Reviews tagging 'Gun violence'

With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo

34 reviews

librariangeorgia's review against another edition

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adventurous 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? Yes

4.5

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brendaxxo's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted 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

And like a map I've been following without the exact destination, I know now I've been equipping myself with tools from the journey to help me survive when I arrive. Although I don't have all the answers for what is coming next, I can finally see a glimpse of where I, Emoni Santiago, am going.

with the fire on high is the first book i've bought since i began my adult reading journey. wanting to support a fellow dominicana and falling in love with the cover, i picked this up at the nearest barnes and noble and read it in a single sitting. this was one of the best decisions i've made recently.

i laughed. i cried, a number of times. i sweat, i danced, i got shot, i ate — and i had many epiphanies.

no, but seriously. i was expecting a gritty tale about a teen mom's heartbreak and suffering (which i was not in the right headspace for) and instead found a fun, heartwarming gem. everything about this book hit the right note for me. i love that despite all of her obstacles, being a teenage mother is not the end of emoni's life and she actively pursues her dreams. a small but powerful support system keeps emoni and babygirl on the right track: angelica is the best friend a girl could ask for and buela carefully straddles the line between being there for emoni and emma and finding her own happiness. emoni's relationship with an absentee father hit closer to home than i'd like to admit.
and while i don't know of any teenage boys outside of the secret life of an american teenager that would willingly enter into a relationship with a teen mom, emoni and malachi's relationship was too cute to not let it slide.


but above all, I loved how important food and cooking was to emoni and the characters around her. while cooking is her passion, she still has a lot to learn and works her ass off. her food, a fusion or a "remix" of puerto rican and african-american dishes, is so good that it calls forth memories of people, places, and emotions. you can't help but root for someone so talented and earnest. i literally cried because i was so proud of how far emoni came along in the face of adversity. four stars.

*my only critique is acevedo's use of the "i let go of the breath i didn't know i was holding" line three times, but that doesn't take away from the story overall. 
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cthrnmrtn's review against another edition

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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? No

4.5

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itsmeyseniab's review against another edition

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hopeful fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • 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 can now officially say that I've read all of Elizabeth Acevedo's novels! However, out of her three books, this was my least favorite. That being said, I still find her writing beautiful and would still consider her one of my favorite authors.

My main "issue" with this novel was how... bored I was (I know that that isn't a "valid" critique, but I just wasn't as compelled as I have been with her stories in the past). This was very slice of life (excuse the bad pun) and all though it was relatable, reading about her day-to-day tasks (ie. going to high school, work, taking care of her daughter, etc.) made my time reading this novel very mundane and left me wanting more. 

I felt very "meh" about our main character Emoni as well. I wish I could've learned more about her and her personality beyond being an aspiring chef and teen mother. The supporting characters were unmemorable to me and the romance in this novel fell flat as well.

I enjoy Elizabeth Acevedo's novels that are written in verse a lot more, but I'm eager to see what she writes next!
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ashleycmms's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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? It's complicated

5.0

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lexa's review against another edition

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

5.0

A beautifully written (and narrated) book. Such a heartfelt coming of age story. Loved the role that food and cooking played. 
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laurenw's review against another edition

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funny inspiring lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.25

This book was such an immersive read. Emoni’s voice sounds authentic and real. The everyday trials she faces are depicted so well. The book did come off occasionally extra dramatic for me, but giving that a pass since I’m not the intended audience, and one knows what one gets into when reading YA. 
One issue I did have with the book was it seemed that Emoni often jumped from one issue to another, since the chapters are so short and fairly distinct. This does make for an easy read though, if you enjoy reading stories in bite sized pieces. And ultimately each chapter follows an underlying thread. 
Definitely recommend the book to those looking for diverse reads, it’s entertaining enough to draw in the attention of people long past their teens, while managing to make sense to someone reading it a generation and continent apart from the main character. 
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camillou's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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nxclx's review against another edition

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emotional 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? Yes

4.0

This book helped me realize that I enjoy books with teen moms, so that made it even more enjoyable. The whole story read as a slice of life, coming of age story. I liked that the main climax wasn't a prom or some big romantic thing, it was more so about Emoni and her life and decisions. She's also a mature young adult rather than an annoying still developing teen, although she is still developing and growing.
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alayamorning's review against another edition

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

4.5

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