Book 29 - Excuse Me While I Go Eat...Everything

Title: With the Fire on High

Author: Elizabeth Acevedo

Genre: YA fiction

What a delightful read. Man. It makes me so happy that I can still enjoy a YA book so much. For a while there, I was starting to think I had outgrown the whole genre. Nope, we good - just hadn't been reading the good stuff.

THIS is the good stuff.

Although there are some heavyheavy themes, Acevedo tells this story in a way that both acknowledges these things but also suffuses the whole thing with hope. Yes, Emoni's life, her neighbourhood, her situation, is tough in a lot of ways. Her baby's father is possessive, her father seems to care more about his community than the family right in front of his eyes, her Abuela is hiding something, and the magic Emoni seems to have with food doesn't quite reach her school grades. Also, she has to take care of a 2-year old while also trying to graduate. Any one of those things would topple any regular person. But, despite the odds stacked against her, Emoni proves to be resilient and creative, and the situations Acevedo throws at her protag tease of the strong and soft aspects of this loveable character.

More than anything, Acevedo's writing absolutely shines. I've never read anything by her, but this definitely won't be the last! I feel like Emoni herself is telling me this story. Also - the little food and flower drawings at the beginning of every chapter are ADORABLE. Don't read this book on an empty stomach...

Rating: 🍓🍓🍓🍓