With the Fire on High: From the winner of the CILIP Carnegie Medal 2019

by Elizabeth Acevedo

'A delicious, evocative story' THE GUARDIAN

From the author of THE POET X comes a sumptuous prose novel, perfect for fans of Angie Thomas' On the Come Up, Justin Reynolds' Opposite of Always and Nicola Yoon

Ever since she got pregnant, seventeen-year-old Emoni's life has been about making the tough decisions - doing what has to be done for her young daughter and her grandmother. Keeping her head down at school, trying not to get caught up with new boy Malachi. The one place she can let everything go is in the kitchen, where she has magical hands - whipping up extraordinary food beloved by everyone.

Emoni wants to be a chef more than anything, but she knows it's pointless to pursue the impossible. There are rules she has to play by. And yet, once she starts cooking, and gets that fire on high, she sees that her drive to feed will feed her soul and dreams too. And anything is possible.

'With its judicious depth and brilliant blazes of writing that simmer, then nourish, With the Fire on High is literary soul food' New York Times

• ISBN10: 1471409007
• ISBN13: 9781471409004
• Publish Date: 19 September 2019 (first published 7 May 2019)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Hot Key Books
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 400
• Language: English

Reviews

[bestmessever]

This book was such an amazing and quick read. The way Emoni talks about food is tantalizing, it honestly makes you hungry just reading it. I saw a lot of myself in this book cause I only had one really good friend in high school and I have always also loved to cook. Not quite as intensely as Emoni but I could definitely understand her passion for it.

I loved the way the relationship was taken slow and allowed to develop at a speed that was comfortable for both people involved. Also I loved the moments seeing how Emoni parents Babygirl and seeing her struggles with being 'good enough'.

I think this book is so important because it shows that no matter what obstacles you are facing in life, no matter what responsibilities you have there is always a way to go after your dreams if you believe hard enough.

[boghunden]

I really liked this one.

It had some clichees, but not too many. It was sweet and fast.
Emani was a great maincharacter. Young, stubborn and a mother. She was a bit too stubborn at times, but she grew. Her daughter Emma was great too, and same goes for her Abuela.
Actually, I kinda liked all the characters.

I really liked the writing style. I could've done with some more recipes throughout the book though, but oh well.
I thought I knew where this book was going, but I definitely didn't. It wasn't like a plottwist, it was more the case of me thinking I knew where this was headed.
I would've liked to hear more about Emani's parents, and the ending was a bit rushed, but other than that I think it was great.

The narration of the audio was done by the author herself and she did a great job at that.

[despair_witch_16]

I loved Elizabeth Acevedo’s first book, The Poet X, so I immediately picked up this. I enjoyed it for the most part. We get to see Emoni’s struggles in juggling school and being a teen parent. I also loved all the recipes that were included in the book so you can make it yourself. I did feel though that things just seemed to fall into place for Emoni a little too easily. She’d struggle for a couple of chapters and then bam! Something comes along and she is able to achieve what she wants. I don’t mind it much but I would have liked to see a bit more struggling (that makes me sound evil

[girlinthepages]

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.Isn't it just the best feeling when a book that you've been HIGHLY anticipating lives up to your expectations? That was my experience when reading With the Fire On High by Elizabeth Acevedo. I initially swooned over the gorgeous cover and the fact that it featured a Latinx protagonist, but I wasn't sure what to expect from the writing since the author was new to me and I'd heard her previous book was more poetry-focused. However, I almost immediately fell in love with this story of a resilient teen who balances the challenges thrown her way with grace and heart.

With the Fire On High follows Emoni, a senior in high school with a love of cooking but an even stronger love for her daughter, who she had early on in high school. I think this is the first YA book I've read that actually deals with the topic of a teen mother, rather than a teen pregnancy. I really appreciated following Emoni's story and seeing how yes, it's difficult being a single mother so young and it does require sacrifices (such as Emoni having to balance work, parenting, school and deciding whether or not she can pursue her other passions on top of it) but it's also rewarding and her love for her daughter is unparalleled. Acevedo also does an amazing job weaving in Emoni's other family members as characters's patterns and actions realistically influence Emoni's situation today, from her father who fled the US in grief after her birth to her Abuela who, though she loves her great granddaughter, mourns her freedom as she's bound to caring to a third generation of children after raising her own son and her granddaughter.

While a huge part of the story is Emoni's role as a teen mother and her family relationships, the text also focuses on her desire and dreams to work in a kitchen. Emoni feels at peace with food and cooking is the way she shows love, expresses grief, and finds comfort in the world. From cooking in her Abuela's kitchen to her part time job at a fast food restaurant, Emoni is trying to soak up everything she can about the food industry though she has no formal training or coaching. She is given the opportunity of a lifetime to take a cooking class as an elective through her school which includes a trip to Spain to work under real chefs and struggles with balancing her guilt and her passions: Can she leave her daughter for that long? Can she really afford to be taking a trip abroad? Is cooking the wisest choice when it comes to an elective when preparing for college? Emoni's journey includes a lot of difficult choices and real life circumstances that truly show the coming of age process for her. There's no manufactured drama in this story and it was refreshing to read a YA book that shows being 17 or 18 can mean very different things to different people depending on their situations.

My favorite part of this book was the writing style. Rather than traditional chapters, the novel is filled with mini vignettes with evocative titles that show snippets into Emoni's life, both past and present. It made the reading experience go by so fast, it was like I blinked and I was 200 pages in because I was so immersed in the writing and felt like I was truly in Emoni's mind. I love that Acevedo didn't stick to the typical "novel" format and seems to play with writing styles- I can't wait to see what she does next!

There's also a wonderful amount of representation in this story without ever feeling forced. Emoni is both black and Latinx and is open about her frustrations with those who try to label her as one or the other and dismiss parts of her identity. Many of the characters come from lower income areas and struggle with making ends meet, and classism is especially explored through Emoni's co-parenting relationship with her baby's father, who's parents are well off. Emoni's best friend has an adorable relationship with another female (and Emoni is the sweetest friend ever for making them their anniversary dinner, FYI). There's also several examples of single parents and how they have all dealt differently with raising their families (or opting not to). Acevedo makes all of these dynamic and diverse characters and circumstances feel authentic and part of a vibrant community and cast of characters, never making the story feel like an "issue" book.

As much as I loved With the Fire On High, I have two tiny qualms (that could have changed in the finished, published copy). The first is the romance. I think this story could have 100% worked without the romance. There are already so many other things going on in Emoni's life that I found more interesting and wish more time could have been spent developing rather than a relationship with a guy who honestly felt forgettable. The other thing is that I found some variation of the phrase "I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding" SEVERAL TIMES throughout the book- I honestly thought it was a joke the first time I came across it because it's such a well known cliché in the YA world.

Overall: With the Fire On High is solidly one of my favorite reads of 2019. It has a wonderfully authentic and determine protagonist, delicious food descriptions, a captivating slice-of-life story and well rounded characters. The unique writing style was also a welcome surprise. I wish I could have ten more books about Emoni's life journey but I'll just have to settle for whatever Acevedo writes next. I cannot recommend this one enough!This review was originally posted on Girl in the Pages

[Sam@WLABB]

Rating: 4.5 Stars

There were a lot of people, who thought keeping her baby at 14 was a mistake, and saw teen motherhood as an end to all her future plans. I'm glad Emoni wasn't listening to them.

• Pro: The star and driving force of this story was Emoni. She was strong, driven, loyal, and loving. I admired how she jumped into her role as mother with both feet. She had to sacrifice often, but never resented it or felt sorry for herself. And, though Emoni had some tough breaks in her life, she always managed to focus on the positive parts. It was all in the attitude, and I adored her so much.

• Pro: Raising a child at any age is a challenge, and obviously, a little more difficult for a teen mom. Acevedo painted a rather honest picture of that life, but she also made sure to show us the joy that Emoni experienced as a mother.

• Pro: They say it takes a village, and Emoni was lucky enough to be surrounded by some incredible women. Her 'Buela and her best friend, Angelica, were pillars of support for Emoni. They not only helped her with her daughter, but they gave her a lot of emotional support and encouraged her to chase her dreams.

• Pro: So. Much. Cooking! I loved that Emoni was a budding chef, and was enthralled by all the cooking references and sequences.

• Pro: Watching Emoni chase down her culinary dreams was so inspiring and feel-good. I am smiling ear-to-ear with a tear falling down my cheek, because it is just such an incredible feeling seeing someone reach for what they want and make it happen. It was made even better by seeing someone like Emoni, an underdog, beat the odds and achieve so much.

• Pro: Emoni was forced to grow quite a bit, when she became a mother, but her entry into the culinary arts course allowed her to grow in other ways. It was incredible seeing her flourish under all that pressure, but she came out on top, and I was so proud of everything she accomplished.

Overall: A moving and inspiring story of chasing your dreams, which left me in a puddle of happy tears.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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[Heather]

This is the follow up to Elizabeth Acevedo's extraordinary debut, The Poet X.  I was thrilled to see that this book was coming out and extra excited to see that the story was about food.

Emoni is a senior in high school who loves to cook.  She wants to go to culinary school, which wouldn't normally be a problem except that Emoni got pregnant as a freshman and now has a daughter to raise.  That limits her choices because she needs to work to support herself and her daughter. When she gets a chance to be in a culinary program at school she has to decide if she is able to fit it into her life.

Emoni is a character who I haven't read often.  Usually stories with teen mothers tell the story of the pregnancy.  This is several years later when she is trying to juggle school, work, and a child.  It doesn't make any of these seem easy or glamorous.  She has problems with the father of the child and his parents. She works when her classmates only have school to worry about. She knows that classmates make assumptions about anyone who found herself in her situation.  She's pushing through and ignoring what anyone else thinks.

Emoni was raised by her abuela after her mother died and her father moved back to Puerto Rico.  I loved Abuela.  She is a woman who keeps getting pulled back into child rearing when she is ready to live an independent life.  First her son all but abandoned his daughter on her doorstep and then when she gets her granddaughter mostly raised, her granddaughter gets pregnant and now Abuela needs to help raise her great-grandchild.  I found her very realistic.  She's doing what she has to do to make her family work but she's starting to spread her own wings too as Emoni gets ready to graduate. 

Even if YA isn't normally your cup of tea, I'd encourage you to pick up Elizabeth Acevedo's books.  They are powerful.  This review was originally posted on Based On A True Story