Reviews

With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo

ducky_'s review against another edition

hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Very fun and about a teen mom with a passion for cooking!

carsonelainee's review against another edition

4.0

Elizabeth Acevedo has become one of my new favorite authors over the last year and this was my last of her backlist titles to read before I was caught up. I absolutely ate it up. Elizabeth has such a way of balancing serious topics with the joy of being young and discovering your individuality with the most beautiful prose you will ever lay eyes on.

All of the characters were so well-rounded and articulated. I felt like I was right there, walking along with them.

I can't wait for her next book.

lauramcsherry's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

With The Fire On High

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I picked this up after having wanted to read this for a long time. So happy Libby had it ready to go—I really enjoyed the audiobook!

Emoni is a high school student and a young mother trying to juggle everything. Her love of cooking permeates into every part of her life and it is so beautiful to watch her grow. 

buttercupita's review against another edition

5.0

I have become an enormous fan of Elizabeth Acevedo. Get her books on audio -- she reads them herself, and I think her voice adds power to the stories she tells of teenage girls growing up in challenging circumstances. Her approach to tough subjects like teen sexuality & pregnancy, racism, and violence is honest and unflinching, but not didactic. You can't help but fall in love with her heroines because the stories feel so true. I can't wait until her next book!

exorcismemily's review against another edition

4.0

"But we all make choices about people. Who we want to hold close, who we want to remain in our lives, and who we are just fine without."

4.5⭐

With the Fire on High was my first Elizabeth Acevedo book, and I loved it! The characters, setting, and story were good, and it was very easy to connect to everything. This was a calming, pleasant, and relaxing read, and I really enjoyed it.

mistyblue882's review against another edition

emotional hopeful slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I became a fan of Elizabeth Acevedo from reading “Clap When You Land”. I found her “novel-in-prose” style of writing captivating, so I was eager to read more of her work. However, I felt that this title was far too heavy on the YA side. The plot was a bit boring/slow and the constant brooding of the main character was a tad bit irritating. Nonetheless, the subject matter and short chapters make it an easy read and you can’t help but want to see the main character win.

meghan_rasnake's review against another edition

emotional hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

izzatiidrus's review against another edition

inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

4.5 stars

Okay, let me just put it out there that what initially attracted me to this book was the gorgeous cover. Then I turned it around and the blurb mentioned the love of cooking. And that's how your reviewer got trapped. 

But I'm glad I did.

Because the book was delightful. It was super light, and yet it did tackle issues of racism, of colorism, of teen motherhood, of coming from a rough but colourful culture, of chasing your dream and of being enough. We get a taste of what the daily life of a black Puerto Rican American teen mom is like. All the good and the bad. And the writing style is just beautiful. It felt something like a prose.

If you're looking for sweet story about how a coloured teen mother juggles pursuing her dreams and learns how to love again, this book might just be up your alley. As long as you don't expect anything heavy and dramatic, you'll enjoy this one.

kim_j_dare's review against another edition

4.0

An absolutely delicious read. I fell in love with Emoni, and appreciated her efforts to balance her responsibilities as a teenage mother with her dreams for the future. Acevedo’s foray into prose rather than free verse works beautifully. Emoni is fiercely loyal— to her abuela, her best friend, her young daughter—and most of the secondary characters are fully fleshed. My one small quibble is that Chef Ayden, the culinary arts teacher, is a bit too good to be true (is manic pixie dream chef a thing?). Overall, though, this is a lovely exploration of family and identity and stepping into adulthood and taking risks, and it’s sprinkled with just enough magical seasoning to stay with readers for a long time.

harmonj3's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0