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Quick review : With The Fire On High

Premise:
"With the Fire on High" follows 17 year old Emoni as she enters her senior year of high school. The main challenges for Emoni are caring for her daughter, deciding what she wants to do in the future, and balancing a blossoming relationship. She lives with her grandmother, who she calls 'buela, and her two year old daughter, Emma. Her best friend is named Angelica, and she is flirting with a boy named Malachi. The story kicks off when she decides to take a culinary arts class at her school, although cooking was already a passion of hers. 
Writing Style
Although this lacked some of the outright lyricism of the Poet X, it was very readable. Emoni's voice was well developed, and the characters had compelling backstories and motivations. Although it was about four hundred pages, I read it very quickly. 
Diversity
Emoni is Puerto Rican and Black. Her best friend is a lesbian, and her love interest is also black. 

The Best Parts
Reading this book will make you hungry. The descriptions of food were well worded and rich. Emoni is a strong character, and her relationships never failed to make me smile. Her teen pregnancy is portrayed in a very non-judgemental way, and her relationship with Emma was one of my favorite parts of the book. Plus, just look at that cover!
The Worst Parts
This was a five star read for me, so I didn't really dislike any of it. One thing that irked me slightly was that Emoni sometimes didn't give full insight into her decisions, or withheld things from the reader. However, this was necessary to create suspense in the story. 
In Conclusion
This was a cute read about growing up and making life choices. It's a quick read, but most people are sure to enjoy it. 


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