Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng Book Summary

BOOK SCORE
4.5
TOTAL RATINGS
9,236
BOOK PRICE
$11.99

The #1 New York Times bestseller!

“Witty, wise, and tender. It's a marvel.” —Paula Hawkins, author of The Girl on the Train and A Slow Fire Burning

“To say I love this book is an understatement. It’s a deep psychological mystery about the power of motherhood, the intensity of teenage love, and the danger of perfection. It moved me to tears.” —Reese Witherspoon

From the bestselling author of Everything I Never Told You and Our Missing Hearts comes a riveting novel that traces the intertwined fates of the picture-perfect Richardson family and the enigmatic mother and daughter who upend their lives.

In Shaker Heights, a placid, progressive suburb of Cleveland, everything is planned—from the layout of the winding roads, to the colors 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 principle is playing by the rules.

Enter Mia Warren—an enigmatic artist and single mother—who arrives in this idyllic bubble with her teenaged daughter Pearl, and rents a house from the Richardsons. Soon Mia and Pearl become more than tenants: all four Richardson children are drawn to the mother-daughter pair. But Mia carries with her a mysterious past and a disregard for the status quo that threatens to upend this carefully ordered community.

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

Little Fires Everywhere explores the weight of secrets, the nature of art and identity, and the ferocious pull of motherhood—and the danger of believing that following the rules can avert disaster.

Named a Best Book of the Year by: People, The Washington Post, Bustle, Esquire, Southern Living, The Daily Beast, GQ, Entertainment Weekly, NPR, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Audible, Goodreads, Library Reads, Book of the Month, Paste, Kirkus Reviews, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and many more...


Perfect for book clubs! Visit celesteng.com for discussion guides and more.

Little Fires Everywhere Book Details

Book Name Little Fires Everywhere
Genre Literary Fiction
Author Celeste Ng
Published 12 September 2017, Tuesday
Price $11.99
E-Book Size 1.85 MB

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng Book Reviews

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Breckyn Turner

Little Fires Everywhere. Loved it! Definitely recommend if race/ethnicity/culture/society/morality interest you!

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BeckyTonda

Not what I expected. Too much detailed to no point. And the ending was not good at all.

Mentel23

Little fires everywhere. I rated this book three stars because I thought the underlying messages of the book were very important and I enjoyed getting to know each of the characters, but not enough happened in the storyline for me.

LIT.design

Little Fires Everywhere. One of the best books I have read in a long time. Such an intelligent writer. Slowly peeling away the layers of each character's personality, heart & soul. Refreshing to read and ponder, long after closing the book. Lori

Cool Runnings 86

5 Stars. No comment

Jules Watson

Amazing!. This book was so compelling and really makes you examine people’s motives and morals.

Puunui Rain

Little Fires Everywhere LiFE. I'm a retired Honolulu Police Detective in my 70's. I was introduced to LiFE by a dear female friend and former Honolulu Police Commissioner. Why did I give it only 4 stars?: I don't have much time left to wait around to find out if Izzy ever finds Mia and Pearl. The time it takes Celeste to complete a book, I may not be around 😷😂.....ro

ChristieVI

Little Fires Everywhere. Interesting read...

Azarel24

Azare Morales. Azarel24

Txpenelope

Good for Book Club Discussions. The story begins with the fire as a teaser and then goes back to tell the story leading up to it. The adoption element of the story doesn’t really come into play until halfway through the book. There are small mysteries throughout the story that keeps the tension up. I didn’t think Mia was a very likable character although later in the book, the author shares details of her past that somewhat explains why she is the way she is. Elena Richardson isn’t very likable either. Overall Little Fires Everywhere is a good story that you will enjoy. Lots of things to discuss so pick this one for your book club.

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Clutterless

Little Fires Everwhere. Thoroughly enjoyed the story and the storytelling. There were moments of greatness in the prose. I saw a one star rating and have to believe that person was reading a different book!

Taramann

Gripping Story. A gripping story examining what it means to be family.

ALICIAREVIEWS

Good. This was a good book! It was an easy read and I enjoyed the writing style. I didn’t want to put it down, but it was just a little predictable. And the ending wasn’t very good, pretty anticlimactic.

Hksylvan

Wonderful. Page turner. Beautifully written from each character’s perspective. The questions at the end are thought provoking without feeling like you’re back in AP English.

Shanel718

I. Iuv hm u

April D. Ludgate

Disappointing. I read this straight out of curiosity... I had high hopes and I was let down. Overdeveloped characters and anticlimactic.

Karlacuhkz

Exciting book. I was able to finish the book in about 24 hours. I really enjoyed the book then following the series on Hulu.

Pink dreams

Great plot!. Story twists and turns keeping you interested until the end. Overall a good read and one of those books that stays with you forever. I enjoyed this read very much.

ChinaDLB

Ok book. I think author tried to jam to many issues into one book…seemed forced in some areas…not relevant to storyline.

Marshacastellano

Little Fires Everywhere. Liked the book…except for the ending. There were so any loose ends and the story was cut off and left to the imagination of the reader. Disappointed!

AlexanderX2

Very dynamic!. Loved this book! It has a slow start (hence only 4 stars), but once it gets started, you have to hold on for dear life till the end! Each of the characters is compelling and dynamic, and I loved that the story was shown through so many different perspectives.

Substitute4love_18

A story about family, sacrifices and bravery but lacking in organization.. I was really excited for this book! I really wanted to know who started the fire or how many fires would occur in the book and I was super excited about how a whole family could be involved. I was compelled to write a review because of it felt like the title didn’t live up to its publicity and my expectations of what I’ve heard about the book from other reviewers. The first ten pages drew me in right away....then it slowed down for about a 120 pages. This is where it got really difficult to finish the book. It felt like multiple ideas and thoughts from different characters just randomly tossed in there to give the book extra fluff. There was a good 50 pages just about the journalist mother’s plan to find out Mia’s past and it had a very slow start even though it’s a short 350 page book. I loved the overall idea of the story. The themes about family extending to past who you share genes with and I love the way Mia’s art was described as a symbolic measure of sacrifice. I really appreciated the ending and I hope you read it but I was just confused what was going on for the middle of the book. Thanks for reading ;)

MS3011

Quite Boring. I don’t get all the hype about this book. There’s nothing exceptional about it, nothing thought provoking. I kept waiting for something exciting or impactful to happen. The story and writing is quite plain.

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Jwatson26

A great read. I saw the tv show first but the book gave so much more insight into the characters. A great read

Littlebigfire

Twists and Turns. I love all the plots twists and the conflict that keeps these characters in motion. This book got me into drama, mystery, and thriller books, and it is definitely one you’ll want to read again and again. The way Ng connects every little fire is outstanding.

Kmy22125

Great‼️. Wonderful book. Very well written. Lots of hearts you22

Beeasted it

Underwhelming. Where do I start🤔. I liked the character development although I felt some of the writing was redundant. It is not a fast paced book. I invested a lot of time where I kept thinking something is surely about to happen. But even the ending was nothing notable really.

Arnies volunteer

WOW!!!. An incredible read… Twists and turns throughout the whole book, I never saw that ending coming… It is a must read for sure.

White Layout

So good. Loved it

LUV4CNJ

Intriguing and Confusing. Loved the book, I was hooked the whole time, however I felt the ending was flat and left me wondering 🤔

Elannimal

Meh.. Simple writing, leans on trite clichés to try to make a tedious social statement.

Carooooolll

Captivating!. Great read! Definitely read the book before watching the show!

Kelly Lynn Danielson

Little Fires Everywhere. Such a great group of stories intertwined together in a way that is both simple and complex all at the same time. Excited to see the Hulu miniseries that’s due to be released sometime in 2020 based on this book. Highly recommend!

Sydni12345

A lot of waiting for something to happen.. Book was just okay, must be a lot of fake reviews. My daughter and I read it together and kept waiting for something to happen and when it did it was predictable and non- earth shattering. The end didn’t tie any lose ends up so I’m guessing a sequel is coming.

Claudine B K

Finally got interested at the end. It was detailed and wordy in the beginning. She went on for pages on descriptions that could have been put in a few sentences or left out. I pushed through it, and was happy I did. I hope she comes out with a second book.

One who reads occasionally

Highly recommend. Engaging. Strong characters. Complex issues.

Ki oki

It’s i ok k. T the e iiiiiiiiiiiiiiio

JJY130

Must read!!. I loved the show from the start but after reading the book it’s a total game changer and it’s making me wonder if there will be a second one.

Magnet021890

Great Books!. Safe to say, another great book suggestion from Reese’s Book Club!

Ajjaffari

Excellent read. This was such a page turner. I loved the writing style of Celeste very much. I only wish there was a sequel or hopefully one on the way!

Filmguyryan

Excruciatingly slow first half never fully redeemed by the second.. I struggled to get through the first half of this book in a way that I haven’t with a book on a long time. The unending descriptions of the town governance, garbage collection, house trim and the like were going on for far longer than necessary. I understood the cookie-cutter, planned community nature of Shaker Heights and its “perfect” residents after a couple of chapters. I didn’t need 150 pages of details to convey the scene. I found myself walking away from the book for a week or so after every few chapters before attempting to motivate myself to pick it up again. Right about the halfway mark events started to unravel and it held my interest, but as soon as I reached the end it all felt a bit too little, too late.

YayaNetski

Little Fires. Great - loved the characters!

Riskbizz

Left wanting more. The story consumed me and was well written. However, the ending felt rushed.

Flyngg

The ending...really?!. This book I thought was a great read until the end. It’s almost as if Celestes just decides “Ok. I’m done.” I wanted more details on where these characters end up. I feel like there are too many story lines that are left open. Extremely disappointing!

💞💞Lesley💞💞

Love this book. Relatable and a page turner.

Jamiam987

I enjoyed every second.. I wish there would be a sequel. I read the last third of the book in one stretch, without even going to the bathroom I was that engaged....

Brookie's iTunes

Thin storyline. Just could not get interested. Read nearly all and gave up. Found it a snooze.

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Ssvrtlana1959

Little Fires Everywhere. Meh. Never became invested in any of the characters. Superfluous details to wade through.

Slkusz

Ughh. Didn’t engage me at all.

YaraK

Poignant and fun. A handful of characters, each of them unique and memorable. Amazing descriptions of shared life from conflicting perspectives of many women who are very different from each other. Dilemmas that make people certain of the correct answers, except the other half of humanity is just as equally convinced that their answer is the true one. Suspense. Love, beauty, truth. This book has it all and yet it is an easy and fun read.

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Book club girl

Little fires everywhere. Superb character development in this richly webbed story of an American family with all the scars and beauty showing all at the same time. Within the pages are several opportunities for good discussions and lessons to be learned about ourselves. I highly recommend this read.

Anne1224

Disappointed!. Very disappointing ending. Book was TOO wordy. I found myself skipping a lot of pages. Don’t recommend!

Momima99

Great read. Really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend

Scrambler ii

Top Read. This is one of my favorite books I read in 2018 and I read a lot! Every detail of this book was spot on down to the descriptions of Cleveland suburbs. The only thing missing was a sequel.

Genkiemi

Flat and Contrived. I’m 75% of the way through this book and really wanted to enjoy it, but it’s time to throw in the towel. A tiring series of impossible coincidences only barely resembling real life, meandering it’s way across 600 pages (I hung on for as long as I can, but the author seems to often confuse detail for depth). The characters are as one dimensional as it gets—of COURSE the artistic rebel has Parents Who Don’t Approve and a tragic past and is identified as a genius her first day at one of the top art programs in the country, of COURSE things play out in bizarre ways that just happen to perfectly serve the narrative purpose (e.g. the locks incident at the school), of COURSE the main plot happens to echo the lessons were meant to learn from the mains characters past and various side plots. The book doesn’t so much reveal truths about motherhood as force feed them into your mouth saying “see??”. All not to mention the surprising inelegant treatment of race in an entirely contrived trial where one side is so completely devoid of sympathy (or any legal precedence for that matter) that the characters’ anguished responses are only comical at this point. But more than that, one of the central conceits of the book makes implications about minority babies bring raised by a white families that I find downright regressive as an asian American, and I can’t even imagine how it would come off to an actual adoptee. And I’m supposed to just blindly accept that as a good point? What I’m saying is, I don’t think I’ll finish this book.

Guidogal46

Good read. Lots of twists and turns

Cokandice

Just ok. This book was rated so highly I was excited to read it. I really struggled to get through this book. It was so slow! There seemed to be a lot of back story and I kept thinking when are we going to get to the good part?

Kimchicka

Overrated.. This book had great potential. The characters were all given lots of depth. Unfortunately the ending was hurried and not given a lot of clarity. Some may argue that the ending is for the reader to interpret.

Jimminy crick3t

Little Fires Everywhere. Great read. I read until my eyes grew blurry. It was like watching a train wreck. The title certainly fit the book.

Mcjtahs

Good read. Loved the book but not the ending. I hope she writes a part 2 because it ended with to many questions.

Jz4usc

Excellent family drama. I became completely engrossed with the families in this book and very quickly I might add. There are so many lessons about life to take away from this novel. It was funny, sad, scary and realistic in so many ways. I will definitely be waiting for the next work from this wonderful author.

Hrtncannes

Overrated. The book started out slow and never really picked up. I felt it was too long winded and found myself scanning paragraphs. It wasn’t horrible but I probably would not recommend it.

Ashhhh*

Best book I’ve read in awhile!!!!!. If you haven’t read this book yet, what are you waiting for?! It’s truly one of the best books I’ve read in sometime! There are so many twists and turns that kept me from even wanting to put it down! Awesome!!!

Wordgamefreak

So descriptive and boring!!. I had to force myself to read this, because I had spent the money to read it I felt obligated and that’s the only reason why. It was unnecessarily descriptive and incredibly boring.

Jean bridge

Little Fires Everywhere, Celeste Ng. Not up to her first novel, but very good, easy to read. A bit formulaic. Not enough exposure of the characters’ interiority for this reader.

Dandee13

EXCELLENT!. I became so engrossed with the characters that I didn’t want it to end. One of the best books I have ever read.

+ShumOne+

Thoughtful and engrossing. I couldn’t put this book down. When it ended, I was so sad that I had to leave the characters and Shaker Heights behind. There is a dreamy realism to each character, they’re all somehow larger than life, yet everyone you’ve ever known. I highly recommend this book!

SLPshoe

Heartfelt. This was a great story, easy read, over too fast. Hope for a sequel

Tj vz

B. By Her

Ironmann98

Little Fires Everywhere. I really enjoyed this book - not my usual read but it was thought provoking- reminding me of the times of the late 50’s and early 60’s.

Jtosta

Didn’t love it. Just seemed kind of blah and boring. Not a deep emotional read by any means but it was well written. Just quick and easy.

Sweetkirbygirl

Fantastic.. Fantastic squared.

FeysalAden66

For example. I'm not sure

Mom trying to read

Slow and tough to get into. The book took a long time to develop the story. I was at the very end and kind of became interested.

C m p

Great read. Captivating - couldn’t put it down - each character is deeper than they realize growing throughout the book !

Guess :)

Great. I read this one on a road trip. Traveling, while diving into this story was perfection.

Christine 2986

Quick read - a little basic. Good, quick read although felt a little too dramatic and like I was watching a Hollywood TV series

Lucky Law

Little Fires Everywhere. A great read. I enjoyed this book from the first to the last page. I look forward to reading more of the author’s writings. Thank you for a great page turner.

ShellyStevens

Truth. My favorite thing about this book is the family secrets. With today’s social Media obsessed world, everything appears perfect. Like a Disney fairytale. Not true. This story hits closer to home then any social media post I’ve ever read. Thank you!

Amber Ash

Perfect.. Great and easy read.

PinnacleRidge

Disappointing!. I read the reviews and was anticipating a great deal more than I received. I got bored with hearing about Shaker heights and how wonderful it was and the only place to live yada-yada went on and on. This book certainly is no classic. The book got to be interesting once t Mia and Pearl got to "wonderland “ i.e.Shaker Heights, but only slightly. Very predictable and found the families pretentious, selfish and uncaring.

Gracievmcg

Don’t waste your time.. Each development is more unrealistic than the last. This book does not contain a single likeable character. I am incredulous at the acclaim that this book has received. It was a waste of my time and my money.

Elise taylor

Started out good. Then dragged out unrealistically. Sounded a little like peyton Place..mrs richardson would not be so mean nor would mia have been so stupid and uncautious. She was so careful her entire life witth Pearl. I was bored at the end and wish i hadnt paid so much for this book on ebooks.. Much ado about nothing..

EReaderlove3

Writer was unable to leave her own biases. She obviously hasn’t been back to her hometown in a while, and she didn’t as much explore motherhood as she did infuse her own values in a non self-aware manner.

Cyndi-1979

I want to be MIA!. Great read! I enjoyed the character build ups and I have a new found fondness for photography. Only reason for 4 out of 5...if I tell, I’ll give a piece away.

Bhytrfghji

Littte Fires everywhere. Great Book

Colorado Kathy

A Must Read from a Gifted Author. This book touched me so deeply I cried in my darkened hotel room in Shanghai, China at 3 in the morning! I read it through almost non stop. It wove into a captivating story the intricacies of family life and that everything we do has so many further consequences down the road like a stone being thrown in a pond or dominoes knocking each other over! Great read, great plot line and great characters especially the children. It will be a movie someday. And to my two grown sons, I did my best

KayMay726

What was the point??. This book would have gotten a 2 star if it wasn’t for all the awesome 90’s references. I kept waiting for the book to get better, but unfortunately it didn’t. The author shares a lot about each character and then the book is over. I kept thinking, what is the point of this book? So many different storylines for no reason. Not my cup of tea.

Shashaglam

Hey. Hey i was a great time

SammyMoorhead

Terrible. This book is awful. I am not sure why it has any good reviews. I had to force myself through the book and for a very anti-climatic ending. Don’t waste your time!

Nyrain

What was NYT thinking?. How did this get a good review from NYT? I read, more like skimmed over, and finished the book. I was bored by the upper white class mentality with a few challenges encountered. The first chapter had promise but lost me after that. Light read . Boring.

Lbuznego

Little Fires Everywhere. Excellent read! It was hard to put down.

Danichic21

Mmm. I’m not quite sure why everyone is in love with this book; it didn’t grab me. I just don’t get the hype.

Food at

People need to read good books. Couldn’t get through this, it became very boring. Written at a high school level. Sad that I payed for it.

Daïna

Horrible. Such a gigantic let down... 600 pages of over descriptions and no end.

The Chaits

Slow. Very slow at first!!! Only the last third of the book was good.

Brooklynfc

Little fires everywhere. Eh, like an after school special, but somewhat overwritten

Debporter

Great book. Insightful and spellbinding. Really enjoyed it and will seek out Ms. Ng's other books!!😀😀

Oxwater

Not good. Just finished this book and bought it due to the high praise. Don’t be fooled by positive reviews. This book is poorly written, the characters are flat, and the story itself is flimsy. Plot points change oddly with new characters coming into the story awkwardly. Don’t waste your time.

Yaiyia

Little Fires Everywhere. An excellent read. Totally involved with each and every character and their stories.

Celeste Ng - Little Fires Everywhere Comments

5 Books like Little Fires Everywhere (Celeste Ng)

About Author "Celeste Ng"

Celeste Ng (Chinese: 伍綺詩 sə-LEST ING) (born July 30, 1980) is an American writer and novelist. She has released many short stories that have been published in a variety of literary journals. Ng's first novel, Everything I Never Told You, released on June 26, 2014, won the Amazon Book of the Year award as well as praise from critics. Ng's short story Girls at Play won a Pushcart Prize in 2012, and was a 2015 recipient of an Alex Award. Her second novel, Little Fires Everywhere, was published in 2017. The TV-miniseries based on the book premiered in 2020. Ng received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2020. Her most recent novel, Our Missing Hearts, was released on October 4, 2022. Early life and education Celeste Ng was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her parents moved from Hong Kong in the late 1960s. Her father Dr. Daniel L. Ng (d. 2004) was a physicist at NASA in the John H. Glenn Research Center (formerly known as the NASA Lewis Research Center). Her mother was a chemist who taught ....

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