Plot:

Everyone in Shaker Heights was talking about it that summer: how Isabelle, the last of the Richardson children, had finally gone around the bend and burned the house down.

In Shaker Heights, a placid, progressive suburb of Cleveland, everything is meticulously planned – from the layout of the winding roads, to the colours 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 principal 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 just tenants: all four Richardson children are drawn to the alluring mother-daughter pair. But Mia carries with her a mysterious past, and a disregard for the rules that threatens to upend this carefully ordered community.

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

Little Fires Everywhere explores the weight of long-held secrets and the ferocious pull of motherhood-and the danger of believing that planning and following the rules can avert disaster, or heartbreak.

Review:

Finally a book who’s authors writing I can follow and writes the characters well!

When you attempt to write about multiple people within one novel lately I’ve noticed it has been such a clash when trying to write it and keep the readers involved and not bored or confused.

This novel, captured my attention from the beginning and it was easy to see there was a pattern with how the author was introducing each character and their thinking process. I loved the way it was done because I could follow it.

The way Mia, Pearl’s mother had spent time with Izzy and getting her to open up, and learning why Mrs Richardson had treated her youngest daughter and how she was brought up was interesting. I enjoyed the bond between the two and I am still getting my head around how Izzy’s thinking process works because at times I agree with some of the actions she had done but at times I am frustrated with her because she doesn’t seem to think of the consequences.

I did not appreciate Mrs Richardson’s nosiness into Mia’s past however discovering the story had my wanting to find out more.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book I definitely recommend it if you would love a great read that has you begging to know what happens next.

4/5 Stars