With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo is a touching story about following your passion and cooking. The main character is mature, and the subject of teen motherhood is handled in a way that is sensible, while it is not really in the spotlight of the story. Ultimately, I found this book original and very readable.
Title: With the Fire on HighAuthor: Elizabeth Acevedo
Publisher: HarperTeen
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult Fiction
Publication Date: May 7, 2019
Rating:
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.
❃ I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. ❃
Review: With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo
I am a sucker for any book about cooking, so I was very excited to learn about this book. It follows Emoni, a teen mom who finds herself with the opportunity to go to Spain with a school cooking class. However, she worries about cost, time, and her daughter holding her back from the trip. I enjoyed how the story is not simply about a love for cooking but it explores a deeper topic and the struggles Emoni faces daily as a young mom that many people overlook. The short chapters in the novel make it very readable, and I would recommend it to those looking for an inspiring read.
❀ Strong Main Character
Emoni is such a strong main character, and I was rooting for her as the book progressed. She has a lot on her plate with her grandmother’s disability and a child of her own, but she handles situations responsibly and she is very mature. In the kitchen, Emoni faces criticism for her creativity which she resents at first. But as she gains more practical experience, she learns that there are times when you need to step back and follow instructions in order to gain a solid foundation. Overall, Emoni is a fantastic main character who is very well-rounded.
❀ Teen Mom Theme is Handled Well
When I first saw this book, I was a little skeptical about the teen mom thing. I have read too many books containing 300 pages of a teen mom complaining about the difficulties of raising a child, which I understand, but I need something more. The subject of being a teen mom is handled really well in this story, and I love how Emoni fully accepts responsibility for her daughter and doesn’t grumble throughout the whole book. The fact that the main character being a teen mom is almost in the background of the book with the main focus being on cooking is an interesting choice that worked well. It showcases that fact that Emoni can be a teen mom and still have a life.
❀ Heartwarming Story
With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo is a heartwarming story about following your dreams. I loved the descriptions of cooking and the strong main character. The subject matter is also executed in the perfect way, allowing for fresh content to shine. This is a powerful novel that I would definitely recommend.
About Elizabeth Acevedo
ELIZABETH ACEVEDO is the youngest child and only daughter of Dominican immigrants. She holds a BA in Performing Arts from the George Washington University and an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Maryland. With over fourteen years of performance poetry experience, Acevedo is a National Poetry Slam Champion, Cave Canem Fellow, CantoMundo Fellow, and participant of the Callaloo Writer's Workshop. She has two collections of poetry, Beastgirl & Other Origin Myths (YesYes Books, 2016) and winner of the 2016 Berkshire Prize, Medusa Reads La Negra’s Palm (Tupelo Press, forthcoming). The Poet X is her debut novel. She lives with her partner in Washington, DC.
About The Candid Cover
Olivia ❀ YA book blogger, Starbucks lover, novice New Yorker, & professional bibliophile.
Sounds like this was really good! It’s good how the teen mom aspect was handled really well. And I love me some cooking books! Anything food related is amazing to me LOL
Genesis @ Whispering Chapters recently posted…Such a Tender and Loveable Romance: Well Suited by Staci Hart
Same! If only all books could be about food! lol
I love the fruit on the cover!
I have heard so many great things about With The Fire On High, your review just makes me all the more excited to read it, we need more books about teen moms and all the cooking, SO here for it too 😀
lovely review! <3
Right?! I am here for lots more like this one! 🙂
Great review! This really sounds like an amazing read and really love the cute cover!
Raven @ Dreamy Addictions recently posted…May Most Anticipated Releases + May TBR [2019]
The cover is so amazing, isn’t it?! 🙂
nice cover and review
I enjoyed The Poet X and this sounds good too. And I like it when the teen parent is handled well. Many times that doesn’t seem to happen.
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I agree! It is a common theme, but it isn’t always portrayed well. I will have to look for The Poet X. 🙂
This sounds like it was a perfect book for you. I know you love books about cooking and on top of that it seems like a really great book as well.
You know me well, Stephanie! This book was right up my cooking book alley! 😉
Yes to all that. I loved Emoni and found so easy to root for. It was refreshing the way she embraced her role as a mother, but I think it helped that the book was set when Emma was a bit older. It gave Emoni time to grow into the role and acquire a lot of insight in the almost 3 years that she had been dealing with it. The ending was money in the bank though. My heart exploded and tears ran down my cheeks, because it made me so happy.
It really is such a heartfelt book! Great points! 🙂
Wonderful review! I’ve been hearing many good things about this novel lately, and am happy to see that you enjoyed it too, love! <3 I'm a sucker for any book about cooking as well, so that immediately piqued my interest when I first heard of this one. It's great to hear that the teen mom aspect of this novel is handled well! I can't wait to read this one some time soon!
I hope that you love it! If you are a fan of cooking novels, I am sure that you will love this one. 🙂
Fruity, lots to like about this one. Interesting.