A review by jeanny
Little Fires Everywhere, by Celeste Ng
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
single mom, Mia, and her teenage daughter, Pearl, just moved to Shaker. they rent out a house from the Richardsons, they’re your typical clean-cut suburban family. and the mom, Elena Richardson, is determined to uncover Mia’s secrets.
the first 80 pages were pretty slow in my opinion, but from the hundredth page and so on, it became more well-paced and a whole lot more interesting. but the writing is so beautiful, so i didn't find it insufferably slow. this book was so unpredictable, there are so many plot twists and the main conflict was something i would've never expected. also, the themes of family, motherhood, and mother-daughter relationships made me really think back and do some self-reflection. i think that Celeste Ng did an amazing job on laying this undertone of the ongoing racial issues of the late 1980s. by the last hundred pages, i couldn’t put the book down. the ending was so unpredictable but i do feel like it was the most suitable and reasonable ending.
my only complaint is that i didn't feel strongly about any of the characters. all of them just came off as morally gray to me and it left me feeling conflicted, but it did lead to me having a more neutral outlook and the story. but i was genuinely amazed and taken away by this book. one of the best reads of 2021.
my only complaint is that i didn't feel strongly about any of the characters. all of them just came off as morally gray to me and it left me feeling conflicted, but it did lead to me having a more neutral outlook and the story. but i was genuinely amazed and taken away by this book. one of the best reads of 2021.
Graphic: Bullying, Infertility, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Fire/Fire injury, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Sexual content and Cursing
Minor: Child abuse and Racism