either. It really threw me through a loop and agitated me that it was not mentioned to anyone and I would love an explanation why that is and what that added to Kennedy's story overall. 

All that to say, I liked this book and found it to be enjoyable. I would definitely recommend this to a friend!

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