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With the Fire on High
by Elizabeth Acevedo
“I've had a lot of things to feel ashamed about and I've learned most of them are other people's problems, not mine.”
Emoni Santiago is a high school senior with a lot more to worry about than most. She's the single mother of a young daughter, and is burdened both by the weight of her endless responsibilities and the weight of her seemingly impossible dreams. But when her high school once again offers a culinary arts course, one that comes with a once in a lifetime trip to Spain, Emoni starts to open herself up again, to dreams, to hope, and maybe even to love.
Acevedo's books are always so lyrical, and this one is no exception. There's just something about the way she writes (and narrates) that keeps you utterly enthralled and invested, even if the story isn't something you generally find interesting. I personally would not have picked up this book based on its synopsis (ya contemporary is something I rarely read and I generally pick up things that are a bit more 'unique'), but when I saw it was written by Acevedo, I knew I had to read it for that alone.
I really enjoyed this book, and while most of that did stem from how it was written and narrated, I also just enjoyed the characters Acevedo created and the story she chose to give to them. It felt quite real, from the struggles Emoni faced with taking care of her daughter and sharing responsibilities with her ex to how she hoped and dreamed to do something with her passion for cooking. There was also a excellent balance of sacrifice and reward, it wasn't a book that was so unrealistic that Emoni got everything she wanted without having to give anything up but it also wasn't so dark that it showed Emoni giving herself up entirely to give her daughter a better life. There was a compromise of happiness and hard times, ending with a hopeful look towards the future. The romance was also super cute while still fitting who Emoni was, it was a slow, drawn out thing rather than the whirlwind loves we're used to seeing in YA. It all just clicked together extremely well.
My only issue with the book is the fact that it kinda felt like I had to listen to it. I did originally start the book as an audiobook, then read about 20-30% of a physical copy before once again going back to audiobook. Even though this book is written in prose, unlike [b:The Poet X|33294200|The Poet X|Elizabeth Acevedo|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1498766234l/33294200._SY75_.jpg|54024746], the chapters/sections are still extremely short, with a more lyrical style of writing. These short chapters made reading it feel more choppy than listening, as there was more constant breaking of the story that goes unnoticed in the audiobook.
Overall though, I did really enjoy this, and I can't wait to see what Acevedo writes next!
Emoni Santiago is a high school senior with a lot more to worry about than most. She's the single mother of a young daughter, and is burdened both by the weight of her endless responsibilities and the weight of her seemingly impossible dreams. But when her high school once again offers a culinary arts course, one that comes with a once in a lifetime trip to Spain, Emoni starts to open herself up again, to dreams, to hope, and maybe even to love.
Acevedo's books are always so lyrical, and this one is no exception. There's just something about the way she writes (and narrates) that keeps you utterly enthralled and invested, even if the story isn't something you generally find interesting. I personally would not have picked up this book based on its synopsis (ya contemporary is something I rarely read and I generally pick up things that are a bit more 'unique'), but when I saw it was written by Acevedo, I knew I had to read it for that alone.
I really enjoyed this book, and while most of that did stem from how it was written and narrated, I also just enjoyed the characters Acevedo created and the story she chose to give to them. It felt quite real, from the struggles Emoni faced with taking care of her daughter and sharing responsibilities with her ex to how she hoped and dreamed to do something with her passion for cooking. There was also a excellent balance of sacrifice and reward, it wasn't a book that was so unrealistic that Emoni got everything she wanted without having to give anything up but it also wasn't so dark that it showed Emoni giving herself up entirely to give her daughter a better life. There was a compromise of happiness and hard times, ending with a hopeful look towards the future. The romance was also super cute while still fitting who Emoni was, it was a slow, drawn out thing rather than the whirlwind loves we're used to seeing in YA. It all just clicked together extremely well.
My only issue with the book is the fact that it kinda felt like I had to listen to it. I did originally start the book as an audiobook, then read about 20-30% of a physical copy before once again going back to audiobook. Even though this book is written in prose, unlike [b:The Poet X|33294200|The Poet X|Elizabeth Acevedo|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1498766234l/33294200._SY75_.jpg|54024746], the chapters/sections are still extremely short, with a more lyrical style of writing. These short chapters made reading it feel more choppy than listening, as there was more constant breaking of the story that goes unnoticed in the audiobook.
Overall though, I did really enjoy this, and I can't wait to see what Acevedo writes next!