Reviews tagging 'Cursing'

With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo

28 reviews

lilybear3's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75

Elizabeth Acevedo never misses.  I took way too long to read this book.  She has a git in storytelling and writing beautifully.  Nothing in this story felt forced and she took the time to develop each character.  Even if they weren't in the story that much, I felt like I knew them well and they fit in perfectly.  I love Emoni and how she is always proud to be a mother and stands up for herself and her daughter.  There's so much love in this story.  Plus there's a few recipes!

My only critique is that I think the story could've been a tad shorter.  Like I would've been happy with the story ending after
she gets back from Spain and she has a new boyfriend, 'Buela has a boyfriend, and she gets accepted into college.
  I personally don't mind an open ending with speculation.  However, I think for most readers of YA, it's nice to have all the loose ends tied up and to end the story at the end of the school year. 
Though I appreciated tying up the ends with Tyrone and Julio.


I'll always recommend her audiobooks as well.  I didn't listen to this book, but Elizabeth does the audio and I'm sure it's amazing!  I fell in love with her audios of The Poet X (her own book) and Pride by Ibi Zoboi.
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taleofabibliophile's review against another edition

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hopeful lighthearted reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.75

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victoriousbookworm's review

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emotional inspiring
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

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lizziea229's review

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funny hopeful inspiring 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? No

4.0

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viireads's review

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

3.75

even the acknowledgements are making me cry wow iloveit
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cielo's review

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emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-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

5.0

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katelynprice's review against another edition

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  • 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

I loved Emoni, BabyGirl, 'Buela, the reliable educators, and this lovely coming-of-age story. This is a lovely example of an engrossing character-driven story. I loved getting a glimpse at Emoni's struggles as a teen mom, especially co-parenting. There were also some really good historical and cultural insights about the Caribbean islands. Of course, I can't leave out the descriptions of food and Spain that made me want to cook while simultaneously booking a flight. I will read anything Elizabeth Acevedo writes. 
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teacher_mara's review

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

One of the best books I've ever read. Poetic language adds to the relatable characters and interesting plot.
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cerilouisereads's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring fast-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

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nytephoenyx's review against another edition

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emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

Elizabeth Acevedo‘s writing is always immersive, beautiful, and emotional. This is partially good storytelling, but a lot of it is because she’s a poet first and lyricism blossoms in her prose. This is the second book I’ve read by Elizabeth Acevedo, and I liked it just as much if not more than The Poet X.

Emoni lives with her abuela and takes care of her young daughter while finishing senior year and working part time at the local burger joint. It might not be the life she would have chosen for herself originally, but she loves it, and she loves her daughter Emma more than anything. There is a trend of contemporary young adult books that portray stereotypical negative images in a positive light, and in many ways, With the Fire on High is one of those. It’s a story of acceptance and love. It’s about embracing the unexpected and not giving up on yourself.

As a main character, I really enjoyed Emoni because she was imperfect, but not in the way too many readers may assume. She’s also multi-faceted and interesting. She is stubborn but hard-working. She is positive and encouraging, but hopelessly hard on herself. She’s extremely responsible but also extremely self-sacrificing. I really enjoyed the way Acevedo took us through her year using food as a guide. Through this medium, Acevedo was able to show Emoni’s passion and individualism, making her a person and not just a silhouette. I was hungry every time I listened to the audiobook – I want food like Emoni makes: bursting with flavor and filled with emotion and memory.

It’s always amazing to listen to an author read their own audiobook. Most of them read excellently, but there’s something particularly special about listening to a poet. I know Elizabeth Acevedo is so much more than her poetry, but let’s be real. Her poetry is incredible, beautiful, and thought-provoking. She knows how to present words verbally. She knows how to evoke images in her lilts and tones and she does it marvelously. I really enjoyed listening to her read this book and I’m so glad she was the narrator.

With the Fire on High was an easy book to love and I devoured it. I already recommended this one to folks before I finished it, so I absolutely recommend it to you, dear reader. It’s one I’m going to add to my personal collection.
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