Review - Little Fires Everywhere

Little Fires Everywhere

by Celeste Ng

released 9/12/2017

338 pages

Chapters:  medium

Rating:  5 out of 5 stars

This book is one of the most popular and best-reviewed books of 2017, and I absolutely agree with the crowd on this one.  

The story takes place in Shaker Heights, Ohio, following the lives of teenage Pearl, her mother Mia, and the families they encounter in this idyllic town.  Everyone has secrets, and they all come to the surface as the characters go about their everyday lives. 

What I loved most about this book is that, despite not having much "action", the story is riveting.  I stayed up far too late every night that I was reading this just because I wanted to keep going and find out what happened next.  It's definitely not a traditional mystery or thriller, but the reader is only given a little information at a time, and you definitely won't see the many plot twists coming.

While this book explores many themes, my favorite was the idea that we all have secrets; some of us just hide them better than others.  It really makes you think - how much can you ever know your neighbor, or even members of your own family?

Little Fires Everywhere is emotional but light.  Ng is a masterful storyteller, writing the intimate details of her characters' lives without getting bogged down by the many intertwined plots. The closer I got to the end of this book, the more upset I became because I truly did not want it to end.  By the time I finished this book, I felt so entwined in the characters' lives that I could have been a resident of Shaker Heights too. 

It was recently announced that Hulu will be making a limited release adaption of this story, starring Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington. I am really looking forward to visiting these characters again soon via the new show. 

If you're interested in reading this book, consider using my link to purchase it from Amazon (and help me get more books).