This novel made me think of how differently each generation views money, whether their parents ease the way, or young adults need to hustle and work to make their way forward. The story mainly takes place at Belgrade dorm, part of University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. This dorm is mostly for older transfer students, and students who are members of the nearby sororities and fraternities, but have elected to live in the dorm instead of the Greek houses. Millie Cousins is a returning student, working as a Resident Assistant (RA), after having taken a year off to live at home, assist her mother after her Glaucoma diagnosis, and work to save money. She is completing her senior year, saving as much as she can to fulfill a financial dream of buying a little home in town, and become financially secure. Her parents cannot help her much, so the money burdens are squarely on her.

We meet Agatha Paul, Ph.D. when Millie does, after Millie lines us a group interview with three undergrads at her dorm, as background research for Agatha’s new book. She is spending one year as a visiting professor at UA, although her tenure is at DePaul University. After initial success with her earlier books on 1. traditions and cultural values around birthdays, and 2. “satellite grief”, or being proximate to, or causing loss, she is planning research here on views regarding weddings.

At this group interview we meet Tyler and her friends Jenna and Casey, and this interview session is a great way to open the book. It highlights the differences between Millennials and Gen Z, how differently they view money, responsibility, and what they feel they are owed. Agatha is so amazed by their running commentary, that she quickly realizes her book’s focus should shift to young adults’ views on money. We feel the shiver of attraction between Millie and Agatha; although Millie is older than most undergrads, it is clearly very inappropriate that any relationship between them should take place. Millie’s RA dorm room shares a wall with a triple room, wherein all conversation is easy to hear. Agatha learns this, and maneuvers her way into hanging out there every Thursday night (most school’s big party night) to record the girls’ dialogue. Agatha veers away from her book project, using her recordings to create fake profiles for the online version of Teen Vogue, which pays more and immediately, although clearly not of academic caliber. Agatha and Millie share the quality of making excuses for their poor choices, brushing away any inconvenient misgivings and gut checks. Agatha is clearly the most culpable, given her age and position.

Rounding out the cast are the other two triple students, Kennedy and Peyton, both older students who clearly have brought emotional baggage to school, and are trying to make it through, do well, and maybe make friends. Of course, skirmishes turn into a crescendo in a major clash involving all. Also of note are the other Resident Life staff, fellow RAs at Belgrade, Collette and Ryland, and their Resident Director and supervisor, Josh.

Sprinkled into the plot are issues of race and sexuality, since Gen Z seems to have incredible sensitivity to any and all differences, dissecting everyone’s comments as racist or otherwise insensitive or questionable. Everyone seems to be trying to figure out if they are gay, straight, or some other permutation or combination. Self identity is such a major task of coming of age for that generation. As a baby boomer, I found much of this discussion to go from humorous to absurdly ridiculous. These were just not issues in my time, which would probably be viewed now as white privilege. I could most relate to Millie, as a student who was not privileged, but had to work hard and find opportunities to finance her dreams, and just get by. Having enough money to live and pay bills was my greater concern, making self identity not even in the top 10 of worries. Other characters felt like spoiled children by comparison, one student describing her “practice paycheck” received from her father for no real responsibility at all, and how she was clearly unable to manage money herself.

I think this novel was intended to be a somewhat satirical take on Gen Z and their preoccupations. It was enlightening when read in that viewpoint, especially as a baby boomer who well remembers emotional, social, and financial struggles at that age. Reid’s second novel is weaker than her first one, but I still found much to entertain and inform here.