I absolutely loved With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo, so I was excited to be approved to read her very first foray into adult literature (verses YA lit). And this book is very adult, Acevedo doesn't shy away from sexual themes, but what really weaves the story together is the strong characterization. There are tons of characters in this story about family, and the POV keeps jumping, but the characterization is so vibrant and strong for each of these very unique women. The past and present weaves together as life comes full circle. It's one of those story that you end, but will be thinking through for a while. Powerfully done (but again, if you are queasy about sexual content, this book isn't for you).
Thanks #NetGalley and #Ecco for the ARC.

I love everything Acevedo has ever written, and while this is completely different, it's no exception. Her characters are so rich and deeply written.

Family Lore is the first book I've read by Elizabeth Acevedo, and I absolutely see why people love her writing. It's beautiful, poetic even - she is truly a storyteller. The way Acevedo illustrates relationships (specifically familial and female) & how she incorporates magic realism is so unique. Family Lore is very heavy on the multiple POV and for me personally, it caused some disconnection from the plot. I'd love to read her other books in the future that have less POV, and I'd recommend this to other readers who are a fan of her writing.

Acevedo is so great at capturing the nuances that exist in familial relationships, especially between women in families.

Writing a family saga that focuses on the relationships between women in the family is right up Acevedo’s alley. I love the Marte women. I just want to give them a hug.

Of course the writing is beautiful and poetic. There were, however, moments when it felt a bit clunky and I was disconnected from some of the characters. Some of the flashbacks to the Tias’ childhood in DR feel fragmented and incomplete I think this is because instead of getting first person POV from each woman, the story is told to us by Ona.

I thought about Isabel Allende’s The House of the Spirits while reading this book a lot— mainly because that book also tells the family’s story from the granddaughter’s POV & Ona reminded me of that.

Overall, this was a very emotional read. I laughed, I teared up and felt some level of anger at some point for everyone in the family. Elizabeth Acevedo is incredible.

This book can also foster some great conversations for book clubs, we are likely going to order it as a book club pack for our library.

Elizabeth Acevedo's writing is gorgeous, no doubt about it. This is definitely an adult book with adult content, which I can not have available for my students, and also a more character driven pacing which students often struggle with. I kind of do with I would've waited for the audiobook as to enjoy it more

I have read quite a few of Elizabeth Acevedo's YA novels and have always devoured them. Family Lore is her first go at adult fiction and I was hoping I would love it as much as her YA books, but unfortunately it didn't work for me. It had too many point of views and too many characters/family members to keep track of that I just had to set it aside.

Thank you NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Full disclaimer: I may be biased in my star rating because I would read and enjoy anything Elizabeth Acevedo writes. She’s amazing and I love the representation of Latino culture in her writing. I feel seen and at home in her writing. I especially love how she writes family structures, specifically mother-daughter relationships.

This is her first adult contemporary novel, and I was very impressed. It was full of heart and soul, and powerful themes. There’s so many characters to love and root for.

The story follows a Dominican-American family residing in the US in the the current timeline, but theres are some flashbacks when certain characters lived in the DR. There’s a lead up to a living wake for one of the family members, Flor, who has the ability to predict the day someone will die from her dreams. Due to her gift, and the sudden desire to having a living wake, the family is very concerned what she may have seen in her dreams.

The books explores themes of sisterhood and motherhood in the confines of a multigenerational Dominican household. I loved the incorporation of Spanish throughout the book. Non-Spanish speakers may have to do a little work looking up the meanings, because Acevedo doesn’t really give contextual clues for translation, but if you don’t want to put in that work, then the book may not be for you anyway.

Also important to note that the story is told in multiple POVs and the writing style has some experimental elements. With the multi POVs, I can see how some can struggle keeping the characters straight, but I didn’t have that issue at all. In fact, there’s a list of characters and brief descriptions of them in the beginning, which was helpful whenever I felt like I had to reference it.

I think my biggest critique is that the ending didn’t feel like an ending. I’m keeping this spoiler free, so I’ll just say that it just felt out of place and abrupt. However, Acevedo is a poet first, so you can definitely see that side of her coming out in how the book wraps up.

After reading this book, I’m excited to see what Acevedo’s next project is going to be.

I absolutely love Elizabeth Acevedo's lyrical writing, and she did not disappoint with her latest read. I love how she captures the richness of oral stories/tradition and brings to life this matriarchal families' lived history, as told through all the tias and cousins. Women are the heartbeat of this story. Their history, their lessons, their resilience. It made me wish I had more time with my grandmothers, and all the women that came before them. It is easily my favorite book of Acevedo's and a favorite of 2023.

Let me start off by saying I love Elizabeth Acevedo’s work. I’ve devoured everything else she’s written. But sadly, I just didn’t feel really into or connected with this one. Her writing is amazing. I love quirky sisters. I think the jumping between POV and occasional timelines as well just had me struggling to keep up so much that I couldn’t really get into the story. I couldn’t keep the characters separate in my head. I enjoyed the ending and I think this will be a summer hit!

Elizabeth Acevedo's first foray into adult fiction is Family Lore, which is an ambitious, yet also intimate tale of a group of women in a family as they come together for a planned gathering to celebrate the life of one of them. We meet four sisters: Flor, Pastora, Mathilde, and Camila who immigrated from the Dominican Republic. Magic runs through some of these women. Flor can see death, and the novel begins with her deciding she wants a living wake for herself, but will provide no further context for the rationale to her sisters. We also meet the second generation of women in the form of two cousins Ona, who carries her own magical talent, and Flora. While Flor's living wake is the driving factor for the novel, Acevedo spends much of it chronicling each woman's individual struggles as well as her complicated relationship with the other women. She blends together the women's past and present leading up to Flor's living wake. At times it is a lot to keep track of but it's a worthwhile read on familial relationships and the push and pull of supporting one another and striving for one's own voice.

Thank you to Ecco for the advance reader copy in exchange for honest review.

𝗙𝗔𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗬 𝗟𝗢𝗥𝗘 (pub 08.01) is Elizabeth Acevedo’s adult debut. I’ve read and loved all her previous books, especially on audio, and was hopeful this would join the ranks. It fell into the “good” category.⁣
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This nonlinear story is told from 6 different perspectives of the women in a Dominican-American family who have various “gifts”. The writing continues to have what I’ve come to love about Acevedo’s style- poignant, unflinching, and vivid. It transports you. ⁣
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The audio narration was superb and I enjoyed the glimpse into the immigrant experience. But because of the structure and multiple POVS- I had a difficult time truly connecting with the story.

I have been such a fan of Elizabeth Acevedo’s work for years and was soooo excited to hear about her adult debut and was THRILLED when I was given the e-arc from NG!

Spanning across countries and generations, Family Lore tells the story of one family’s history through multiple POVs ahead of a living wake being held for the eldest sister.

This story was so different than Acevedo’s other work but once I got in the swing of the style and story I really enjoyed it! The audio had me confusing some of the characters throughout the book but overall I loved the backstories, the present-day testimonies, and the growth for each character through the novel.

Acevado's first adult title was definitely a win for me. The way she wrote this family of women resonated so much with me. The different personalities and how they each brought something to the family dynamic was great to read.
I love how these women were written, showing their tough exterior but also their softness and vulnerabilities. The way they showed up for each other, but also allowed everyone to carve their own path, loved it.
There is also the way she payed homage to her Dominican roots, not translating the Spanish phrases, but allowing the reader to use context clues to figure it out themselves, while also infusing so much culture on the page.

4.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Ecco for early access in exchange for this review.

I have been a fan of Elizabeth Acevedo for years! I use her poetry in my classroom and I recommend her YA novels to students and adults. I was so excited to read her first novel in this genre.

Family Lore tells the story of a Dominican-American family through the women in the Marte family. They are preparing for Flor’s living wake, and the novel chronicles the days leading up to the event. Sisters, Flor, Pastora, Matilde, and Camila are the older generation, but their story is accompanied by the younger generation, their daughters, to present a familial journey that shifts perspectives throughout the novel.

Acevedo captures details and emotion in the same way she does with poetry. The beginning of the novel includes an overview of characters that helps with understanding the family tree, and I referenced it throughout my reading. The beginning of the story was a little hard to follow because of all the characters and the shifting point of view. It’s worth it to hang in there. Family Lore is not YA, and it’s not written in verse. It shows a different side and depth that we haven’t seen from Elizabeth Acevedo.

Acevedo’s adult debut has been a long time brewing and certainly came in hot!

Family Lore was reminiscent of the feelings evoked by novels like Como Agua Para Chocolate, How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water, and The Inheritance Orquidea Divina for me—perfect for readers who enjoy the magic of (and in) families for generations.

Elizabeth Acevedo’s YA books have been some of my favorites in recent years and I was excited to read her first adult novel - a story of generations of Dominican women whose lives are intertwined. Beautiful. Couldn’t put it down.

Beautiful story of love, family, and life.
Acevedo takes me back and forth to Dominican Republic and New Year in this moving story.
Thank you to netgalley for the eArch.

Synopsis
Four aunts, two cousins, all Dominican. Each has their own special gift. One aunt is able to dream when someone is going to die. She calls everyone to arrange a living wake for herself, and everyone is like “wtf”. We read about them getting ready for the event, as well as travel to the past and learn about what has formed each woman.

Review
Wow, Acevedo really said, this is a grown folks book. YA who?? This is not for kids. I went in knowing her goal was to debut into adult fiction, but I didn’t expect the spice, not after reading her YA novels.

But the thing is, Acevedo’s writing is so beautiful, so poetic even in prose. The stories of each of the characters are ones to be read - because whether you know it or not, these women are your family.

Reading this novel, I felt a part of the family Marte.

Written from the point of view of each Marte woman, we see that the characters have such strong personalities (in the sense that each woman’s dominant trait could be felt through the page), they are very Dominican (iykyk), and you can feel the love between these women. I enjoyed the back and forth of the timeline. It wasn’t titled, but it was still easy to know when in their lives the story was taking place.

Mixed with Dominican history, this novel sparked a desire in me to learn more about my people’s ancestry.

Themes include: family trauma, secrets, mother/daughter bonds, womanhood, sisterhood

Pick Up or Put Down
Pre-order! You still have time to do so before this one is published.

Vibes
A hug just before releasing a breath you didn’t realize you were holding.

Thank you NetGalley and Ecco for this digital title in exchange for my honest review.

Acevedo’s first foray into adult fiction was definitely an interesting one. I love that she always weaves interconnected stories of families and that shines bright in this book, but overall it felt a bit disjointed at times and felt like things wrapped up a little too nicely.

Family Lore was a beautiful character study, showing the complicated relationships between the Marte sisters (and two of their children). I love how Acevedo wound the past and present together almost seamlessly. The novel takes course over three days in the present, but weaves its way decades back as it recounts the Marte sisters' lives growing up in the Dominican Republic and their futures thereafter. You can tell that Acevedo is a poet because her prose blooms and flowers across the page, creating a web of complicated relationships among the Marte family. Overall, Acevedo manages to elicit nostalgia, sisterhood, and the bonds of family. Family Lore is an incredibly special book that everyone should read.