Little Fires EverywhereLittle Fires Everywhere
Score Modern
What it's about
In Shaker Heights, a planned, orderly suburb of Cleveland in the 1990s, Elena Richardson lives by the rules. When she rents a house to Mia Warren, a mysterious artist, and her teenage daughter Pearl, the two families become entangled. Then a custody fight over a Chinese-American baby divides the town, and Elena sets out to uncover Mia's past.
Why it's worth reading
It hit #1 on the New York Times list and became a Hulu series with Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington. It's a gripping story about motherhood, race and privilege.
You'll love it if you liked
The Vanishing Half
Big Little Lies
The HelpGood to know
The book opens with a house fire, then goes back to explain it. Abortion and adoption are themes.
By the numbers
- Readers55 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller87 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #80 of the 309 literary novels we rank
- #349 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #689 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving
More by Celeste Ng
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Quick answers
Is Little Fires Everywhere worth reading?
Yes. It hit #1 on the New York Times list and became a Hulu series with Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington. It ranks #689 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 76.2 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Little Fires Everywhere about?
In Shaker Heights, a planned, orderly suburb of Cleveland in the 1990s, Elena Richardson lives by the rules. When she rents a house to Mia Warren, a mysterious artist, and her teenage daughter Pearl, the two families become entangled. Then a custody fight over a Chinese-American baby divides the town, and Elena sets out to uncover Mia's past.
How long does it take to read Little Fires Everywhere?
About 9 hours (370 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Little Fires Everywhere?
If you liked it, try The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett, Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty or The Help by Kathryn Stockett.