I requested this one based on the author and having read all of her YA books. I had rushed and bought a physical copy on release day. I am just now getting to this one and it was our bookclub pick last month. This was a weird one for me to read. If it weren't for book club I might not have finished. I loved the underlying story here and all the culture references. I could not wrap my head around one of the gifts being her "vagina" was the point to say that Hispanic/Latin vaginas are better? Not sure but I was confused with the whole purpose of all the references here. I did love how each sibling had their own story line and the layout of the book. Will I read more by this author of course

4.25/5 rounded down

The story stretches two generations of Dominican women, their family is blessed or cursed with gifts depending on who you asked. One of the aunts who can see death coming decides to host a living wake, sending the ripples through the present and past of the family of women.

I liked the story, but there were a few too many narratives and it was a bit hard to follow all of them.

This was just really not for me. There was overall too much going on and I couldn’t stay engaged with the story enough to really desire finishing it, I only did so out of obligation.

Finally got around to reading this one after having it sitting on my tbr shelf for over a year now and I am sad to say I didn't love this one!!):
I'm so bummed about it too cause I loved Elizabeth's other novels too but this one just had to much gross things in here for me but yeah more detial review to come later. Sadly a 3/5 stars

I admit, it took me a minute to get into this one. At first it wasn't capturing me the way that the books I've read by this author have in the past but in no time I was sucked into the story. I fell in love with each woman and their "power". Character is well developed and I actually didn't mind all the characters POVs in this book. It added to the overall experience. Definitely a great read. Highly recommend.

I did not finish this book. Which is a shame because I love Elizabeth's YA books, Clap Before You Land and The Poet X. She lost me though with weird vulgar about the woman's anatomy.

I had high expectations of this book. Elizabeth Acevedo has not missed for me yet. And although I think I also had a good time with this book, in the end, it was just average. Maybe the story was hindered, a bit, by the sheer numbers of main POV characters. Although I loved the themes of family joy and pain, I also wanted so much more.

I read this book awhile ago and I had a great time reading it. I think Acevedo has some of the prettiest, most attractive writing and I enjoyed everything that was put into the story. I had a little trouble keeping the characters straight but I think I should have written them down

3 stars.

I have wanted Elizabeth Acevedo to write an adult book for years, so when this was announced, I was ecstatic. As to be expected by an Acevedo book, the prose was very lush and gorgeous. I also continue to love her depictions of family, specifically between mother and daughter, as well as sisters. The relationships between each of the characters felt so layered and complicated. No two relationships felt the same. I also really like each other the women. It was very compelling to learn of their backgrounds and how they differed from each other. I also appreciate the discussions of female sensuality and how each woman had a different relationship with their sexuality.

I will say, I do wish that this was a bit longer or took place over a longer period of time. I feel like there were characters that we didn't get a lot of time with compared to others. The timeline as a whole got really confusing. There were moments were it was hard to tell when we were in the present or the past. I also would have liked if the women's abilities were showcased more, since some weren't really delved into. It would have been nice to get more of the characters' interpersonal relationships. It felt like we only really got to skim the surface, which was a shame because I think each of the women were so interesting in their own right. I think the most disappointing thing was after I finished this, I truly didn't think about it afterwards.

While this isn't my favorite of Elizabeth Acevedo's works, I do hope she continues to write adult books. I'm curious to see what others stories she tells in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley and Ecco for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.

3 stars!

This is my second book by Elizabeth Acevedo and I think unfortunately I'm finding she may not be the author for me. She draws me in with her premises and the sprinkle of magical realism, but I unfortunately can't connect to her writing or characters. I was excited for this multigenerational family saga story, but it was hard for me to keep track of everyone because it was a huge family. It was definitely a slow-paced book, which is okay, but in this instance I was just so bored. Unfortunately just not my book!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I absolutely adore Elizabeth Acevedo but unfortunately, this was a dnf for me. Family Lore has Acevedo's lush and lyrical writing but there were a variety of factors in my decision to not continue. Too much info dumping, too many alternating voices, magical realism and magical vaginas gone wrong... This just wasn't for me. I will continue to check out her future work.

I'm not sure this totally worked for me, but I'm just such a fan of Elizabeth Acevedo it's easy to find things to like here as she delves into the world of writing for adults. A touch of magical realism and a multigenerational family story. My one gripe is that there were so many characters I had a tough time keeping track of who was who.

I wanted to love this book. The characters were loveable, but I had a hard time keeping them straight. Also, the story moved pretty slow and was ultimatley a DNF for me.

This is different from Acevedo's other work. Her first foray into adult fiction and prose is interesting. The writing is slower, but I've found that to be true for most poets writing novels. You sink into the language. The interruptions in the text are brilliant. And the magic is exciting and refreshing.

This is a compelling family story with an intriguing premise. What would you do if you could predict your own death and those of people you care for? Bring them all together for one last gathering before you go?

Thanks to @eccobooks for an advance copy of Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo, which has been out now for some time and which I am shamefully just now getting to review!

I’m a big fan of Acevedo’s YA novels The Poet X and Clap When You Land, so I was very excited to hear she was coming out with an adult novel.

Family Lore is, at its core, a story about women: sisters, mothers, wives, and daughters (if you liked the dynamics of The Joy Luck Club or Homegoing, I think you’ll enjoy this!)

Brought together by Flora, who has decided to throw a living wake (and whose connection to death causes everyone to wonder what she isn’t saying), the sisters and their daughters reflect on their lives and relationships and the choices that have brought them from the DR to NYC.

While I did find one plot point pulling me out of the narrative (IYKYK), Acevedo is a gifted writer and I found myself highlighting so many turns of phrase and moments where her words had my heart in my throat:

“You taught me: all of us are magic wrapped in skin. And taut with over-wrought wonder, for the fleeting time we are beings, we would have to make her up: the woman we require to survive this world.”

Thank you so much to the Publisher for sending me a copy of this book! I am a big fan of Elizabeth Acevedo’s books so I was extremely excited to read this book! I was not disappointed at all! This is one of the best books I have read in a long time! I loved this family and the characters! Elizabeth is a writer of a lifetime!

I unfortunately could not get into this one because the writing style didn't hook me. However, I believe this was covered by someone else on the FBC podcast or blog.

I previously read Acevedo's YA writing and thoroughly enjoyed it, so I went into this one very excited about a novel marketed for adults. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this one as much as I thought I would. I think that others will certainly enjoy the story, but this one wasn't for me.

This novel hooked me from the beginning and I was intrigued by the story throughout. My main critique is that on audio, it was often hard to follow who was narrating and for the middle half I found myself less invested. Picked back up at the end. overall, 3.5 stars