Young Adult Fiction: With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo

Once again, we have come to the close of YA Fest, and this year DSN is ending things with Elizabeth Acevedo's With the Fire on High. Last year, Acevedo entered the scene with The Poet X, a book that took me by surprise given my general apprehension when it comes to poetry. The time, Acevedo has gifted us with a story in prose set in one of my favorite cities, Philadelphia.

The Situation: Emoni Santiago is in her senior year of high school, and beginning to make those common early adult life decisions. The thing is, she has already made plenty of them as a young single mother. Living at home where it is just her, 'Buela, and Babygirl, Emoni has to carefully split her time between her daughter, school, her part-time job at a local Burger Joint, and her favorite hobby: cooking. 'Buela had always said that Emoni has magic hands, and pretty much anyone who has ever eaten her food agrees. So when the chance to take a culinary arts class at school comes up, Emoni is excited, but also hesitant. She is already struggling to keep up in her regular classes. Plus, the culinary arts class includes a chance to travel to Spain, a trip that Emoni is sure she will not be able to afford. Add in Malachi, the handsome new kid from Newark, and Emoni's world has somehow become even more complicated.

The Problem: Since she had Babygirl freshman year, Emoni and 'Buela have been able to make it all work, even when having to deal with Tyrone, Babygirl's father, and his less than supportive parents. But now, 'Buela has been going to more doctor's appointments than usual, and the culinary arts class is proving more challenging than Emoni thought, even with her natural gift for spices and flavors. And to add another pressure regarding school, it is college application time, but Emoni is not even sure college is in her future. Babygirl has been pretty much her entire world ever since she was born, even to the point that Emoni has put off dating. But much like with the culinary arts class, Emoni has to think about what she really wants out of life, and then find ways to make that happen, even with her already tight time constraints.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a young adult fiction novel set in modern day Philadelphia. Emoni lives with her grandmother, 'Buela, who adopted her and raised her when her father returned to Puerto Rico shortly after she was born. She became pregnant with Babygirl (real name Emma) as a freshman in high school, and after deciding to keep her, she and 'Buela have managed so far to keep their small family going, despite money always being tight, and both of them always being busy. Emoni must deal with all of the usual nonsense that comes from being a teenager attending high school (especially being a teenage mother attending high school), while also raising a daughter of her own, which means making sure Babygirl gets to Day Care, arranging visitation with Tyrone, and also being sure not to overburden 'Buela or taking advantage of her time, while working a part-time job she is not all that thrilled with.

Emoni's world is further complicated by her relationship with her own birth father, who has opted to live in Puerto Rico and support his home community over being in Philadelphia with his daughter and granddaughter. During somewhat frequent calls, Emoni bites back the desire to air her frustration and anger, instead opting to be grateful that he is around enough to communicate with at all. Her dream is to be a chef, in her own kitchen, creating the food she has been creating for years. But again, it all comes back to what is best for Babygirl, and Emoni simply is not sure if her dreams intersect with what she needs to do to raise her daughter. Though she has been careful to not let anyone else hold her back, she has a hard time not letting her own fear get the best of her.

My Verdict: This book is incredibly impressive. Just shy of 400 pages, what it manages to cover, and the finesse with which it does it, is nothing short of amazing. It is much more than a story about a teen mom who loves to cook and the difficulties that come with that. There are complex relationships as well as recipes; complex and likable characters, as well as a few that are not so likable; and to top it all off, it is set in Philadelphia, one of my favorite cities in the US (and one that I pretty much ate my way through when I was there, so it works for me that this book dealt so much with food). Emoni has been through some things, and yeah, it has effected how she sees people and how far she feels she can trust many of them, but she is not so jaded that nothing gets in, and is not so headstrong that she cannot be helped. And while her grades may not be the best, she is incredibly smart. She is the kind of heroine we need more of.

Favorite Moment: *spoiler alert* When Emoni returns to the culinary arts course after walking away for a week due to an embarrassing interaction with Chef Ayden.

Favorite Character: Chef Ayden is the teacher of the culinary arts class that Emoni decides to take at her high school. He is tough, but fair, and can clearly tell Emoni has a gift, while not letting that be a reason for her to ignore the rules of his class. I also like 'Buela, who is the rock and stabilizing force in Emoni's life.

Recommended Reading: Of course, I recommend The Poet X, Acevedo's previous book, and winner of the 2018 National Book Award.