Celeste Ng

Little Fires Everywhere

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.

In her experience, when someone tried to do something for her, it came from either pity or distrust, but this simple gesture felt like what it was: a small kindness, with no strings attached.

"Being allowed to do something and knowing how to do it are not the same thing."

“Lexie’s got a good brain. She just doesn’t always use it in real life.”

They were so artlessly beautiful, even right out of bed.

and to his delight he found in Pearl another poetic soul.

So it would feel to him that he had always known her name, that somehow, he and Pearl had known each other always.

“A community is known by the schools it keeps.”

—she appreciated his thoughtfulness anyway. Mr. Yang was exactly the kind of tenant Mrs. Richardson wanted: a kind person to whom she could do a kind turn, and who would appreciate her kindness.

and she rented only to people she felt were deserving but who had, for one reason or another, not quite gotten a fair shot in life. 

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

Anna

Remember, Mia had said: 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. 

betty books

Isabella

brilliant character study. the way the author fleshes the characters out, letting the reader into their respective thought processes and inhibitions, their motives and what fuels them to act the way they do [chef kiss] Magnifique ! got me out of a reading rut hehe would rate it a 4.25 but i’ll round it down

A Novel

I thought that this book was fantastic when I read this book 

Lexy 

Krystyna 

First things first, the writing is beautiful! The characters are so fleshed out; they feel so real and are written very vividly. There is a main story line; however, the side characters in this novel each have their own stories going on that ultimately intertwines with the overall story and it all comes together so perfectly, in a way almost too perfectly. It is definitely more character driven versus plot driven. I prefer plot driven books (with good characters) but this book was a fantastic read with amazingly written characters. The characters in this book keep the reader intrigued, at least for me. The writing, this story, the characters, everything about this book brings about so many feelings, emotions, and thoughts for the reader. I also found myself tabbing this book to mark quotes that I liked.

alexandra

3.5/5 • i honestly have no idea how i feel about this book. it's filled with problematic characters and relationships; i KNOW these characters are unlikeable and frustrating, but it's just so... ugh?! the family we focus on is filled with white privilege and subtle racism, and they kinda make me want to scream. BUT i can see where they can come from, even if i really really don't agree with it. it's messy – and i usually like messy – but i couldn't help but feel sad, sick, and scream-y. it made me so ANGRY at times but i think that was the whole point of it. it made want to scream to everyone why diverse rep matters and why culture matters and why people should be allowed to make mistakes and UGH. i dunno. i liked that it made me feel angry and so so LOUD (hence all caps), but i can't deny that it made me uncomfortable and ill (like i physically wanted to vomit because i was so shsjabskabs). it wasn't an enjoyable process, but i enjoyed it nonetheless.

Beatrice

I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way.

This was such an amazing read, I don't think I will ever be able to do it justice. I loved everything about this book: the characters, the story, the style... I am just gushing over this!!

This was the first Celeste Ng book I read, but I'm sure it will not be my last. I adored her writing style: it was clear and detailed enough to make me feels inside the story, but never too long-winded. This was one of those books that I just couldn't put down: I was so drawn into the story that I just had to see what would happen next, where it would all lead.

I'm personally very much into stories revolving around family drama and dark secrets, so the plot of this one was right up my alley. I particularly liked the way in which two very different (if not outright opposing) family units come up one against the other, which led perfectly to deeper reflections on what makes a family "good"? Is it just order and keeping up appearances as Mrs. Richardson would have it, or is Mia's spontaneity and disregard for socially-approved customs the right way to go? Or perhaps neither?

I was fascinated by the characters. True, some were explored much more deeply than others, and I was sorry that we only got snippets of what the men in here were thinking, but women were definitely the main focus here. Both of the two main adult females walk down a path that could potentially lead them to self-destruction - and take their families with them. I loved the way in which the author explored boundaries: just how far can relationships stretch before they break? How far can a mother go to make sure her children stay safe, to keep her worst fears from becoming true? And just how much does she nurture the growth of those fears and their concretisation through her behaviour? 

These and many other questions were raised, and most are still circling around my brain the more I think about this book. A story developed on multiple levels, Little Fires Everywhere just keeps on fueling my own reflections on these themes. Definitely one of my best reads this year, this book is now burned into my memory, and I have a feeling it will stay like that for a very long time.

For this and more reviews, visit Book for Thought.

Wynter

It took me some patience to get into Little Fires Everywhere, since I don’t particularly enjoy teen protagonists, but by page 100 I was hooked. I did expect this novel to contain some shocking twists from the way some plot threads were set up, but found the general narrative unfold in more ordinary ways. A very good family drama, but not thrilling by any means. The only thing that made me roll my eyes was (view spoiler)[Mia being allowed by doctors to be a surrogate while not ever having children prior to that or even being sexually active. No way that would happen in real life. (hide spoiler)]

Cheri Fuller

I loved Everything I Never Told You so I had high expectations for Little Fires Everywhere. And Celeste Ng did not disappoint. 

I don't usually enjoy the omniscient narrator but it was done so well here that I couldn't help but be drawn in to the lives of all of the characters. Ng puts these people on display for us like very few authors could. Their darkest bits and their hopes - she lays them bare. I need more time to digest this book and I felt the same after Ng's debut. 

Now I wait for the next book.

heleen de boever

Morgan Thomas

Before I read this I had read Celeste Ng's first novel "Everything I Never Told You." I enjoyed the book immensely so had high hopes going into this one. But as I read the book I first became disappointed and then upset. There are numerous reasons why I disliked this but I think the easiest one to mention that ties them all together are the flat characters. There depth to any of them! All of them seemed self centered and awful (except for maybe Pearl). Over simplified generalizations were common, the most common being that if a person was nice that somehow meant they were good and worthy people. I found it absurd that most of what made Mia a good mother was how nice she was to others, (we're given examples of her being nice to customers and remembering their orders when she is a waitress and the comfort she gives to the Richardson daughters). Being nice does not equal being maternal as Ng would have us think, as evidenced by the lackluster relationship between Pearl and her mother Mia. With how much the two of them move from place to place I would expect them to be closer (or Oearl to be angrier). But there lacked an intimacy that I didn't think came from Pearl being a teenager. Mia for all her niceness lacked any sense of emotional maturity and maternal instinct.
But this was supposed to be about flat characters. Mia, is so obviously presented as our heroine it's sickening. For an author who tells us that there is no such thing as right and wrong everyone seems so over simplified. Elena, or Mrs. Richardson as she is known throughout the whole story (which I think is meant to give us a sense of distance and formality in how we view her) is presented as making a poor, mediocre life choice in wanting to live in the conformity of the suburbs having a stable life where she writes for her local paper. It seems impossible to Ng that some people may want this. I felt the idea was presented that there is nothing more pure and noble than living for your art, despite how it may impact your child and their life, while the idea of stability is bad. The whole oversimplification of this story made it so mediocre I was so glad when it was over.

gave me a glimpse of understanding into what motherhood feels like

Macy HB

Joana da Silva

This book gave me lifeeeeeee. Pick this up if you love a good story about disturbing a perfect community that's filled with prejudice and stereotypes. Celeste Ng is one hell of a good writer.

Margo Koss

Fatima Kadri 

NOW A MAJOR TV SERIES ON AMAZON PRIME 'Just read it . . . Outstanding' Matt Haig 'To say I love this book is an understatement . . . It moved me to tears' Reese Witherspoon 'Beautifully written, completely charming, and extremely wise on the subject of adolescence and influence' Nick Hornby Everyone in Shaker Heights was talking about it that summer: how Isabelle, the last of the Richardson children, had finally gone around the bend and burned the house down. In Shaker Heights, a placid, progressive suburb of Cleveland, everything is meticulously planned - from the layout of the winding roads, to 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, whose guiding principle is playing by the rules. Enter Mia Warren - an enigmatic artist and single mother- who 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 mother-daughter pair. But Mia carries with her a mysterious past, and a disregard for the rules that threatens to upend this carefully ordered community. When old family friends attempt to adopt a Chinese-American baby, a custody battle erupts that dramatically divides the town - and puts Mia and Elena on opposing sides. Suspicious of Mia and her motives, Elena is determined to uncover the secrets in Mia's past. But her obsession will come at an unexpected and devastating cost . . .

The New York Times Top Ten Bestseller

Notas: Apesar de ter demorado praticamente 2 anos a terminar este livro (nada relacionado com a sua qualidade) foi um boa leitura!

Carolina Pinto

Escrita: 8/10
Enredo: 6/10
Personagens: 6/10

Entusiasmo: 7/10
Sintonia: 8/10
Fluidez: 7/10
Possibilidade de Reler: 6/10

Ranting: 7/10

Notas: Apesar de ter demorado praticamente 2 anos a terminar este livro (nada relacionado com a sua qualidade) foi um boa leitura!

Includes a conversation with author, discussion questions, and a "letter" from author.

Catherine Duplessis

Andrew Louis

I really don't like when an author tells us who the good/bad guys are and presents the moral lessons in tidy packages.

Alexa M

*4.5/5 stars* Celeste provides insight into families like no one else I’ve ever read. Love love love her! Such a fantastic read. Can’t wait for Reese Witherspoon’s mini- series!!!!

alex 

“All her life, she had learned that passion, like fire, was a dangerous thing. It so easily went out of on. It scaled walls and jumped over trenches. Sparks leapt like fleas and spread as rapidly; a breeze could carry embers for miles. Better to control that spark and pass it carefully from one generation t the next, like an Olympic torch. Or, perhaps, to tend it carefully like an eternal flame: a reminder of light and goodness that would never - could never - set anything ablaze. Carefully controlled. Domesticated.” 

I loved how attached to the characters I quickly became. Celeste Ng can create emotional strings throughout the plot that leave you craving more at the end. This book was tender and something that will stay with me for a long time. Highly recommend and I can’t wait to read “Everything I Never Told You” next.

Albert Dong

Plenty of novels accentuate the basic emotions. Little Fires Everywhere tugs upon the chaotic mass underneath all that. Repressed emotions and forgotten dreams. As a young adult struggling with issues of identity and purpose, this novel was very relatable to me. Unfortunately, I lack the vocabulary to articulate why. Perhaps reflecting upon it in the coming days will bring more clarity. Thank you for writing this Celeste.

Jamieson

“To those out on their own paths, setting little fires”



honestly don't have much to say about this book, because it's not that it's bad I was just underwhelmed. this book is sooo hyped and I was expecting more

the first 150 pages are just character introductions, except I didn't find any of the characters that compelling or interesting. I thought their arcs were underdeveloped and left too loosely hanging. It's at it's best when dealing with Mia's history and the adoption storyline, but it felt spread too thin. and a lot of the storyline was predictable

I did like Trip and Pearl's relationship, the bits about Mia's past and the discussion around the adoption and how thoroughly this went over arguments on both sides

even though I liked this book, I just don't seem to see what everyone else did in it.

Melsriana

Love the book and storyline so much but the ending!!!! I really wish it has a better ending 😭 i was shocked, when i realised that the next page was the acknowledgement page. I feel like the ending was hanging :/

Nick Gracilla

I grew up in NE Ohio when this was set: Ng expertly evokes a pre-digital time and place. Shaker Heights had an aurora about it, a cool, exclusive place, into which Ng sets her well intentioned characters on an inexorable path towards shipwreck, pulling race, motherhood, art, and control along with it. Highly recommended.

Lyric Hooey

This book was just so interesting all the way through. It goes on tangents, developing backstories for characters you probably wouldn't think twice about otherwise. Ng's character development helps you genuinely feel for each person even when they're making crappy decisions. Everything ended up connecting, so I was able to fully absorb into each story within the story, but I could see some people getting impatient throughout.

Little Fires Everywhere

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