A review by lucybbookstuff
The House is on Fire by Rachel Beanland

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.