With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo

With the Fire on High

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

Reviewed by Sam@WLABB on

5 of 5 stars

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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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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 29 April, 2019: Finished reading
  • 29 April, 2019: Reviewed