A review by misspalah
With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo

hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-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

3.0

I go stand next to a tour group so I can listen in on what their guide is saying. "And this is the tomb of Christopher Columbus. I move even closer as the guide describes the remains in the tomb and how different parts of the world claim different pieces of Columbus's body for the honor of being able to say they have his final resting place. Malachi circles over. "You good, Santi?" I nod. But I don't know if I am. I walk away from the group to the other side of the massive casket and Malachi follows. "Do you know what the word 'Boricua' means?" Malachi shakes his head. "I know it's what all my Puerto Rican homies call themselves." "I've already told you my father is a big history buff when it comes to PR, and he doesn't need much prompting to remind me that before Columbus, Puerto Rico was called 'Borinken' by the Taíno people who lived there. He told me once it means Land of the brave and noble lords.' If he were here now he would be so pissed. All over the world there are monuments to Columbus, museums trying to claim a piece of his body as if he were a saint. And look at this here, all this gold they use to honor him, gold they got from our island in the first place, and hardly anyone remembers the enslaved people who dug through the rivers for that gold, who were there before he arrived. Whose descendants are still there now." And suddenly, the cathedral isn't so pretty to me anymore despite all its gold and glitter.

• With the fire on high by Elizabeth Acevedo

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It's a feel-good narrative, so if you're looking for something more realistic, this might not be the best choice. Let me explain my reasoning. The story revolves around a teenage mother who must balance raising her baby girl, Emma, with the challenges of an absent father named Julio, an elderly grandmother named Gloria, an overbearing ex and baby daddy, Tyrone, and a new love interest, Malachi, who just transferred to her school and seamlessly entered her life while try to pass both in academics and culinary studies. While the struggles are present, I found the main character's constant comparison of her difficulties to those of others—attributing them to her status as a young mother—frustrating. At one point, she mentions that her teacher won't understand her because their issues are different, attempting to highlight the challenges of motherhood. That said, I do appreciate Emoni as a character, especially since we rarely see young mothers in young adult literature, and this is my first exposure to a character connected to the Afro-Puerto Rican community. The descriptions of food throughout the book made me feel hungry; I could vividly imagine the colors and flavors of the dishes. However, I became confused about the book's purpose. There were moments when I finished a chapter and wondered, "What was the point of that?" Additionally, Emoni's problems seemed to resolve too quickly, and her interactions with her daughter were nearly non-existent. She continually referred to her as "baby girl," which really annoyed me—her daughter has a name, and it should be used! Despite my frustrations, I didn't completely dislike the book. I felt bored at times, but I could appreciate some of the intentions Elizabeth Acevedo had with her characters. Overall, it was decent, but I didn’t feel a strong connection to it, even though I valued the story itself!