Celeste Ng

Little Fires Everywhere : A Novel (Paperback)

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(4.17) 4.17 stars out of 18 reviews 18 reviews
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Little Fires Everywhere : A Novel (Paperback)

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4.17 out of 5stars
(18 reviews)
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Most helpful positive review

5.00 out of 5 stars review
Verified Purchaser
02/21/2022
I went into this book expecting to…
I went into this book expecting to dislike it, because I didn't like Ng's first novel. It was a book club read, so I had to read this. I loved it. So emotional, and so carefully put together. The story opens with a house in ruins from little fires everywhere, and then the novel unfolds to explain what happened to lead to this time. The Richardsons are an affluent family in Shaker Heights, OH, with 4 teenage children. The 2 girls, Lexie and Izzy are the bookends, with Trip and Moody in the middle. A new family moves to town, Mia, a photographer, and Pearl Warren, her daughter. They rent an apartment from the Richardsons. Moody and Pearl become friends, and once he introduces Pearl to the family, things change in ways they never imagined. Other friends/families play into the story, with order and right/wrong, black/white questions being discussed and decided. Devastating, emotionally raw, beautifully written.
rmarcin

Most helpful negative review

3.00 out of 5 stars review
Verified Purchaser
08/11/2018
Elena Richardson defin...
Elena Richardson defines all that is white Shaker suburbia. She is a journalist reporting for a small-time, local newspaper and considers herself an involved parent. She is the mother of four children: Lexie is one of the pretty girls who rule the social scene until the scene owns her and in her thoughtless pretty girl way she sacrifices someone else without blinking; Trip is that good looking jock who never settles on any one girl until Pearl Warren enters his life; Moody is quiet, thoughtful, and kind until he is hurt so badly that he can't help lashing out and destruction is the result; Izzy with a true moral compass is the child her mother is afraid she will lose and yet Mrs. Richardson does everything to assure that is the end result. On the other side of the story is Mia is the artistically gifted photographer who never sticks in any one place too long. She travels light in her old VW Rabbit with few personal possessions, her daughter Pearl, and the secrets of her youth. Pearl is everyone's foil in the story. She is bewitched by the Richardson's, loves her mother unconditionally and is about to grow up quickly. "What happens when a kid learns to lie - when they hold the knowledge inside like a splinter, being careful not to touch it"? This book carefully lay out what happens when petty minded people rely on unverified information to destroy other people's lives. Once again Ms. Ng has written a compelling story with characters that are highly identifiable. Once again, I admired her writing (4 stars) and disliked the story (3 stars).
kimkimkim
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    02/21/2022
    I went into this book expecting to…
    I went into this book expecting to dislike it, because I didn't like Ng's first novel. It was a book club read, so I had to read this. I loved it. So emotional, and so carefully put together. The story opens with a house in ruins from little fires everywhere, and then the novel unfolds to explain what happened to lead to this time. The Richardsons are an affluent family in Shaker Heights, OH, with 4 teenage children. The 2 girls, Lexie and Izzy are the bookends, with Trip and Moody in the middle. A new family moves to town, Mia, a photographer, and Pearl Warren, her daughter. They rent an apartment from the Richardsons. Moody and Pearl become friends, and once he introduces Pearl to the family, things change in ways they never imagined. Other friends/families play into the story, with order and right/wrong, black/white questions being discussed and decided. Devastating, emotionally raw, beautifully written.
    rmarcin
  • 4.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    10/28/2021
    This book completely lived up to the…
    This book completely lived up to the hype for me. Ng writes believable, complex characters that are in situations that, while they are dramatic, are still plausible. This novel is set in Shaker Heights, a planned community in Cleveland, OH. It is regimented and every detail is planned, but it also strives to be diverse and welcoming. How successful it is is a complex answer. Within this community, the Richardsons have a perfect suburban life. When Mia and Pearl move into the Richardson's rental home, everyone's lives are shaken up. Mia is an artist and Pearl is her teenage daughter. They've lived a nomadic life and the reason why is one of the secrets that will be unearthed. Also central to the book is a custody battle between adoptive parents and a birth mother. To be honest, the idea of that sensational topic would have really put me off reading this book, but Ng makes it work and uses it to explore other themes more deeply. Elena Richardson and Mia are set up as contrasts of motherhood and there is so much to unpack here. They are both complex and I love the Ng can write characters that are so different, yet neither is "right". Ng also explores themes of career vs. motherhood for women. I read this book because I'm going on a long weekend beach trip with some of my fellow "mom friends" this weekend. I'm so glad we picked this book because I think we'll have a lot to talk about and the discussions could easily lead to more global and personal discussions about motherhood, womanhood, living in the suburbs, career, and life in general. I think we will have some differing opinions about the characters in this book and I'm looking forward to that!
    japaul22
  • 3.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    09/06/2021
    If half stars were available I'd give…
    If half stars were available I'd give this book a 3 and a half, as it's not really a three, but not quite a four for me either. I just did not find this book as compelling as it appears most others have. It's not quite a direct comparison, but to me it felt like a muted variation on "Ordinary People" - well written and thoughtful but in the end with not much new to say. To me this book was one long set of character studies, carefully arranged and written with enough "slant" to lead you to a conclusion that the author had predetermined. The plot is minimal, and you are into chapter 13 before the first important plot turn happens. I found myself frustrated that it was taking so long to get to the point. I guess that's because the characters, although they are very fully developed, each seemed pretty stereotypical in their own way. There's not much unexpected about any of them, and for me that really "flattened" the story. Interestingly, the only character not fully developed is the one around which the central plot point revolves, and perhaps that's as intended. I listened to the audiobook and I found Jennifer Lim's narration to be fantastic. The characters are so well developed, and she found a "voice" for each one that complemented the text without getting in the way.
    stevrbee
  • 4.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    07/09/2021
    I almost gave up on this book, mainly…
    I almost gave up on this book, mainly because I am not a fan of coming-of-age stories. (Well, I like them well enough, but once you've read a hundred or so, you've read them all.) The first half of the book is mainly devoted to a lot of teenage angst and silliness: I wish I was more popular, I have a crush, I think I'm ready to have sex, I'm the most popular girl in my school, I'm a standout jock, My parents just don't understand me, I'm feeling self-conscious, Who am I and where am I going? The Richardsons' four teens (Lexie, Trip, Izzy, and Moody) live in Shaker Height, Ohio, a seemingly perfect planned community. Their father is a lawyer, their mother, Elena, a reporter for the local paper. Lexie is the pretty and popular cheerleader, Trip is the handsome and popular jock, Moody is the smart and sensitive one, and Izzy is the black sheep. So far, so boring. The Richardsons own a duplex that they rent for extra income. An elderly Chinese man lives in one half, and Elena rents the other half to Mia, a wandering artist, and her teenage daughter, Pearl (enter more angst). Pearl and Moody become besties, and soon she is almost part of the family. Elena hires Mia as a part-time housekeeper/cook, and Izzy becomes attached to her, wishing Mia was her real mother. Halfway in, we start to learn more about the adults in the novel--a definite turn for the better, and one that also makes the teens' stories more compelling and relevant. When a custody battle breaks out over an abandoned Chinese baby, Mia sides with her coworker, the birth mother, instead of the Richardsons' friends, and Elena decides to investigate Mia's background. Who is she? Who is Pearl's father? Why does she only stay in one place for a short time? How can she bear to live with so few belongings? Her investigation leads into corners that might better have been kept dark, and her actions reveal secrets that shatter her so-called perfect world. It's Mia, a truly fascinating character, who holds the novel together. Without her, the structure--the first half's top-heavy focus on teens--might encourage readers like me to abandon the book. She kept me going to the rewarding conclusion.
    Cariola
  • 4.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    07/09/2021
    From the outset, Ng hints that this…
    From the outset, Ng hints that this story will not have a happy ending. A fireman tending to the burned-out Richardson home sets the mood of foreboding best. “The firemen said there were little fires everywhere. Multiple points of origin. Possible use of accelerant. Not an accident.” On its surface, this statement seems straightforward. But since it contains the title of the book, one is suspicious that it may be more metaphorical, having broader and more ominous implications. Ng's intent in this novel is to explore motherhood. “What made someone a mother? Was it biology alone, or was it love?” She goes about this by giving us two quite different mothers. Mia Warren is an enigmatic artist. She is the single mother of Pearl. Mia has pursued her muses with a nomadic lifestyle. Her art form entails combining found objects in meaningful ways and photographing them. Each photo is unique, since the negatives are destroyed. Incidentally, these play a key role in the novel's outcome. She has little material wealth, but does not seem to have a need for it. "(T)his Mia, a completely different kind of woman leading a completely different life, who seemed to make her own rules with no apologies." Elena Richardson, on the other hand, has always played by the rules, “many rules, about what you could and could not do." She seems to have the perfect life: she has a successful husband who is a lawyer; she has three well-adjusted teenage children (Lexie, Moody, and Trip) and one who struggles with identity issues (Izzie); her home is immaculate; she does community service; and works part-time doing reporting for the local paper. The differences between these two women are indeed stark and give the novel its mood of tension that slowly catches fire. Mrs. Richardson feels it more acutely. “You can't just do what you want, she thought. Why should Mia get to, when no one else did?" The children seem to be the ”accelerant” in this conflagration. Elena's children are drawn to Mia, while Pearl finds satisfaction in hanging out with the Richardsons. Each seems to be seeking things that they don't get at home. This only adds to the tension between the two mothers. Ng chooses three plotlines that seem to ignite the fire. These highlight issues surrounding motherhood including pregnancy, abortion, adoption, surrogacy and especially the impact of class and race. The Richardson's close friends have taken in an abandoned Chinese baby and are seeking to adopt. The child's biological mother has had second thoughts about abandoning her daughter and wants her back. The high profile court custody case revolves around issues of suitability. Who has the stronger claim: the birth mother with the appropriate cultural heritage, but little material wealth or the upper middle-class adoptive parents? The second plot thread involves Mia's mysterious past, which Elena exposes using her skills as an investigative reporter. Mia was serving as a surrogate to a wealthy childless couple. She also has second thoughts and disappears with her daughter. The third story revolves around Elena's elder teenage daughter, Lexie, who becomes pregnant by her boyfriend, who happens to be from a wealthy African-American family. She sees her choices as being between Yale and teenage motherhood. It is important also to note that the setting for the novel is Shaker Heights, Ohio, in the 1990's. Because Ng spent her own childhood there, she imbues her novel with a strong sense of place. At that time, Shaker Heights was a meticulously planned progressive community that saw itself as some kind of utopia welcoming all races and classes. Ng infers that this may have been a naïve delusion. This becomes apparent when Trip responds to Lexie's smug belief that living in Shaker Heights was ideal because no one saw race. "Everyone sees race, Lex. The only difference is who pretends not to." There is much to admire in this novel. Ng not only succeeds in illuminating the complexities surrounding motherhood, but also touches on several other themes including material success vs. freedom, creativity vs. conformity and class vs. racism. Her characters are well drawn. The plot is exquisitely structured. Using an omniscient narrative style, she skillfully portrays teenage behavior and how it sometimes seems isolated from the greater society. If the novel has any failing, it comes from a sense that Ng has an agenda and thus seems biased in favor of some of her characters while extensively demonstrating the flaws of others.
    ozzer
  • 4.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    07/09/2021
    I enjoyed this read. I found myself…
    I enjoyed this read. I found myself excited to get back to it each evening. So if I were a person who rated solely on enjoyment, this might have been a 5-star. But I am not that person. Some of the best books I have read were really difficult and occasionally unpleasant to read. (Same with film and music.) For me a 5-star experience broadens me, stretches my intellect and my empathy, and sometimes gives me a new friend or enemy. This generally well written and thoroughly enjoyed book didn't do that.. I had some of the same issues with this book as with Ng's last. It is worth noting that I thought those issues were less significant than in the last book; Once again I came away thinking Ng is enormously talented, that she hasn't reached her peak yet, and that I really want to see what is next. Little Fires is mostly about how there is no right way to be a mother. Every child is different and requires different parenting. Yet so many parents choose their parenting paths based on creating their ideal of a child rather than paying attention to the child they have and guiding and protecting them. This is at the center of both of Ng's books. Also there at the center of this book, and largely absent from the last, is a sense of forgiveness for this failure to correctly parent. For all the parents in this book there is an acknowledgement that no matter how badly we mess up sometimes, even if our occasionally blind obsession with getting parenting right destroys our children's lives, nothing dims the brilliance of a mother's love. These are profound themes worthy of examination, and I imagine familiar ones to most women whether as applied to their own parenting, their relationships with their own mothers, or both. I rarely classify reads as women's books, but this one is. The men are rendered nugatory. My biggest problem though is that Ng sticks with an unexamined and oversimplified "my mother is ruining my life" narrative. Izzy is this symbol of the results of parenting generically and not paying attention to the child you have. She suffers all the hardships that come with that. But Ng never really lets us know Izzy, so this becomes a trope rather than an examination of this mother child dynamic. So too Mia, whose mother is so cold she sees Mia only as someone who reflects poorly on her and her husband's parenting -- we see this, but we know nothing of the mother and her reasons for being such a bad parent. We know little more of Mia. Ng never leads us to an understanding of why Mia made the decision that changed her life, whether she thinks that decision was a good one, or why her later decision to live as a vagabond made sense. We can guess a little about the answer to the first question based on her reaction to the adoption story, but I don't think the foundation for true understanding is laid. Bottom line, Ng's characters are drawn to make points, rather than being realized people who act in ways that tell their stories. This was an improvement over the last book but still something Ng needs to work on. (The parents in the last book were good people but their parenting was so terrible it was inexcusable, That made the whole book less interesting than it would have been if there was tension and love rather than a sense of duty limited by the scars the parents bore coming into creating a family. In this book the parents were less good -- or at least too unknown to judge -- but the tension and love are there and that is a good thing.) Once again, I stress that this is an enjoyable book, with some compelling themes and I think most people will like it. I can't wait for the next Ng book because she is talented, has a unique POV, I think it will be even better than this one. ** I forgot to mention that I appreciated the books approach to race (the ridiculous white liberal "race doesn't matter" line gets a good and well deserved beating here.)
    Narshkite
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    07/09/2021
    Little things can change our lives: a…
    Little things can change our lives: a chance comment accidentally overheard, not answering a phone call, calling out something in haste, believing erroneous information. And once set in motion, circumstances can become out of control, just like a fire. Mia and her daughter Pearl must be nomads, but they have adapted well to that life. That is, until they land in Shaker Heights and meet the Richardsons. Pearl becomes friends with the four Richardson teens, and finally, life seems almost normal to her. But Mia holds fast to a deep and dark secret, one that even Pearl doesn't know. And as life would have it, Elena Richardson, trying to help her oldest friend adopt a Chinese baby, stumbles on Mia's secret. After that, no one's life, especially Elena's, will ever be the same again. Masterfully written, peopled with dynamic and complex characters, and set in a bucolic community, author Celeste Ng has penned another riveting novel about familial relationships: what connects them and what destroys them.
    Maydacat
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    07/08/2021
    Wow, this is good. Very difficult to…
    Wow, this is good. Very difficult to put down (finished in two sittings!) Excellent example of a 1990's family novel that is both literary and also fascinating and actually a pleasure to read. Strong characters and thoughtful explorations of class, culture, art, and parenthood.
    KatyBee
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    07/08/2021
    I was completely sucked into this…
    I was completely sucked into this one. Some of the big dramatic secrets fell a little flat, but that didn't take away from the rich character study. Mia and Pearl's nomadic life is sharply contrasted in the suburban Richardson family. The book explores so many topics including nature versus nurture, class, biological rights, morally ambiguous choices, and so much more.
    bookworm12
  • 4.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    05/24/2021
    Mia Warren and her daughter Pearl,…
    Mia Warren and her daughter Pearl, move into the Richardson family's rental house in Shaker Heights , Cleveland. Mia is an artist who does not liked to be tied down, who frequently moves around from one place to another and takes random part time jobs to earn just enough for her and Pearl to get by. The Richardson family is upper middle class, well known in the community and have lived in Shaker Heights their whole lives. As far as Mrs. Richardson could imagine, living in Shaker Heights is the perfect life in the perfect place. She always lived an orderly and regimented life. She was brought up to follow the rules and always strove for perfection. Mia, to her, was a different kind of woman, leading a completely different life. Mia seemed to make her own rules, with no apology. Pearl and Mia soon develop friendships with the children of the Richardson family and become entangled in their lives. Pearl has never really had friends before because they have moved so much. Pearl becomes quick best friends with Moody. They are both two lonely, naive teenagers with sensitive personalities and bookish wisdom. Pearl is timid, quiet and unsure of herself. Moody is a sweet guy, a romantic at heart. Moody finds that Pearl is another poetic soul like him and he quickly becomes fascinated with her and her mother. Pearl begins spending all her time at the Richardson's home and is dazzled by their domestic perfection and confidence. There is Lexie, with her golden smile, easy laugh and warmness. There is Tripp, with his handsome looks and charm. And then there is Izzy, who cares what no one thinks and often does crazy things. Izzy and her mother have a troubled relationship. Her mother is always harder on Izzy, always criticizing her behavior, always less patient with her mistakes and shortcomings, always demanding more from her than her siblings. Izzy soon recognizes a kindred spirit in Mia. She hangs on to her every word, and seeks and trusts her opinion on everything. She becomes Mia's assistant and starts pretending that Mia is her mother. Mia sees Izzy as a younger version of herself. There is a side story to the dynamic relationships between these two families. A custody battle between Mia's friend and Mrs. Richardson's friend causes a lot of conflict between the two women who already don't really like each other. Mrs. Richardson is a reporter and she begins digging into Mia's past and we learn all about her buried secrets. “It was so easy, she thought with some disdain, to find out about people. It was all out there, everything about them. You just had to look. You could figure out anything about a person if you just tried hard enough.” The book explores what makes someone a mother, is it biology or is it love? The ferocious pull of motherhood and its complexities is a huge issue throughout this novel. At the end of the book, the Richardson home has been burned to the ground and the fireman says there were actually “little fires everywhere,” just like there were little fires everywhere within these characters. Some fires were put out, some exploded and some burnt to the ground. “Like after a prairie fire...It seems like the end of the world. The earth is all scorched and black and everything green is gone. But after the burning, the soil is richer, and new things can grow....People are like that, too, you know. They start over. They find a way.” Lovely book y'all. Just lovely.
    dawnlovesbooks
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