(This is one of my first Goodreads reviews, so I apologize if it is rough...)

4/5 (audiobook)

I really enjoyed this book! I listened to it as an audiobook, and having it narrated by the author, Elizabeth Acevedo, made it a million times better. As I was listening to the novel, I felt that having the author as the narrator allowed the characters to truly take life, all with personalities and emotions of their own. The narrative takes the story of a teenage mother and puts it in what feels like a realistic, honest perspective. Many times, young adult novels seem to portray teenage motherhood as being a horrible situation, but "With the Fire on High", Emoni's character shows how young parents can be ambitious, loving, caring, and successful all while following their dreams.

This was a solid 4/5 for me. The reason it is not a 5/5, though, was for some personal writing pet peeve, such as cliches. One of the cliches that really stood out to me was the "I let out the breath I didn't even know I was holding." This phrase came up many times throughout the story. Overall, though, this book is one of my favorite audiobooks, thus far.