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tellsbooks's review against another edition
5.0
I’m not crying, you’re crying.
Elizabeth Acevado does it again. She’s the best YA writer in my opinion. Her books have so much purpose set against so many different realities for youth from Black and Brown homes. Maybe I lean into it because it just speaks to so many different aspects of my youth and the youth of my friends, but it’s really easy for her characters to become your best friends. It’s real easy to feel her characters living and breathing right next to you. Like you could pick up the phone and call them and check up on them and ask them how things are going.
Emoni Santiago is just as tangible a character as Xiomara, Acevado’s protagonist in her previous work, another fave of mine, [b:The Poet X|33294200|The Poet X|Elizabeth Acevedo|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1498766234l/33294200._SY75_.jpg|54024746]. Emoni is passionate and distinct. She’s not like everybody else, and that’s a good thing. She’s talented and bruised but not broken. She’s made choices and believed the words of people who didn’t mean her well. However, she has so much love in her life, and she knows that. She works hard to overcome the challenges in her life, even tho it’s not always easy and she has these deep places of pain that may never be filled. I feel like that’s the point of the novel. I also think the accompanying story about how love is supposed to feel is an important one to share with the youth! Acevado’s writing is poetic.
All in all, I really enjoyed it! Shout out to my book buddy for bringing this wonderful story into my life over the holidays. I can’t wait to enjoy [b:Clap When You Land|52516332|Clap When You Land|Elizabeth Acevedo|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1570558443l/52516332._SX50_SY75_.jpg|68292349] when I read it, eventually.
Elizabeth Acevado does it again. She’s the best YA writer in my opinion. Her books have so much purpose set against so many different realities for youth from Black and Brown homes. Maybe I lean into it because it just speaks to so many different aspects of my youth and the youth of my friends, but it’s really easy for her characters to become your best friends. It’s real easy to feel her characters living and breathing right next to you. Like you could pick up the phone and call them and check up on them and ask them how things are going.
Emoni Santiago is just as tangible a character as Xiomara, Acevado’s protagonist in her previous work, another fave of mine, [b:The Poet X|33294200|The Poet X|Elizabeth Acevedo|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1498766234l/33294200._SY75_.jpg|54024746]. Emoni is passionate and distinct. She’s not like everybody else, and that’s a good thing. She’s talented and bruised but not broken. She’s made choices and believed the words of people who didn’t mean her well. However, she has so much love in her life, and she knows that. She works hard to overcome the challenges in her life, even tho it’s not always easy and she has these deep places of pain that may never be filled. I feel like that’s the point of the novel. I also think the accompanying story about how love is supposed to feel is an important one to share with the youth! Acevado’s writing is poetic.
All in all, I really enjoyed it! Shout out to my book buddy for bringing this wonderful story into my life over the holidays. I can’t wait to enjoy [b:Clap When You Land|52516332|Clap When You Land|Elizabeth Acevedo|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1570558443l/52516332._SX50_SY75_.jpg|68292349] when I read it, eventually.
vinayak1729's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
piscesjaz's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
4.25
wilough's review against another edition
4.0
With the Fire on High is a beautifully written novel that blends themes of family, ambition, and self-discovery. The protagonist, Emoni, is a relatable and determined character who faces the challenges of being a young mother while pursuing her passion for cooking. The vivid descriptions of food and the heartfelt storytelling made it an enjoyable read, though some moments felt a bit rushed. Overall, it’s an inspiring and uplifting story that captures the complexities of chasing your dreams.
hyac1nthgirl's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
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
5.0
ahsatan82's review against another edition
5.0
I loved listening to this book! The narrator really pulled me in. It made me feel like a teen again. Granted I wasn’t a teen mom or have the struggles the main character did but something about her story just took me back. I couldn’t help but root for Emoni every step of the way, whether she was making good or poor decisions. I just wanted the best for her. The relationships with her father, buela and her aunt were so special and unique in their own right. And despite becoming a mother at a young age, she still seemed to have a good head on her shoulders. I would like to see more of her journey after high school and into young adulthood. Whether her relationships with Anjelica and Malachi were maintained. How has baby girl flourished.. even an update on Pretty Leslie and Tyrone. I felt like I knew these kids! This was my 1st book by this author but I will definitely look for more of her work and recommend to my daughter and her friends. I’m not even a big YA fan but this was really well written and narrated!
bardo's review against another edition
5.0
This BOOK!!!! I listened to this book and highly recommend it!! I love how the author makes the words sound so poetic and flow smooth. I didn’t know how much I needed a book that had a strong Latin protagonist. Where her pregnancy, broken family or issues are presented as in normacy not because she is Latin or in the context of oppression.
isabelbrieler's review against another edition
5.0
Acevedo is a master. There's nothing else to say about it. Yeah, I gave The Poet X a four star rating but that was genuinely entirely because verse novels aren't really my thing and also a little bit because I was hurrying through it because it was due back at the library. But that's neither here nor there.
Emoni was so, so relatable. Feeling pulled in a million directions and not even knowing how to feel because there's stress coming at you from all of them? Man, does that encapsulate how I've been feeling the past few months.
For me, I think I usually know I love a book when it makes me cry -- sometimes because it's sad, but sometimes, like this one, because it's hopeful. Because I'm so enthralled that when something good happens, I get overwhelmed.
Emoni was so, so relatable. Feeling pulled in a million directions and not even knowing how to feel because there's stress coming at you from all of them? Man, does that encapsulate how I've been feeling the past few months.
For me, I think I usually know I love a book when it makes me cry -- sometimes because it's sad, but sometimes, like this one, because it's hopeful. Because I'm so enthralled that when something good happens, I get overwhelmed.