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books_bakesandbelle's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
A very thought provoking, heartbreaking story. I felt so sorry for both Bebe and the McCulloughs and the judge was in an impossible position, definitely not the kind of decision I’d ever want to make.
I liked how each character was well developed and we got each person’s back story to truly understand why they behave the way they do in the present and how their stories interlinked together.
It was interesting to read the different perspectives and life experiences of each character too - there was the coming of age for Pearl and Lexie, contrasting to the more mature storyline of the McCulloughs and the Ryans, but with them all being set around similar issues. I wanted to cry for so many of the characters and the traumas and heartbreaks they had faced, a real gut wrenching journey.
I think this book will stay with me a while - it reminded me a lot of the kind of stories Jodi Picoult writes, where every character is flawed and has had to face impossible circumstances. Definitely an interesting, thought-provoking read, but one people sensitive to issues around infertility, miscarriage, pregnancy, baby loss, adoption and abortion might want to skip.
I liked how each character was well developed and we got each person’s back story to truly understand why they behave the way they do in the present and how their stories interlinked together.
It was interesting to read the different perspectives and life experiences of each character too - there was the coming of age for Pearl and Lexie, contrasting to the more mature storyline of the McCulloughs and the Ryans, but with them all being set around similar issues. I wanted to cry for so many of the characters and the traumas and heartbreaks they had faced, a real gut wrenching journey.
I think this book will stay with me a while - it reminded me a lot of the kind of stories Jodi Picoult writes, where every character is flawed and has had to face impossible circumstances. Definitely an interesting, thought-provoking read, but one people sensitive to issues around infertility, miscarriage, pregnancy, baby loss, adoption and abortion might want to skip.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infertility, Miscarriage, and Abortion
sarahs1214's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Little Fires Everywhere kept me hooked until the very end with its web of secrets and morally gray concepts. Following the neighborhood drama of Mia and Pearl, the Richardsons and the McCulloughs through classism, adoption trauma, and every kind of family challenge you can imagine felt like a roller coaster ride. There were so many storylines and at times the plot felt a bit overcrowded, with some moments feeling out of place. However, in the end, just about all the loose ends were tied up in a fascinating way. My loyalties were pretty divided and shifted frequently. I'm still conflicted about how the book "should" have ended, but this made the actual ending all the more thought provoking. While it’s not a thriller or true crime novel, it often felt like one, with moments of tension and suspense that kept me flipping pages. I devoured it in a day.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abortion, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, and Abandonment
Minor: Infertility, Miscarriage, and Kidnapping
thegardenlesbian's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-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
5.0
This is a story about mothers: what does it mean to be one, who can be one, who gets to define it, the lengths one will take to be one. The writing is fantastic and I loved the pacing —very slow at first, like watching a street on a Sunday. Nonetheless, it builds up and then goes quite fast. As a daughter (and an eldest daughter of an eldest daughter), it made me think a lot about motherhood, what they go through, what they sacrifice, what they long for, what they think could have been. The class and race aspects of the book give it an added profoundness, intersecting the questions above with them and creating new ones (can motherhood be revoked?, can it be bought?). In conclusion, it's an amazing novel, one I'll probably re-read sometime.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Pregnancy
Moderate: Infertility, Miscarriage, Medical content, Abortion, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment
Minor: Cursing, Death, Sexual content, and Car accident
maggiedoodlez's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Kidnapping, Abortion, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism
Minor: Death, Infertility, Racism, Car accident, and Pregnancy
alicia_th's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
- 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
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infertility and Abortion
jennjonas's review
emotional
reflective
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
This was a fantastic read. Something’s in the end felt predictable and I wanted to continue to follow their stories. I was not a fan of Mrs Richardson’s character but overall this is a book I would read again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy
abitbetterbooks's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I really enjoyed this audiobook! I’m not really a person who enjoys mysteries or thrillers, so I really enjoyed this book that was mostly careful plot reveals and character study with just that little edge of drama and unease seeping in at the edges.
I really liked the narration and storytelling; generally I’m a fan of a very close, singular 3rd person style, but I fell in love with this 3rd person that was constantly changing and evolving in perspective. One moment we’re seeing things how Pearl saw them, but the next sentence we’re shown something different in what Mia picked up on in the same situation. I enjoyed how the curtain was peeled back, even momentarily, on even the perspective of a side character, so that each person in this community felt like a full and distinct individual.
I can definitely see why it was picked up to become a limited series— with the number of intertwining storylines and perfectly scaffolded tensions growing, it grabs your attention and there definitely is so much to work with on both a plot and character level!
I don’t think this book is like, one of my favourite of all time or something that I really connected with on a profound level, but it was really good and is what I would consider the perfect book club book- lots of pieces to untangle and talk about, with decisions to dissect both artistically by the author as well as the decisions of the characters we are trying to understand. I really appreciate how Celeste Ng played with these ideas and assumptions around motherhood, complicating the notions of ethics and ideology of what is “best” for a child. I love when you leave a book without clear answers of who is right and wrong, and the author forces you to confront you personally might interpret as the good or bad choice.
I really liked the narration and storytelling; generally I’m a fan of a very close, singular 3rd person style, but I fell in love with this 3rd person that was constantly changing and evolving in perspective. One moment we’re seeing things how Pearl saw them, but the next sentence we’re shown something different in what Mia picked up on in the same situation. I enjoyed how the curtain was peeled back, even momentarily, on even the perspective of a side character, so that each person in this community felt like a full and distinct individual.
I can definitely see why it was picked up to become a limited series— with the number of intertwining storylines and perfectly scaffolded tensions growing, it grabs your attention and there definitely is so much to work with on both a plot and character level!
I don’t think this book is like, one of my favourite of all time or something that I really connected with on a profound level, but it was really good and is what I would consider the perfect book club book- lots of pieces to untangle and talk about, with decisions to dissect both artistically by the author as well as the decisions of the characters we are trying to understand. I really appreciate how Celeste Ng played with these ideas and assumptions around motherhood, complicating the notions of ethics and ideology of what is “best” for a child. I love when you leave a book without clear answers of who is right and wrong, and the author forces you to confront you personally might interpret as the good or bad choice.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy
Moderate: Infertility, Miscarriage, Racism, Medical content, Abortion, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism
Minor: Child death, Death, Sexual content, Car accident, and Alcohol
squishbro's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I like Celeste Ng’s writing in this!! This book follows the lives of two very different families, as their lives intersect in a small town in Ohio. I would say the book centers around the what can be considered “the drama” that each character is dealing with and how it all interests. Some characters are likable and some are.. not as much. Overall I liked it and it felt like a quick read that was easy to pick up and get back into.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infertility, Abortion, and Pregnancy
hrushton01's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-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
I’m not sure what to think about this book. I wasn’t around in the 80s & 90s but many of the storylines seem rather… unrealistic. But the plot twist(s) at the end were to die for!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infertility, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Abortion, Pregnancy, and Classism
Minor: Child death, Cursing, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Kidnapping, and Car accident
salewis224's review
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
It was okay, kind of like a movie that you see when flipping through channels and you land on it, and you don’t change away from it because it’s justtt good enough to keep your attention.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Xenophobia, Grief, Abortion, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Classism