Elizabeth Acevedo

From the New York Times bestselling author of the National Book Award longlist title The Poet X comes a dazzling novel in prose about a girl with talent, pride, and a drive to feed the soul that keeps her fire burning bright. Ever since she got pregnant freshman year, Emoni Santiago’s life has been about making the tough decisions—doing what has to be done for her daughter and her abuela. The one place she can let all that go is in the kitchen, where she adds a little something magical to everything she cooks, turning her food into straight-up goodness. Even though she dreams of working as a chef after she graduates, Emoni knows that it’s not worth her time to pursue the impossible. Yet despite the rules she thinks she has to play by, once Emoni starts cooking, her only choice is to let her talent break free.

With the Fire on High

From New York Times bestselling author of POET X comes a story of a girl with talent, pride and a little bit of magic that keeps her fire burning bright. Ever since she got pregnant during freshman year, Emoni Santiago’s life has been about making the tough decisions, doing what has to be done for her daughter and her abuela. The one place she can let all that go is in the kitchen. There, she lets her hands tell her what to cook, listening to her intuition and adding a little something magical every time, turning her food into straight-up goodness. Even though she’s always dreamed of working in a kitchen after she graduates, Emoni knows that it’s not worth her time to pursue the impossible. But then an opportunity presents itself to not only enrol in a culinary arts class in her high school, but also to travel abroad to Spain for an immersion program. Emoni knows that her decisions post high school have to be practical ones, but despite the rules she’s made for her life — and everyone else’s rules that she refuses to play by — once Emoni starts cooking, her only choice is to let her talent break free.

Jessie Winchester

Hannah DCamp

There's so much beauty to this story. It was beyond refreshing to read a character who was so mature, emotionally and mentally. I was inspired by Emoni's patience and integrity; she was flawed, but she herself was aware of it, and worked to improve herself at every turn.

I think one of my favorite details (very small) about this was what most people would probably call "magical realism." I preferred to interpret it as a spiritual gift. Emoni's cooking never fails to bring people to tears; her 'Buela and others mention that they think her food is magical; it always seems to remind the person eating of something happy from their childhood. There's something healing in eating Emoni's food. Textbook spiritual gift right there. I highly doubt that's what the author was going for, so it's just a personal interpretation, but regardless I thought it was a powerful element to include.

I loved getting to see a teen parent who loved their child and never complained or tired of caring for them. Whenever Emma was spending the weekends with her father's family, Emoni missed her terribly, and lamented not getting to spend more time with her. It was a challenge for her, and there were moments where she longed to do normal teen things, but never once did she ever wish she could "be free," or resent having to care for her daughter. It was a beautiful portrayal of parenthood, and Emoni is a beautiful portrayal of motherhood.

*"We look beautiful and hood and excited to see the world, and none of us are hiding from this world seeing us." This is a really nice way of framing the annoying American tourist. I feel bad for judging them now, and will have to keep it in mind 😅
*Breaths we didn't know we were holding: 2

fatru tamzil

Acevedo never dissapoints. Also this book makes me hungry.

A beautifully narrated coming of age story centering a young mom following her dream of becoming a chef despite all odds being against her. Acevedo captured the feeling of being 18 and uncertain, but hopeful for the future. This book warmed my heart and left me hungry. 

Alli

momo-reads

The beginning was on fire! The middle and end not so much.  Another book where you have to start skimming the chapters to finish.

Loved it. It made me feel all of the emotions and made me hungry. I don’t even like cooking and it had me ready to try new recipes. 

Emoni hasn’t had an easy life and she’s in her senior year ready to start thinking about her future. This book is all about thinking about your future and looking to the past. But most importantly about family. I know when I was 17 I wasn’t thinking half as many things as Emoni was but I loved her passion for cooking and the maturity she showed for all of her choices. Having a daughter young had forced her to grow up fast and take in even more responsibility and it was amazing how much she did. It was nice to see a new class and a new classmate pushing her out of her comfort zone and to try new things. She may have had a plan for her future but it was finally time for her to think seriously on it and realise some things she might have originally thought won’t work. 

I didn’t want to stop listening when I put this on so I knew it was a good book. 

Becky

Loved it. It made me feel all of the emotions and made me hungry. I don’t even like cooking and it had me ready to try new recipes. 

Emoni hasn’t had an easy life and she’s in her senior year ready to start thinking about her future. This book is all about thinking about your future and looking to the past. But most importantly about family. I know when I was 17 I wasn’t thinking half as many things as Emoni was but I loved her passion for cooking and the maturity she showed for all of her choices. Having a daughter young had forced her to grow up fast and take in even more responsibility and it was amazing how much she did. It was nice to see a new class and a new classmate pushing her out of her comfort zone and to try new things. She may have had a plan for her future but it was finally time for her to think seriously on it and realise some things she might have originally thought won’t work. 

I didn’t want to stop listening when I put this on so I knew it was a good book. 

Samantha 

This was such a rich read for me! The writing is so beautiful, and listening on audio only enhanced the experience for me. Emoni's description of food and her recipes was so vivid, comforting and nostalgic. Emoni's persistence, strength and passion was so inspirational. I can't wait to read more from this author!

menna

“And sometimes focusing on what you can control is the only way to lessen the pang in your chest when you think about the things you can't.”



i have no idea how to write this as a normal review (not that i even know how to write a normal review) but still. so i decided to make a things-i-liked list and a things-i-didn't list.

things i liked :
• Emoni's relationship with her best friend Angelica is amazing. i liked their dynamic and how they're able to tell when the other is not feeling great and exactly what to do in that case. it was so nice to see that.

• How badass Emoni is. whether it's with how she deals with being a teen mom or how she embraces her culture and not afraid to correct anyone or stand up to them for making a judgment based on her appearance.

• How Emoni dealt with Tyron, her daughter's father when he was making her feel guilty for dating someone else. she dealt with it in a very mature way and not at all in the way that i'd have handled it because i would've been pissed.

• The little recipes in the book. Even though cooking is not one of the things i do for fun or *cough* at all, but they were great to read about.

• Emoni's relationship with Malachi was cute. 


things i didn't :

• i feel like everything got mostly wrapped up very neatly and very fast. it feels to me like she figured out what to do way too fast because the book needed to end and we didn't see the how or the why we were just told that she would do this because of this and i wanted to see her thought process.

• Emoni's father. Even though we kinda got his side of the story, it was not enough to make me like him nor excuse him for what he does. 

• Tyron and his fucking mother.

• She lets out a breath she didn't know she was holding A LOT

• Leslie's mean girl act because i'm over this whole trope. But i appreciate that they showed a kinda different side to her even though i felt that it wasn't enough.

i'm sure there are more things i either like or don't but these are the things i remember because your girl didn't take notes while she was reading and she hates herself for it. Anyway overall i think this was a great book discussing a lot of important topics and it's a very enjoyable read.

Abdullah

This was just gorgeously written and so realistic, honest, and beautiful. I can't think of anything I didn't like and it's great in almost every aspect. If someone were to ask me for a YA recommendation, this would be my go-to book. The author narrates the audiobook perfectly and I highly recommend this if you want a cosy, warm but realistic read.

I absolutely adored this book it was so warm and fuzzy and I just admired all the characters and their place in Emoni's life. I wish we got to read more about her life after high school but I appreciated that it was about her and her family, it was so heartfelt.

From the winner of the CILIP Carnegie Medal 2019

lisa roeling 

Elizabeth Acevedo's writing style is gorgeous. While reading the physical book, I also listened to the audiobook which is narrated by the author herself. The audiobook is also really amazing 🥰🥰

Rachel Kanyid

Really enjoyed this! Very quick to listen to on audiobook!

Micah

I loved how this reminded me of Like Water for Chocolate, another book I greatly enjoy, and Emoni was such a great protagonist. I did cringe every time Abuela started poking in other people's business like a messy bitch, but I get why she did.

Fran Gutiérrez

Aside from the beautiful cover, representation, characters, themes and dishes in this book it leaves little to be desired. However, the writing was not my favorite. I felt some plot points were rushed and underdeveloped,as well as Babygirl's entire character. The structure threw me off, having very short but frequent chapters, and often times missing opportunities to explore more of Emoni's character. Overall, the story itself and the themes were spot on, and it was a delicious book, but I did feel the writing could've been a little more inmersive and developed.

Amanda

Very enjoyable read. Loved the characters and the storytelling.

Yasmin H

I LOVED THIS BOOK. I couldn’t wait to finish it - I even finished it within a day! 

Emoni lives with her ‘Buela and her daughter Emma. When she takes up a culinary arts class, things become more difficult to manage, especially when the new student in her class arrives…

My favourite character in this book was Emoni’s ‘Buela because she stays by her and Emma’s side no matter what. I like how she helps Emoni raise Emma while still making sure Emoni has as many opportunities in life as possible. 

I found this book is very lighthearted and an easy read - it also has very short chapters which I think makes it more enjoyable.

Claudia Ganea

** spoiler alert **
           “What better way to take a leap of faith than to set something on fire and trust it will not only come out right, but that it will be completely delicious?”

As I’ve been living under a rock for pretty much the last decade, this was my very first Elizabeth Acevedo book - and I’m SO happy that it did not disappoint!!!

I absolutely loved the story, but what I loved most, what I got attached to the most, were the characters. Emoni Santiago has my whole entire heart. The fact that she cares so deeply about the people that she loves, that she’s so passionate about cooking that she turns it into literal magic (while also being willing to put her passions and desires on the back-burner for the sake of making sure that her daughter and grandmother are good first), and her journey towards finding herself and finding the perfect middle ground between her family and her dreams was just... perfect.

Her relationship with ‘Buela and Emma was so, so sweet! I could feel the love with every word, and that’s not something that happens often. Even when they struggled, even when they had disagreements, their love for each other was stronger than anything life could throw at them, and I think that’s very powerful. ‘Buela Gloria put everything on hold for her family, time and time again, and she inspires Emoni to do the same - not in a self-martyr, never do anything that makes your heart soar kind of way, but in a way that allows her granddaughter space to also think about what she wants to make of herself.

I was also instantly hooked by Emoni and Malachi’s relationship! If any of you find these type of men in real life, please let me know, because so far I’m convinced that they only exist in fictional worlds! His maturity and kindness was obvious from the get-go, and I just loved his and Emoni’s banter, and how their relationship developed slowly, naturally, nothing forced between them but something that grew out of curiosity of each other and a simple need to just get to know the other person, know every single little thing about them - and I just thing that’s also really beautiful.

My favorite part - I’ve been seeing and reading the praises sung to Acevedo’s writing, and I can now whole-heartedly confirmed that none of them are wrong. I flew through this book, y’all. Her style manages to somehow be both simple and poetic, both very easy to understand and connect with but also full of hidden metaphors and references. It’s absolutely incredible. It’s been a long time since I was so instantly hooked on a book, but I already know I’ll be reading anything and everything that she releases from now on, and I won’t be waiting 4 years to do it!

Connor 

I knew I loved Acevedo's writing, but this one is another level for me--I'm not sure if it's because of the food, or the cooking, or the friends, or (let's be honest) the Philly of it all, but I loved loved loved it.

Jade

Wow , what can I say about this book . 
Let me begin by saying that I absolutely tore through it , It was honestly never out of my hands and if I ever had a moment spare then it was spent reading this book!.
Now I’m not actually to sure why I loved this book so much , because I don’t particularly share any troubles that the characters face in this book with them but for some reason I found it so utterly enchanting and relatable.
I am a massive fan of Elizabeth acavedos writing style in this book , it was so easy to follow along with and I found the main character Emoni so charming and just the most amazing character .
I also loved how this book was set out , all the chapters were relatively short with made me feel like I was accomplishing more when I got to the end of a chapter which I always love ! .
Overall this book was just amazing , it was fluffy lighthearted and just utterly magical and I would 100% recommend everyone to pick it up and read it ! .

Ashley Wendt

3.5 I listened to the audiobook. I love listening to Elizabeth Acevedo narrate her books....it’s so authentic and calming. I kept waiting for a big climax or plot twist, but there really wasn’t any. It was still a journey and done so beautifully.

This was amazing. Full review coming soon. 
My puertorican heart is full.

Kailey Rios

this was such a beautiful story, i loved every second of it. 

everything from the writing to the characters to me constantly being hungry from all the food descriptions made this such a great book to read. 


  4.25 stars

Anna Cashman

the type of book i wish i read in high school !! i love Emoni and how she actively made things work out for her

Dee B. 

I'm crying. Hearing the emotion in Elizabeth Acevedo's voice coupled with just the hardships Emoni has to go through, constantly having to choose between wanting her dream versus her responsibility to her family. The only way to consume this book is through the audiobook, none of you can convince me otherwise. But, above all else, you should just read this book because it's just that good. It's food for the soul.

I want more of Emoni's cooking journey, I want to see Emma blossom, I want to see where this thing with her grandmother goes. I just want. Everything. Elizabeth Acevedo, what do I have to do to get more of this goodness???

jess

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I was drawn into this book by the gorgeous cover, and I've heard a lot of good things about Elizabeth Acevedo's books. Honestly, I think this is the first book about a teen parent I've ever read. I'm glad I shrugged off my doubt, because With the Fire on High is a wonderful coming-of-age book about love, family, and finding a place in the world. 

I adored Emoni as a protagonist. She's so confident and self-assured, even when she has doubts, and I found that incredibly admirable. And she's so passionate about everything she does--most notably cooking, but also putting in so much effort and love towards her family and friends and school. Like--if I had an ounce of her confidence, and she's only seventeen! I loved all her relationships, and it's clear that Emoni has so much love to give, to her daughter Emma, to her friend Angelica, to her abuela, and to the new boy Malachi. I don't usually get on board with romance in books, but here Malachi was one of Emoni's many important relationships so I didn't feel like it was overbearing, especially knowing that Emoni refused to date since the birth of her daughter. 

With the Fire on High reads very much like a slice-of-life book, which I really liked. Emoni learns how to cede some of her control to others, and let other people take care of things while also giving herself time to grow. Emoni also struggles with keeping in touch with her father, Julio, and the complexities of her Afro-Puerto-Rican heritage. There were discussions of colonialism and food which I also found very interesting, because the culmination of the cooking class that Emoni enrolls in is a trip to Spain, which--as a Puerto Rican, and as a Black American, Emoni obviously has very, very complex feelings about. 

The other thing this book made me is hungry. Emoni's a skilled cook, and the description really doesn't skimp on how delicious her food is. This book made me want to get into cooking, though the results of that were, er, mixed. Emoni is honestly so much of an inspiration, y'all. I just can't get across how much I loved her. 

I really, really enjoyed With the Fire on High and highly recommend it for anyone who's looking for a good coming-of-age story, or a book that will make you salivate and then try to cook one of the recipes Emoni talks about and then set the whole thing on fire--not that I'd know from experience...

Thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for providing me with an ARC and let's ignore the fact it took me a year to read it.

With the Fire on High

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