Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng - Blog Tour Review

Synopsis:

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.

Review:

Little Fires Everywhere absorbed me by the very first page, I had very little to no idea what I was really going in to when I opened this book and that added to my excitement of actually reading it. LFE begins with a fire destroying the Richardson house, and from there the action takes us back to the day that Mia and Pearl arrived in Shaker Heights which really pulled me in and held me down.

Set in the suburb of Shaker Heights, where everything is carefully planned and controlled by it's many rules that the residents must stick to. Your house depending on its type can only be painted a certain colour, your rubbish cant be collected from the front of your house and grass must be cut promptly just to name a few of the restrictive rules. Its clear to see from the to see that any person to move into Shaker Heights who doesn't always fully conform or never does, the effects they would have would cause great damage.

Mrs. Richardson lives by the rules which having been raised by them is no surprise, and she has raised her four children (Lexie, Trip, Moody and Izzy) to abide by them as well. She rents a little apartment in the suburb to Mia Warren and her daughter Pearl who are in comparison, less fortunate. Mia is a free spirited artist who lives her life to the fullest. These women have one thing in common and only this thing and that is that they love their children immensely and accept each other's as their own. These mothers relationships with each other and their family and everyone in the town is threatened when a custody battle ensues between a friend of the Richardsons, Mrs. and Mr. McCullough, who are in the middle of adopting a Chinese American baby and a friend of Mia's, Bebe, who is the birth mother. The battle wrecks havoc on the town and causes incredible strife between the families involved.

As the youngest child of my family this book gives me such an insight and with remain with me for a long time, it has an effect I cant quite explain but it has helped me see things in an ever so differently light which was no surprise but at the same time it was just as much of a surprise.

Little Fires everywhere brought laughter and plenty of tears. It is just that kind of read. I can't recommend this book enough, it's captivating, compelling and full of heart. Celeste Ng's has a wonderful ability to intertwine characters and storylines in a way that is both brilliant and beautiful. I loved every second of this book and cant recommend it to anyone enough, its a definite 5/5 from me and I hope anyone, mother or child would pick up this book and dive into the deep behind the bonds of parent and child.

Thanks to Grace Vincent for allowing me onto this book tour. For this day the following blogs are also taking part.

Blog Tour: Summary Justice by John Fairfax

So today is my stop on the book tour for Summary Justice by John Fairfax. Ill be giving information and then doing a mini review for all of you which will then be a full review on Saturday.

So lets get to it, here's all you need to know about Summary Justice.

The last time Tess de Vere saw William Benson she was a law student on work experience. He was a twenty-one
year old, led from the dock of the Old Bailey to begin a life sentence for murder. He’d said he was innocent. She’d believed him.


Sixteen years later Tess overhears a couple of hacks mocking a newcomer to the London Bar, a no-hoper with a murder conviction, running his own show from an old fishmonger’s in Spitalfields. That night she walks back into Benson’s life. The price of his rehabilitation – and access to the Bar – is an admission of guilt to the killing of Paul Harbeton, whose family have vowed revenge.

He’s an outcast. The government wants to shut him down and no solicitor will instruct him. But he’s subsidised by a mystery benefactor and a desperate woman has turned to him for help: Sarah Collingstone, mother of a child with special needs, accused of slaying her wealthy lover.

It’s a hopeless case and the murder trial, Benson’s first, starts in four days. The evidence is overwhelming but like Benson long ago, she swears she’s innocent. Tess joins the defence team, determined to help Benson survive. But as Benson follows the twists and turns in the courtroom, Tess embarks upon a secret investigation of her own, determined to uncover the truth behind the death of Paul Harbeton on a lonely night in Soho.

True to life, fast-paced and absolutely compelling, Summary Justice introduces a new series of courtroom dramas featuring two maverick lawyers driven to fight injustice at any cost.

Goodreads   Amazon

My Thoughts:

First of all I want to say that it was brilliant how easily I was able to fall into the world of John Fairfax's creation. I would easily be reading massive amounts of the pages before realising what time its been and having to call it a night because I've ben absorbed so well. The narration throughout the book is simple but powerful which was one point that really helped me return to the book. I've recently been reading quite a few crime/thrillers and this of for sure is different, very unique but yet just as great.

The characters helped make the more even more addictive besides the plot. Each character John created was fascinating, each of them has a full background which brings just that little bit more to the world. William Benson is one of those characters, he is clearly driven, passionate and strong but he is also the flipside, weak and secretive. All the things that keep you reading as you try to find out more about him and what has actually happened to him. Then there's Tess who is a vibrant character and also very strong-willed, every part of me just wants to know the ins and outs of their pasts.

The main reason that Benson and Tess have re-familiarized themselves with each other is the case, it's a difficult one, not so clean cut and there are some many angles in play. John really keeps all of his characters and his readers guessing as it all unfolds. It's hard to try and figure it out alone, you end up wondering that with so many angle to play if it will all be resolved in this book or not. And for that answer alone, you'll have to read to find out.

About the Author:

John Fairfax is the pen name of William Brodrick who practised as a barrister before becoming a full-time novelist. Under his own name he is a previous winner of the Crime Writers Association Gold Dagger Award and his first novel was a Richard and Judy Selection.

                              Don't forget to check out everyone else's stop on the blog tour.