Little Fires Everywhere

By: Celeste Ng

Narrated by: Jennifer Lim

Length: 11 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

A Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick

The runaway New York Times best seller!

Named a Best Book of the Year by:

People, The Washington Post, Bustle, Esquire, Southern Living, The Daily Beast, GQ, Entertainment Weekly, NPR, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Audible, Goodreads, Library Reads, Book of the Month, Paste, Kirkus Reviews, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and many more!

"I read Little Fires Everywhere in a single, breathless sitting." (Jodi Picoult)

“To say I love this book is an understatement. It’s a deep psychological mystery about the power of motherhood, the intensity of teenage love, and the danger of perfection. It moved me to tears.” (Reese Witherspoon)

“I am loving Little Fires Everywhere. Maybe my favorite novel I've read this year.” (John Green)

From the best-selling author of Everything I Never Told You, a riveting novel that traces the intertwined fates of the picture-perfect Richardson family and the enigmatic mother and daughter who upend their lives.

In Shaker Heights, a placid, progressive suburb of Cleveland, everything is planned - from the layout of the winding roads to the colors 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 principle 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. Soon Mia and Pearl become more than tenants - all four Richardson children are drawn to the mother-daughter pair. But Mia carries with her a mysterious past and a disregard for the status quo that threatens to upend this carefully ordered community.

When old family friends of the Richardsons attempt to adopt a Chinese American baby, a custody battle erupts that dramatically divides the town - and puts Mia and Elena on opposing sides. Suspicious of Mia and her motives, Elena is determined to uncover the secrets in Mia's past. But her obsession will come at unexpected and devastating costs.

Little Fires Everywhere explores the weight of secrets, the nature of art and identity, and the ferocious pull of motherhood - and the danger of believing that following the rules can avert disaster.

Perfect for book clubs! Visit celesteng.com for discussion guides and more.

©2017 Celeste Ng (P)2017 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Witty, wise, and tender. It's a marvel." (Paula Hawkins, New York Times best-selling author of The Girl on the Train and Into the Water)

Started out well

This story seemed pretty interesting in the beginning and middle, but it got really boring towards the end. I found myself thinking “that was it?” I’m not even exactly sure what the point of the book was. And the end was really weird and disappointing.

I almost skipped this, so glad I didn't.

I didn't expect much from this book and hemmed and hawed about getting it with a precious credit. I'm glad I got it, it was fantastic and beautifully written as though you sat in these homes of the story and watched the characters live. Lots of stories going at once at the same time all beautifully connecting together. I rarely write reviews, or follow many authors but I eagerly look forward to Ng's obviously bright future.

This Book is Great

This was a heartbreaking and heartwarming book with a captivating story.

I can’t recommend this book hard enough. Just get it, okay?

Beautiful book watch out for language.

I sincerely liked this book a lot. There is a lot of thought provoking sentences and story lines. It Makes you think about the direction your life is heading, how to treat others and just the overall thought of truly never knowing what is going on in someone else’s life.
I just wish there were warnings about the language in the book. So here is your warning. The “F” bomb is dropped quite a bit, as well as profanities. The book would have been just as good with out them.
Beautiful ending. The writer herself must be an artist to come up with the brilliant ending.

Loved

I loved Celeste Ng's first novel so much that I could not wait to listen to this one. Although the stories are quite different, both novels deal with very deep human emotions and complex characters. Both stories feel so real and really got to me emotionally.

Little Fires Everywhere is wonderful. In fact, I would say this is my favorite book I have read or listened all year! Also, the narration is spot-on.

AUDIBLE 20 REVIEW SWEEPSTAKES ENTRY

You had me at Doc Martens...

Mentally visually, this was my childhood. Emotionally, this was my reality. So, I binged this novel like a tasty treat. I probably overly related to the main teenage characters, yet have no apologies or regrets. If I could pack my bag and earn a place in the rabbit, I would.

Pretty boring

Struggle to get through the first half. Lots of characters, no real plot. Great narrator.

Could not get into it...

I just could not get into this book. I kept waiting for it to take off but I can't stand it any longer.

Over-acting

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

This may not be a fair review because I was asked to read this book for my book group, it was not my choosing. That said, the story was fluffy, and the reading was over acted, too dramatized.

an excellent pick

I chose this book because it was on Reeses monthly recommendations. It was absolutely fantastic. I do feel that the conclusion was a bit rushed. The plot provided an insightful look at the very different dynamics of youth growing up privellagd versus poor.