Reviews

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

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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
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

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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

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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

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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.

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