- Title: Little Fires Everywhere
- Author: Celeste NG
- Publisher: Abacus
- Star Rating: ★★★★
Everyone in Shaker Heights was talking about it that summer: how Isabelle, the last of the Richardson children, had finally gone around the bend and burned the house down.
In Shaker Heights, a placid, progressive suburb of Cleveland, everything is meticulously planned – from the layout of the winding roads, to the colours of the houses, to the successful lives its residents will go on to lead. And no one embodies this spirit more than Elena Richardson, whose guiding principal is playing by the rules. Enter Mia Warren – an enigmatic artist and single mother- who arrives in this idyllic bubble with her teenage daughter Pearl, and rents a house from the Richardsons.
I loved this book. Little Fires Everywhere is a darkly delicious story which really gets you thinking, exploring racial and class dichotomies. I was fascinated by the character of Mia- the rebel, the outcast, the unpredictable, unconventional artist who rattles the pristine, law-abiding Elena. It’s a contrast of two very different families, with different values, and how they can learn from, and even understand each other. The writing and character descriptions are enthralling and gripping. Highly recommend.