Fireworks Every Night

A Novel

By: Beth Raymer

Narrated by: Rachel Jacobs

A young woman trapped in a deeply dysfunctional family in the seedy wilds of 1990s South Florida has to make a choice—save her family, or save herself—in this “riveting” (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution) novel from the acclaimed author of Lay the Favorite.

“Marvelous . . . a hopelessly funny, rueful account of [a] hair-raising childhood . . . a true heroine for tough times.”—People (Book of the Week)

A Jennette McCurdy Book Club Pick

• An Oprah Daily Best Book of the Year

“Florida, we got it all. Motor sports, ribs, beer. You can drive on the sand right on up to the ocean. Fireworks every night.”

That's how twelve-year-old C.C.’s father, who named her after his beloved Canadian Club whiskey, describes the appeal of their new home. The man is a born grifter, a used-car salesman who burned down his dealership in southern Ohio for enough insurance money to set up a life for himself, his wife, and his two young daughters in a place he picked largely at random, because the living seemed easy.

C.C.’s mother is thirty-five going on seventeen, a housewife who just wants to drive a Mustang and hang out at the mall. C.C.’s sister goes from being a sweet, cheerful pre-teen to having a full-on drug addiction and listening only to heavy metal, after enduring forms of abuse within her family. In the midst of this chaos, C.C. is trying to stay afloat and make it out—to achieve some semblance of a stable life in America while coming up against the structural and cultural challenges of growing up in poverty.

This tumultuous coming-of-age novel features an unforgettable protagonist, a character who narrates her life story with dark comedy and compassion for her family, even as she is failed by them. Those failures—and her self-taught methods for succeeding anyway—are the backbone of this surprisingly poignant story about hard bargains, family loyalties, and the grit of a woman determined to create a better life for herself than the one she was born into.

©2023 Beth Raymer (P)2023 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"It’s a hopelessly funny, rueful account of C.C.’s hair-raising childhood . . . Surrounded by a family in free fall, C.C. becomes first a teen basketball star and ultimately a true heroine for tough times.” —People

“A riveting coming-of-age story about survival, poverty, and familial love. . . . it captures the vibe of ’90s-era Florida in all its sticky, kitschy glory.” —The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“Raymer balances the sadness of her story with terrific humor, deep compassion, and beautiful writing about the natural world—which makes it perfect for cracking open at the end of a long hike.” —Oprah Daily

Over articulated narration

The pauses in the narration were unnatural. The sentences were over articulated. I had to listen to it at one and a half times the speed Just to continue listening. The story was subpar. Rambling with almost no plot.

Did not like the narration, story was mediocre

I should have listened to the sample before purchasing this book, because I don't think I would have picked it up solely based on the narrator. I had to crank up the speed to 2.0 just to make it bearable. The narration is so slow, meandering, and filled with way too many unnecessary pauses. At times it feels like the narrator struggles to get the words out, almost like they're forced.

As for the story, I didn't really get it. I enjoyed listening to the stories and flashbacks of our main character, but I didn't really understand what they were all building up to. I was caught off guard when the book ended.

On the plus side, the characters are written really well. They all seemed complex and believable.

Interesting story, but

Ended abruptly. Felt unfinished. Wanted to learn more about how C.C. managed to reach the stability she describes at the end. And wanted a reason to care about her.
Narrator’s delivery took some getting used to. Over-emoting, as if on stage, making C.C.’s voice sometimes annoying. Also, a few mispronounced words, including Sooz for Suze (SOO-zee).

Couldn't finish

Couldn't finish. Usually, always, finish any book that I start, but I could not finish this one. So sorry to leave a bad review but this was not a good listen

Just how horrible dysfunction can actually be

I did not care for the reading at all stood a great job because the way she read it was just as depressing as the story she was reading total depression. How can anybody even conceive of writing so much dysfunction and sadness and anybody’s life?

Narration was rough

I listened at 1.75x speed because the narration was so slow. almost a DNF.

It was kind of hopeless!

The story was sad and I just wished it would have had a better ending ! Someone succeeding !

Waste of time. Disappointed in Oprah

Grime portrayal of the sweet town of Adena. Characters enabled bad behavior. No one in this book is likable.

Boring

I’m so confused why this book came so highly recommend and described as “beautifully written” it felt painfully mediocre and not an ounce of creativity. This book dragged and dragged and dragged on with no real interesting points except the one plot twist. The main character is unlikeable and unrelatable. Hated this book

Gripping and real. Meticulously written. Harrowing story.

This is a page turner. From the moment you start this book, you’re hooked in. The writing is effortless yet exquisite. But be warned, the last half is a literary panic attack. An important read. An unearthing of both the beauty and darkness in the American Dream.