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Little Fires Everywhere
Little Fires Everywhere
Author: Celeste Ng
Everyone in Shaker Heights was talking about it that summer... how Isabelle, the last of the Richardson children, had finally gone around the bend and burned the house down. In Shaker Heights, a placid, progressive suburb of Cleveland, everything is meticulously planned. From the layout of the winding roads, to the colo...  more »
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ISBN-13: 9780735224292
ISBN-10: 0735224293
Publication Date: 9/12/2017
Pages: 352
Rating:
  • Currently 3.7/5 Stars.
 133

3.7 stars, based on 133 ratings
Publisher: Penguin Press
Book Type: Hardcover
Other Versions: Paperback, Audio CD
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

reviewed Little Fires Everywhere on + 612 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
Heartbreaking story that takes place in a model suburb, with competing models of motherhood and many explosive secrets. Emotionally rich, a fast read.
justreadingabook avatar reviewed Little Fires Everywhere on + 1707 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
Engaging from the start, you don't know how to feel as you become involved in the lives and lies of the characters. Sad, funny, misunderstood and hopeful. A story that will stay with you.
berd avatar reviewed Little Fires Everywhere on + 211 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
I must be in the minority on this one, but I really felt most of this book was slow and painful to read. The writing was excellent, but the story line never really captured me. I skimmed the last few chapters just to finish.
eadieburke avatar reviewed Little Fires Everywhere on + 1608 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Book Description:
From the bestselling author of Everything I Never Told You, a riveting novel that traces the intertwined fates of the picture-perfect Richardson family and the enigmatic mother and daughter who upend their lives.

In Shaker Heights, a placid, progressive suburb of Cleveland, everything is planned â from the layout of the winding roads, to the colors of the houses, to the successful lives its residents will go on to lead. And no one embodies this spirit more than Elena Richardson, whose guiding principle is playing by the rules.

Enter Mia Warren â an enigmatic artist and single mother â who arrives in this idyllic bubble with her teenaged daughter Pearl, and rents a house from the Richardsons. Soon Mia and Pearl become more than tenants: all four Richardson children are drawn to the mother-daughter pair. But Mia carries with her a mysterious past and a disregard for the status quo that threatens to upend this carefully ordered community.

When old family friends of the Richardsons attempt to adopt a Chinese-American baby, a custody battle erupts that dramatically divides the town--and puts Mia and Elena on opposing sides. Suspicious of Mia and her motives, Elena is determined to uncover the secrets in Mia's past. But her obsession will come at unexpected and devastating costs.

Little Fires Everywhere explores the weight of secrets, the nature of art and identity, and the ferocious pull of motherhood â and the danger of believing that following the rules can avert disaster.

My Review:
I listened to this on audio and it really held my attention. This book touches on a lot of issues: motherhood, abortion, adoption, life choices, friendship and secrets. Although I don't agree with the author's views on some of these issues, I found the book most interesting. The characters were fascinating and the storylines weaving throughout made the book into a real family drama. I think Celeste Ng is a talented writer and I have read her first novel and enjoyed that too. Even though the book started out slow and a lot of characters were introduced, it finally took off and really held my interest. One complaint I have is that the ending was a little abrupt and left me hanging a bit. I look forward to reading her next book and hope it's another winner. I would recommend this book to those who love family dramas and other issues dealing with family.
reviewed Little Fires Everywhere on + 6 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Great, fast read!!!
Read All 18 Book Reviews of "Little Fires Everywhere"

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reviewed Little Fires Everywhere on
I found this book to be predictable. Not sure why it was voted book of the year. It was an ok story.
NancyAZ avatar reviewed Little Fires Everywhere on + 88 more book reviews
So many people have loved this book; I liked it.
There were moments when I thought âyes, this is getting betterâ to just be taken back to âthis is just okayâ.
I thought the writing was good but I was bored through much of the book.
There was not enough originality for me.
kelly-bookworm avatar reviewed Little Fires Everywhere on + 25 more book reviews
Great read!
caffeinegirl avatar reviewed Little Fires Everywhere on + 114 more book reviews
I enjoyed this book quite a bit. It made for a great vacation read: interesting enough to keep going, but with enough to think about so that you don't feel like you're just wasting your time. I thought all of the negative reviews here had great points, and, aside from the "boring!" ones, I agreed with all of them. The characters in this book were predictable and flawed, the conflict was a little bizarre, and yet I still wanted to know what led to the events at the beginning of the book. It was interesting enough to keep me happily engaged to the end. I would recommend it.
reviewed Little Fires Everywhere on + 48 more book reviews
This is still by far one of my favorite books. I found myself doing exactly what I should be doing when reading a good book - reflecting on my own mindset, judgements, thoughts, and ideas. The book is extremely well written and easily transitions through time and across the families. It provides a wonderful glimpse into the complexity of humanity and our actions and outcomes. It is a book about being a woman, a mother, a person in society and how we use our own experiences to judge and assume the experiences of others. Ultimately how privilege can define us, be perversely used by individuals, and how we choose to let it be understood in our lives. I could not put the book down.

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