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anniewaddell's review against another edition
3.0
started off really strong, but got a little boring in the middle. overall still enjoyed reading
lottie1803's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
lucybbookstuff's review against another edition
informative
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
This book isn't bad. But I have two main issues with it.
1) It honestly read exactly like a book a white teacher might have assigned in the 8th grade to teach that "racism and sexism are bad." It was so cheesy and reductive in that way. And I can't say I approve of this white woman writing from the perspective of Black slaves.
2) This story could have been an email. Just kidding. But it definitely could have been a novella. It got soooo repetitive and was really trying to hammer its incredibly obvious morals into my head. These are morals I already have. I'm not in the eighth grade anymore and I did not need this book.
Again, it wasn't terribly written or anything. I may recommend it to teenagers, or anyone who is looking for a VERY lightweight starting point into antebellum historical fiction.
1) It honestly read exactly like a book a white teacher might have assigned in the 8th grade to teach that "racism and sexism are bad." It was so cheesy and reductive in that way. And I can't say I approve of this white woman writing from the perspective of Black slaves.
2) This story could have been an email. Just kidding. But it definitely could have been a novella. It got soooo repetitive and was really trying to hammer its incredibly obvious morals into my head. These are morals I already have. I'm not in the eighth grade anymore and I did not need this book.
Again, it wasn't terribly written or anything. I may recommend it to teenagers, or anyone who is looking for a VERY lightweight starting point into antebellum historical fiction.
laurenhanna's review
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.75
getbookedwithjessica's review against another edition
4.0
The House is On Fire, is one that shouldn't be missed. This is a story of the horrendous theater fire, in 1811 Richmond. Virginia.
I loved how the author made the characters, many of them based on the lives of real people seem to really capture things you felt in real time. As the theatre goes up in flames, the scenes are those of overwhelming panic. The story comes to life through the involvement of a society widow, two slaves and a 14-year-old orphaned theatre worker, and how their actions changed their lives.
I loved how the author made the characters, many of them based on the lives of real people seem to really capture things you felt in real time. As the theatre goes up in flames, the scenes are those of overwhelming panic. The story comes to life through the involvement of a society widow, two slaves and a 14-year-old orphaned theatre worker, and how their actions changed their lives.
moonworld3's review
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.5
the ending felt slightly abrupt. otherwise, this was a great read
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse
silentnpale's review against another edition
5.0
Fantastic read. I thought the use of four characters and their different perspectives that wove together as the city deals with such a big tragedy was unique and interesting. Dark subject matter but one of the best books I've read this year.
liakeller's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book - well, not the events, but how it was written and the style. Yes, there are four different narrators, but their stories are distinct, yet keep the plot unfolding. It is so hard to read stories about slavery and mistreatment of women….
bendercath's review against another edition
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
This book was a bit of a slog for me. Because of the separate chapters for each character, I found it difficult to get into it and care about the characters. Details began to feel burdensome in the reading. I almost gave up about halfway through. I persevered, however, and made it to the end.
The one redeeming element for me was considering this story as a metaphor for our current world … how negligent behavior led to a mistake that cost so many people their lives … and how systems failed the victims: medicine, justice, religion, even families. In addition, racism and sexism exacerbated the devastation.
I often felt that the voices seemed very 2020s and not representative of what people would have thought or said at the time. But hey, it’s historical fiction … a work of imagination. I appreciated learning about an event I had never heard of before.
The one redeeming element for me was considering this story as a metaphor for our current world … how negligent behavior led to a mistake that cost so many people their lives … and how systems failed the victims: medicine, justice, religion, even families. In addition, racism and sexism exacerbated the devastation.
I often felt that the voices seemed very 2020s and not representative of what people would have thought or said at the time. But hey, it’s historical fiction … a work of imagination. I appreciated learning about an event I had never heard of before.