With The Fire On High tells the story of Emoni Santiago, a teen mother navigating high school, work and motherhood while trying to decide if college is a viable option for her future. A talented chef with 'magic in her hands', she enrolls in a culinary arts class at her high school, meets a boy, and discovers that maybe there is a way to be everything she needs to be for her daughter while following her passions.
I have mixed feelings about this book. I'll start with the positives. This was a really sweet story. The addition of the recipes breaking up the sections was a wonderful idea and beautifully done. I loved the relationship between Emoni and Buela, and I thought the romance between Emoni and Malachi was the right amount of wholesome without being too cheesy.
Now onto the issues I had. The chapters were far too short and I found the writing overall too simple for my taste. That being said, there were moments at the end of chapters where Acevedo absolutely killed it with a paragraph or a phrase that showed real depth. I wanted this kind of writing throughout the entire book, but I feel we only got snippets. I like a bit more meat to my stories, and there wasn't enough happening in this book to fully satisfy me.
Overall, I thought this was a sweet, cosy story with a positive message. The relationships were well done, and having Emoni's passion for cooking as the focal point was a unique premise that I enjoyed reading about. My issues with the writing and the lack of action in the plot aside, I enjoyed my time with this story.
I have mixed feelings about this book. I'll start with the positives. This was a really sweet story. The addition of the recipes breaking up the sections was a wonderful idea and beautifully done. I loved the relationship between Emoni and Buela, and I thought the romance between Emoni and Malachi was the right amount of wholesome without being too cheesy.
Now onto the issues I had. The chapters were far too short and I found the writing overall too simple for my taste. That being said, there were moments at the end of chapters where Acevedo absolutely killed it with a paragraph or a phrase that showed real depth. I wanted this kind of writing throughout the entire book, but I feel we only got snippets. I like a bit more meat to my stories, and there wasn't enough happening in this book to fully satisfy me.
Overall, I thought this was a sweet, cosy story with a positive message. The relationships were well done, and having Emoni's passion for cooking as the focal point was a unique premise that I enjoyed reading about. My issues with the writing and the lack of action in the plot aside, I enjoyed my time with this story.