A review by niamhbereading
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
shit bro this book broke my brain.
the characters were very resonant, but not loveable, which is a fantastic thing. each character, from the rich shaker heights folk to the lower class, is so well-rounded, w/ organic flaws that drive the plot but also genuine positive traits that make each character unique. celeste ng doesnt bother trying to make you (the reader) like the characters, let alone love them. these characters have too many dimensions for any reader to love them. i think, if these characters were more loveable, this book wouldnt hit as hard, because the whole POINT is that they're ALL fucked up.
this book is essentially about motherhood: what makes a mother? is someone your mother simply bc you came out of their womb? or is it because they love you? does the amount of love your mother is able to give determine if they're a good mother? can you measure motherly love? bruh. idk. i came into this book w/ answers to these questions (tho i never thought much about them), but this book undid all of that. it made me angry when these questions were wrestled w/ & then it made me feel dumb for not having all the answers, which made this book such a gripping read. the central debate of this book () scrambled my brain & i'll be thinking about it for the rest of my life.
i loved how this book felt like a spider web. everything was connected, from characters parallelling each other to asides from previous chapters coming back to bite you in the ass later in the book. i REALLY want to know what celeste ng's planning for this book looked like LOL.
the back of the book said celeste ng grew up in shaker heights, which is the same community this book is set. i'm amused by how she wrote a book depicting the worst parts of her hometown & published it. yeah girl good for you get that check LMAO.
i'd recommend this book to fans of small-town tv dramas, anti-rich ppl, & quirky artists.
the characters were very resonant, but not loveable, which is a fantastic thing. each character, from the rich shaker heights folk to the lower class, is so well-rounded, w/ organic flaws that drive the plot but also genuine positive traits that make each character unique. celeste ng doesnt bother trying to make you (the reader) like the characters, let alone love them. these characters have too many dimensions for any reader to love them. i think, if these characters were more loveable, this book wouldnt hit as hard, because the whole POINT is that they're ALL fucked up.
this book is essentially about motherhood: what makes a mother? is someone your mother simply bc you came out of their womb? or is it because they love you? does the amount of love your mother is able to give determine if they're a good mother? can you measure motherly love? bruh. idk. i came into this book w/ answers to these questions (tho i never thought much about them), but this book undid all of that. it made me angry when these questions were wrestled w/ & then it made me feel dumb for not having all the answers, which made this book such a gripping read. the central debate of this book (
Spoiler
a white couple struggling to conceive adopts an abandoned asian baby, but the baby's bio mom wants the baby back. who gets the baby: the bio mom who abandoned her baby & left her sick & starving, or the adopted couple who gave the baby a healthy & wealthy home?i loved how this book felt like a spider web. everything was connected, from characters parallelling each other to asides from previous chapters coming back to bite you in the ass later in the book. i REALLY want to know what celeste ng's planning for this book looked like LOL.
the back of the book said celeste ng grew up in shaker heights, which is the same community this book is set. i'm amused by how she wrote a book depicting the worst parts of her hometown & published it. yeah girl good for you get that check LMAO.
i'd recommend this book to fans of small-town tv dramas, anti-rich ppl, & quirky artists.
Content Warnings
Minor: Abortion