Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

Marissa | Holmdel High School, Grade 10

Rating: ****

The book I am reviewing is Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng, which tells the story of two families and the ways in which their lives become intertwined. One family, the Richardsons, is a wealthy and typical cookie cutter family with two parents and four children: Trip, Lexie, Moody, and Izzy. The other consists of a photographer named Mia Warren and her daughter, Pearl, who move into a rental home owned by the Richardsons. Mia and Pearl are far less financially well off, and so Mia is hired as a housekeeper at the Richardsons’ home. Pearl idolizes the Richardson kids and slowly becomes friends with the four of them as they spend more and more time together. As their lives become more entangled, conflict arises as the families’ beliefs and ideologies clash.

Little Fires Everywhere is an engaging and thought-provoking realistic fiction piece. It talks about the role of race and economic class in determining one’s social standing, and how it affects their position in society and the way in which they are treated. It also explores the complicated nature of relationships when people from different backgrounds come together, both at a young and older age. This is an emotional story that also explores relatable themes such as growing up, making friends, and forming your identity.