I adore Acevedo. She presses the real questions in her writing and approaches the themes in her books with care and tenacity. WITH THE FIRE ON HIGH is no exception, I love how she crafts her characters lives and struggles with a vivacious description that flows from the page. As a reader I was able to see Emoni as a friend, as someone that I could come to know and care for. There’s so much vibrant contrast with Emoni’s cooking that brings out so much of what she wishes to be. I really enjoyed this book and recommend it. It’s sweet and engaging. Acevedo brings a lot of light and so much positivity in WITH THE FIRE ON HIGH.
I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
About this book:
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.
ELIZABETH ACEVEDO is a New York Times bestselling author of The Poet X and With the Fire on High. Her critically-acclaimed debut novel, The Poet X, won the 2018 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature. She is also the recipient of the Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Fiction, the CILIP Carnegie Medal, and the Boston Globe-Hornbook Award. Additionally, she was honored with the 2019 Pure Belpré Author Award for celebrating, affirming, and portraying Latinx culture and experience.
Her books include, Beastgirl & Other Origin Myths (YesYes 2016), The Poet X (HarperCollins, 2018), & With The Fire On High (HarperCollins, 2019).
She holds a BA in Performing Arts from The George Washington University and an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Maryland. Acevedo has been a fellow of Cave Canem, Cantomundo, and a participant in the Callaloo Writer’s Workshops. She is a National Poetry Slam Champion, and resides in Washington, DC with her love.
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