Little Fires Everywhere - Celeste Ng - 4 stars

[Kelly]

I enjoyed this story by Celeste Ng. The book starts with a fire at the Richardson’s family upper class home, and how it happened is revealed through the story. Things start to change for everyone when Mia Warren and her daughter Pearl arrive to the planned community of Shaker Heights, Ohio. Mia is an artist who does not talk much of her past and moves to new places often. They do not have much and live in a rental home owned by Mrs. Richardson. The lives of these families soon come together as the kids begin spending time together.

The author did a good job of developing characters, and all are flawed in some way. Mia was probably the most complex. Despite having kept her own background to herself, she is a believer that mothers and children should be together and also in second chances. The reasons for this came out in an interesting way as her history is told. Mia seems to have a lot of influenece not only over her daughter, but also with the Izzy and Lexie Richardson. Throughout the book we also see teenagers and the secrets they keep from each other and their families. Relationships may change alone the way.

In their town there is a major custody battle going on where a small child will either go back to her immigrant Chinese mother who abandoned her or a stay with a white family who has been raising her. Both sides of the case are told well, and everyone in town has an opinion. I was intrigued by the themes of what it takes to give up a child, and what makes a mother. Like many things in this book, there are no easy answers.

Little Fires Everywhere was an enjoyable read. Perhaps there were a few times where some actions were personally a stretch to believe, but the relationships throughout the story more than made up for it to me.

[Anita]

You liked this one a bit more than I did, but that's a good thing!!