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  • Little Fires Everywhere

  • By: Celeste Ng
  • Narrated by: Jennifer Lim
  • Length: 11 hrs and 27 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (1,592 ratings)

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Little Fires Everywhere

By: Celeste Ng
Narrated by: Jennifer Lim
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Publisher's Summary

The New York Times Top 10 Best Seller

The brilliant new novel from the author of the New York Times best seller Everything I Never Told You.

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 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 old family friends 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 an unexpected and devastating cost....

2019, International Dublin Literary Award, Long-listed

©2017 Celeste Ng (P)2017 Little, Brown Book Group

Critic Reviews

"I am loving Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng. Maybe my favourite novel I've read this year." (John Green, author of The Fault in Our Stars)

"Witty, wise and tender. It's a marvel." (Paula Hawkins)
"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)

What listeners say about Little Fires Everywhere

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  • B_R
  • 21-05-2018

Entertaining but light on meaning

Little Fires Everywhere is a contemporary American story. It is full of secrets, school work and Diet Coke. Babies, teenagers and housewives. As a non-American, these inclusions are novel in my reading. Little Fires Everywhere tells the story of a mother and daughter who move unexpectedly to Shaker Heights and the intrigue that whirls around who they are and where they have come from. While the story is plot heavy and full of reveals, and therefore entertaining, it is a little light on meaning. Also the characters are quite stereotyped (snobby housewife, jock son, liberal single mom, poverty stricken immigrant ...). However, I think the book has a wide audience due to its tidy and relatable plot lines and satisfactory conclusions.

The narrator was excellent. She certainly portrayed the snobbery in Mrs Richardson's voice, the secrecy in Mia's and the desperation in Bebe Chow's.

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9 people found this helpful

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    1 out of 5 stars
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One of those "what was the point of that" books.

Persevered to the end hoping something was going to happen. One of those "what was the point of that" books.

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7 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Worth committing to

I found this story slow at first, really struggling or caring to listen to it. After a couple of hours however, I found myself interested and invested in each character. That is where LFE delivers - character development on a detailed level whereby the little fires, you realise, are life changing events that mold and influence the future of each person and family. Worth sticking to if, like me, you don't feel invested straight away. Reminded me of 'The Little Friend' by Donna Tartt, a slow and steady unravel.

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4 people found this helpful

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    2 out of 5 stars
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A tad too long for me

A semi-interesting listen however I found my concentration drifting at numerous times. I almost ceased listening however persevered until the end.

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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A great listen!

Really loved this book and writing style. Such an easy listen, that I wasn't ready to let go of the characters when it finished.

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Couldn't stop listening

A touching and cleverly woven story that I didn't want to end. Really enjoyed the narrator's style and change in voice for the characters.

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2 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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It was a chore to finish this

It was too slow and predictable - I wish it lived up to the hype. One of those books where you don't bother rewinding if you miss a sentence.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Dull

I wasn’t as impressed by this as other reviewers made me think I would be.

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1 person found this helpful

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What a wonderful book

A great book beautifully narrated by Jennifer Lim.
Highly recommend ‘Little Fires Everywhere’, looking forward to reading another book by Celeste Ng

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    4 out of 5 stars
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ok

it tends to drag a little bit. the story isn't very relatable to everyday people. but it was still entertaining enough to keep listening.

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1 person found this helpful

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