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jenhurst's review against another edition
4.0
Beautiful prose and compelling protagonist. It’s unusual to see YA books where the focus isn’t romance. I liked how the romance was there but not a focus. Plus it’s good to see an actual hobby and potential career path from it in YA. I really look forward to what this author puts out next
bnicole424's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
jampsonn16's review
3.0
"I've had a lot of things to feel ashamed about, and I've learned that most of them are other people's problems, not mine."
This was a wonderful slice-of-life type of story and it read easy while still keeping me engaged. This was my first Acevedo book and I have to say that I really enjoy her writing - it's breezy, poetic, and wonderfully descriptive. For being typical YA, this packed quite a punch and I'm impressed at the themes Acevedo chose to highlight and how fleshed out most of the characters were. One of the things that surprised me most is that I didn't feel disappointed by this story's predictability - it's one of those books that just makes you feel good. It gave me everything I was looking for: laughs, lightheartedness, hope, and warm fuzzies. I also enjoyed that in spite of the story being easy to figure out, Acevedo still made Emoni more nuanced and complex than your average teenager, which perfectly fit her character as a young mother.
One of the best parts of this book was the focus on culture, family, and identity. All of these themes were very prevalent throughout the story and I thought Acevedo did a great job of showing the realistic way in which we navigate these things in our everyday lives. The familial relationships, emphasis on knowing where you come from, being tugged between two cultures - I deeply related to all of it and was pleased to see how Emoni dealt with these things while still maintaining her sense of self. I can't wait to read more of Acevedo's work simply for the rich culture/identity talk that I've been missing!
I would love to see this as a movie, something I can rewatch quickly when I need a good pick-me-up. All in all, this is a perfect piece of pie if you're looking for one! Don't expect anything outrageous or controversial - this keeps it pretty clean and sweet.
This was a wonderful slice-of-life type of story and it read easy while still keeping me engaged. This was my first Acevedo book and I have to say that I really enjoy her writing - it's breezy, poetic, and wonderfully descriptive. For being typical YA, this packed quite a punch and I'm impressed at the themes Acevedo chose to highlight and how fleshed out most of the characters were. One of the things that surprised me most is that I didn't feel disappointed by this story's predictability - it's one of those books that just makes you feel good. It gave me everything I was looking for: laughs, lightheartedness, hope, and warm fuzzies. I also enjoyed that in spite of the story being easy to figure out, Acevedo still made Emoni more nuanced and complex than your average teenager, which perfectly fit her character as a young mother.
One of the best parts of this book was the focus on culture, family, and identity. All of these themes were very prevalent throughout the story and I thought Acevedo did a great job of showing the realistic way in which we navigate these things in our everyday lives. The familial relationships, emphasis on knowing where you come from, being tugged between two cultures - I deeply related to all of it and was pleased to see how Emoni dealt with these things while still maintaining her sense of self. I can't wait to read more of Acevedo's work simply for the rich culture/identity talk that I've been missing!
I would love to see this as a movie, something I can rewatch quickly when I need a good pick-me-up. All in all, this is a perfect piece of pie if you're looking for one! Don't expect anything outrageous or controversial - this keeps it pretty clean and sweet.
melinda_and_her_books's review against another edition
5.0
Still one of my favorite books and authors. ❤️
cobaltbookshelf's review against another edition
2.0
I appreciate positively and representation but book felt felt on everything else.
adelle_bookworm's review against another edition
4.0
Čtivější, než jsem čekala. Povedeně zpracované nejistoty a trable života náctileté matky, která je rozkročená mezi tím, co chce, co by měla chtít a co se od ní očekává. Jasně, místy to bylo trochu připitomělé, ale jako oddechovka ideální.
Jen mě trochu mrzelo, že Tyrone od počátku působil jako docela fajn postava, jen pak to vypadalo, že se z něj narychlo musel udělat „ten špatnej"... stejně tak mě strašně vytáčela ta všudypřítomná Holčička, co už.
Jen mě trochu mrzelo, že Tyrone od počátku působil jako docela fajn postava, jen pak to vypadalo, že se z něj narychlo musel udělat „ten špatnej"... stejně tak mě strašně vytáčela ta všudypřítomná Holčička, co už.
jess_mango's review
4.0
Earlier this year I read Acevedo's other book [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] and I've been looking forward to reading With the Fire on High.
In this YA novel, high school senior Emoni Santiago lives with her daughter and her grandmother. Being a teen mom, has made life challenging for Emoni, but she doesn't want to give up on her dreams. She dreams of being a chef. When she is offered a spot in a new culinary course at her Philadelphia high school she signs up. She is challenged a bit by some of the formal training and rules due to her freeform, inspired by whims style of cooking. When the teacher announces a class culinary trip to Spain, Emoni is excited by the opportunity but concerned about where she will get the money from and how she can go on a trip when she has a daughter to take care of.
This is one of those books where you can completely hear the characters voice in narration. Emoni was a vibrant character who was very passionate about food and cooking (As am I...but I am nowhere near as vibrant as Emoni!). She has spirit and knows what she wants. She isn't super boy crazy (which is refreshing for a YA novel) having been burned by her relationship where she ended up pregnant in her Freshman year.
Highly recommend!
In this YA novel, high school senior Emoni Santiago lives with her daughter and her grandmother. Being a teen mom, has made life challenging for Emoni, but she doesn't want to give up on her dreams. She dreams of being a chef. When she is offered a spot in a new culinary course at her Philadelphia high school she signs up. She is challenged a bit by some of the formal training and rules due to her freeform, inspired by whims style of cooking. When the teacher announces a class culinary trip to Spain, Emoni is excited by the opportunity but concerned about where she will get the money from and how she can go on a trip when she has a daughter to take care of.
This is one of those books where you can completely hear the characters voice in narration. Emoni was a vibrant character who was very passionate about food and cooking (As am I...but I am nowhere near as vibrant as Emoni!). She has spirit and knows what she wants. She isn't super boy crazy (which is refreshing for a YA novel) having been burned by her relationship where she ended up pregnant in her Freshman year.
Highly recommend!
agnela's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I loved this. I'm taking a point out bcs of the magical memory food thing, it's just not for me (felt out of place in a novel heavily based in reality). And the main love interest was annoying. He kept touching her hair and talking to her after she said she's not that interested. Not a great person to pair your girl with. Everything else was perfect.
stuckinafictionaluniverse's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars. Didn't love this one nearly as much as The poet X. I was annoyed by the narrator and her development didn't grab me. The family dynamic was far more interesting than the high school drama, but I feel like the latter took up too much of the book. One of the characters is a classmate named Pretty Leslie... not surprised that she had zero purpose other than inspiring girl hate from our main character.
jess_is_currentlyreading's review against another edition
3.0
i could understand the hype for this when it came out. it gave what it was set out to give