Book Review: Little Fires Everywhere

 Little Fires Everywhere, Celeste Ng

 

My rating: 4/5 stars

 

In the placid, progressive suburbs of Shaker Heights everything is meticulously planned, from 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.

Mis Warren, an enigmatic artist and single mother, 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 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 Mis and Mrs Richardson on opposing sides. 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.

 

I picked this up having heard a lot of good things about the series, and it was in a book deal at The Works so I picked it. I started reading knowing a little bit about the plot, I knew there was an adoption involved and I knew something wasn’t quite right about it. That’s it, though.

 

First impression was that it made me think of the Pretty Little Liars franchise with the fancy houses and the big cars and the lavish lifestyles.

It begins with the tragedy, the big fire, and then you go back to the beginning of the two families entanglements.

Just like the blurb, which I feel is SO densely packed and frankly unnecessary, this book is full of long winded description and extra padding. I didn’t not like this, but it was certainly very noticeable throughout.

Ng packs in a lot of description to every page. Oftentimes it feels as though - my inner creative writing student is showing - she is telling you, rather than showing. Which can have the effect of lazy storytelling, as well as making the reader resent you for being a bit too obvious.

We would often have a moment where Mrs Richardson would do something, which in itself portrayed an emotion or a thought process, and then Ng would immediately tell us what she was feeling or thinking.

At times, I felt myself saying ‘I know!!!’ whilst reading.

However, this does sort of work for a character like Mrs Richardson, who is so planned and meticulous, and frankly rather irritating, because she would be overly explanatory and obvious, rather than subtly keeping to herself. She would tell you her thoughts, immediately. So maybe Ng was playing on this. However, I’m not so sure.

The dense description, in an omniscient narrative that focalises on a different character in turn, felt a little like Girl, Woman, Other wherein the feeling of an overarching plot is replaced with in-depth characterization and backstory.

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I did find myself a hundred pages in thinking, ‘We haven’t really done anything yet.’

For me, I didn’t mind this, but if you’re someone who likes a plot-driven novel, then maybe steer clear of this one.

The characterisation and back-story ultimately help us to reveal and predict our characters' motivations and further the themes of the novel, but it can feel stagnating in the moment.

However, even the moments that should be dramatic twists in back-story reveals, we don't necessarily feel them that way. I think that's because of the mundane, and long-winded way in which we hear about them. It lacks the shock factor because of the somehow passive, dull writing style in these moments. 

We aren't smacked in the face with shocking information, we're carefully slid a piece of paper on a tray and we reveal it, one word at a time, to a dull reaction.

 

The overall theme of motherhood, children, and flawed family relationships was very interesting. I won’t give anything away but we have three or four storylines relating to motherhood, family breakdown, and how each overlaps and intertwines with another.

 

I still can’t put my finger on what I didn’t like about this novel. I think, maybe, it was overhyped, and so I was expecting greatness. Instead, I got a good book. I didn’t not like it, but I didn’t love it.

I’m glad I read it, but I won’t be hankering for a re-read.

 

I am going to watch the series adaptation and see what I think.

I think they’ll amp up Mrs Richardson’s character, and make her really unlikeable, when actually, in the novel, she wasn’t.

I think because we have that focalised narrative where we see into our characters’ heads, we see her thought processes, we see her explanations, we see her own flaws as a mother, and as a person. So, we can’t hate her. We understand that she, just like everyone else, is just trying to figure it out, and her way of doing that, is to control everything.

I just know Reese Witherspoon will really embody this, and make it way bigger. I think, I’ll probably hate series Mrs Richardson.

I’ve never seen Kerry Washington in anything, so I can’t imagine how she’ll play Mia, but I’m excited to see what they do with her.

I did want to mention the ending, in non-spoiler style. I liked it. It was slightly open-ended but not in a frustrating way. It felt right. I’d say the ending was the most enjoyable to read.

I sped through the last 150 pages in a night, when the rest of the novel I’d picked up and put down for a week and a bit. The pace quickens and because of that I think the descriptions thin out to leave room for the plot to come through. Thank heavens.

It was satisfying, it was right, it left you with a feeling. I liked that.

 

At the end of the day, it is a good book. Well written for the most part, with an interesting plot line, nuanced characters, in-depth backstories, and overarching themes of motherhood, womanhood, and breakdown in family communication.

I’d recommend it. Just don’t expect a fast-paced plot with dramatic climaxes.

 

Ellen Victoria

@artawaytheworld