Name: Little Fires Everywhere
Rating: 4.033144073811213 (1409 reviews)
ISBN: 9780735224292

Celeste Ng

"Traces the intertwined fates of the picture-perfect Richardson family and the enigmatic mother and daughter who upend their lives"--

Little Fires Everywhere

Kari Bingham

At first I had trouble getting in to this story. Why should I care about these people? However, Ng created such depth for her characters that by the end I didn't want to stop reading.

In the placid, progressive suburb of Shaker Heights everything is meticulously planned, from the colours of the houses, to the successful lives its residents will go on to lead. And no one embodies this spirit more than Elena Richardson. Mia Warren, an enigmatic artist and single mother, arrives in this idyllic bubble with her teenage daughter Pearl, and rents a house from the Richardsons. Soon Mia and Pearl become more than just tenants : all four Richardson children are drawn to the alluring mother-daughter pair. But Mia carries with her a disregard for the rules that threatens to upend this carefully ordered community. When the Richardsons' friends attempt to adopt a Chinese-American baby, a custody battle erupts that dramatically divides the town and puts Mia and Mrs Richardson on opposing sides. Mrs Richardson becomes determined to uncover the secrets in Mia's past. But her obsession will come at unexpected and devastating costs to her own family - and Mia's.

Jennifer

I liked this book much more than Everything I Never Told You. (Not a difficult feat). I'm not a mother (right now) so I can't relate to the mother motif in this book. Of course I have a mother and I can relate as a daughter. I relate to Pearl and Mia's relationship as Pearl but I think that's not the point. I can understand the issues as a woman but not in the motherly way I think many women are relating to this book thus loving it. It touches upon so many different situations that mothers find themselves in, lightly covering the surface of socioeconomic inequities and injustices, but never quite gets deep enough for me. It points out that many are too quick to judge other moms so I get why this is so popular. It's a simple enough story to make even the most basic of women realize that they, too, judge other moms. Perhaps too harshly. I appreciate the Asian representation in this book. That's my favorite thing about Ng being so popular with the (white) masses. I hope regular ol Asian people get to be the main (female) character of one of her mainstream books one day. I do appreciate Ng making the Richardsons absolutely racist in the ways so many Americans are when speaking of Asians. Loved it. That was the one part of the book that I related to the most. Dat ending doe = white people nonsense.

Joana Mae

"Little Fires Everywhere" is a masterfully crafted exploration of motherhood, privilege, and the complex web of choices that shape our lives. Set in the meticulously planned community of Shaker Heights, the novel delves deep into the intricate dynamics between the Richardson family and the nomadic artist Mia Warren and her daughter Pearl. The story brilliantly examines the different faces of motherhood through its main characters: Elena Richardson, the embodiment of structured suburban motherhood, and Mia Warren, representing unconventional maternal love. Through their contrasting approaches, Ng raises profound questions about what makes a good mother and whether following rules always equals doing what's right. The theme of privilege is expertly woven throughout the narrative, highlighting how socioeconomic status influences decision-making and life opportunities. The Richardson family's comfortable lifestyle stands in stark contrast to the Warrens' more modest existence, creating a compelling backdrop for exploring how privilege shapes perspectives and choices. Perhaps most captivating is the way secrets serve as the novel's driving force. Each character harbors their own hidden truths, and as these secrets gradually unravel, they trigger a cascade of events that challenge established relationships and force characters to confront their deepest beliefs about family, identity, and morality. Ng's writing is both elegant and accessible, creating a narrative that pulls readers in while prompting them to examine their own assumptions about family, belonging, and the price of maintaining perfect appearances. The novel excels in showing how seemingly small choices can ignite devastating consequences, much like the metaphorical "little fires everywhere" that eventually consume the carefully ordered world of Shaker Heights. This is a thought-provoking read that will resonate with anyone interested in family dynamics, social justice, and the complexities of human relationships. It masterfully demonstrates how the pursuit of perfection often comes at the cost of authentic connection and understanding.

makes sense they made a tv miniseries out of it

Jules 

What is fair, what is right, and what consequences synthesize within childrens’ lives due to their parents’ decisions?

Jessica Pham

I ate this up. It left me with a hundred questions that I wanted to dissect with someone. It wonderfully hit on themes of inequality - by race, age, income, and gender. Ng is able to depict each of those struggles independently and in connection with eachother. Everyone has a little villain in them in this book and I love that. 

Kalista Dickson

Long. Heartwrentching in every way. Too real

Naomi Kemph

i was expecting little more from this book, i wanted to see the whole family realizing what happened instead of just izzy, but i feel bad for the kids, its seems neither of them are happy where they are and it doesn’t seems like the book ends any better than how it started, watching few episodes of the show now, also not used to this writing style

debbie <3

Camille Osborn-Clark

Little fires everywhere [sound recording]

I needed more and not in a good way👎🏾

🥔

Ryan Mateyk

POPSUGAR 2020: A book by a WOC 

This book falls nicely into my favourite genre of desperate housewives.

I enjoyed this one for the most part. I wished it was a little more fast-paced, but, overall I enjoyed the characters and the way the story unfolded. I found mrs richardson to be a deeply unlikable busybody but her children made up for it. I also wasn’t crazy about the ending because I feel like we had a lot left unanswered. do may ling and bebe have a happy life? or are they going to always be on the run from the past much like mia and pearl? what happens to izzy? does she find mia and pearl? does she go back to the richardsons? does mrs richardson finally treat her better? do mia and pearl ever get to actually settle down somewhere and stay there? how does mia’s reunion with her parents go? does pearl like her grandparents? do they like pearl? SO. MANY. QUESTIONS. 

anyway. the story was good. I was just left wanting more.

emily learmont

I enjoyed this one for the most part. I wished it was a little more fast-paced, but, overall I enjoyed the characters and the way the story unfolded. I found mrs richardson to be a deeply unlikable busybody but her children made up for it. I also wasn’t crazy about the ending because I feel like we had a lot left unanswered. do may ling and bebe have a happy life? or are they going to always be on the run from the past much like mia and pearl? what happens to izzy? does she find mia and pearl? does she go back to the richardsons? does mrs richardson finally treat her better? do mia and pearl ever get to actually settle down somewhere and stay there? how does mia’s reunion with her parents go? does pearl like her grandparents? do they like pearl? SO. MANY. QUESTIONS. 

anyway. the story was good. I was just left wanting more.

Little Fires Everywhere

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