Review: LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE, by Celeste Ng

LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE, by Celeste Ng

Penguin Audio - 2017
Narrated by Jennifer Lim

My Rating (out of 5)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

“Sometimes you need to scorch everything to the ground, and start over. After the burning the soil is richer, and new things can grow. People are like that, too. They start over. They find a way.” - Celeste Ng, Little Fires Everywhere


Beautifully complex and bitter-sweet. This is one of those books that nudges its way into the nooks and crannies of your inner being, just to make sure that no emotion you have remains untouched by the words.  It is rich, and layered, and complex, and tragically beautiful. 

The book starts in the upscale neighborhood of Shaker heights. A neighborhood that prides itself on planning, orderliness, and (dare I say it) conformity. 

Elena Richardson suits this community well.  She should.  She spent her whole life here and is a product of it. Prim and proper and not one to flaunt the rules as she sees them.  She and her family live here in a beautiful home, and she has a rental property, where she tries to "do good" by renting only to those she sees as deserving of living in such a fine neighborhood at a reduced rate. 

Soon we meet the mysterious Mia Warren and her daughter Pearl, who rent the suite from Elena.   Mia, is quite unlike Elena. A mysterious free spirit with a secretive past, moving from place to place as her artistic muse takes her, and working odd jobs to pay the bills when her art is not selling enough to cover expenses.  Mia tells Pearl that they will settle down and stay this time. For the first time, Pearl feels like she can make friends. Soon the Warren's and the Richardsons are daily figures in each other's lives. Mia seems to have a unique and special relationship with the children, and becomes somewhat of a mentor of sorts.

When Elena's long time friend Linda McCullough and her husband try to adopt a baby of Asian descent, it soon becomes a highly publicized custody battle that divides the community. Even in the Richardson household, opinions are split. With Elena and Mia being on opposite sides of the issue, Elena questions Mia's motives and starts digging into Mia's past.  Elena's digging results in unforeseen and disastrous results.

The narrator Jennifer Lim was perfect in her role. Her voice was very pleasant, and when the more intense scenes came up, she was able to portray the raw emotion of the words.


I was not sure I wanted to explore this story.  So often, when a book does extremely well, the reality of it does not live up to the hype.  THIS BOOK DOES LIVE UP TO THE HYPE! So if you are teetering on the fence, trying to decide whether this book is worthy, just do it. You will not be disappointed.


Happy Reading,
Christine