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 merryfaith on

4 of 5 stars

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I'm still relatively new to YA (I mean, since being a teen in the mid-late 00s) and I'm awful at reviewing fiction still, but I can say: this was great. I loved the characters, it had heart, it made me hungry, I felt good when I finished (which is something I'm really cherishing with personal life stuff this year). It reminded me why I loved reading YA as a teen. I'm so excited to read more books that make me feel like this. I get it now, peers who voraciously read YA. I get it.

All this to say, if it sounds like something you'd enjoy, you most definitely will.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 18 January, 2020: Finished reading
  • 18 January, 2020: Reviewed