This book is beautifully written, as we have come to expect from Elizabeth Acevedo. However, this was not the book for me. There were a lot of characters and a lot of shifting points of view that made it very hard for me to keep up with who was who and what was happening. The ending was more satisfying than I expected, but I really only enjoyed the last 20% or so. This was just 3 stars for me.

Absolutely beautiful story about family, generations, and life. I loved Acevedo's YA books, and this adult novel shows how limiltless Acevedo can be!

Ona and her mother and aunts are amazingly strong women, each with their own trials and needs, but they are all there for each other when it counts. Acevedo shows how imperfect and beautiful family can be.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review!

I read / listened to this book simultaneously, going back and forth between the two editions. The audio book really gives you the lilting flavor of the poetic prose, and much of it is read by the author. On the other hand, for some reason, the audio book does NOT read aloud the chapter headings that tell you which family member is narrating. This can be very confusing as it often takes some time before it becomes obvious whose story is being taken up.

The novel tells the stories of the women of a multigenerational Dominican-American family — each with a gift that is not wholly of this world. It begins with one of the sisters — Flor — demanding a wake for herself in three days. Since her gift is predicting the day of someone’s death, her family naturally expects the worst, though Flor won’t answer any questions. The prose is lyrical, moving between present and past and among the three sisters and the two cousins of the next generation.

The story is slow paced and completely sensual — it is a story of sensory experiences and personal feelings, not a story of plot or thought. That was interesting to me because I realized that I personally prefer more thought and a little less feeling and experience, but I can appreciate the flow. The stories center on women — all the men are described from the women’s perspective which is another interesting way of telling of a story.
I enjoyed the story but you do have to be in a patient mood, as the story unfolds slowly with a different sense of time than I’m used to. Read after the caffeine in your system is spent, else you will not be able to settle in to the language the way you should.

The beginning of Family Lore feels a little like meeting your partner's family for the first time—too many names too quickly, followed by family stories that bounce backwards and forwards through time and circle around shared experiences that you're not privy to yet. There are six women at the center of Family Lore: four sisters and the two daughters of the next generation. The novel shifts between their voices and memories, and while at first I was wishing for more stability in the narrative voice, by the end I couldn't decide whose chapters were my favorite. Family Lore is an apt title for this novel that feels more like mythology than family history; the more I read, the more I loved it.

Family Lore starts with a mystery. Flor, who possesses the magical ability to predict when people are about to die, has just invited her family to a living wake in her honor. The ensuing panic (is Flor dying? if so, when? if not, what's going on?) animates the rest of the novel and sparks a collective revisiting of the past, starting during the sisters' childhood in the Dominican Republic and ending in the present in New York City. Flor's gift is unique but her magic is not, and I really loved Acevedo's portrayal of a family magic where people's abilities reflect their individuality rather than a coherent system of magical rules (think Encanto rather than Shadow and Bone).

Fans of Acevedo's YA novels and poetry will likely enjoy Family Lore as well; her mastery of character complexity and frankness around sex have made the jump to her first adult novel and benefit from additional space to deepen and mature. I read the (brilliant) last chapter and immediately wanted to start over, this time a family insider rather than an interloper.

Thank you to Ecco and NetGalley for the ARC!

When I requested this novel, I thought it would be something I would find myself falling in love with but that was not the case. There were moments throughout the story that I felt would come to mean something to me but then there would be a turn I was not expecting and that feeling would change. This is a book I will try to read again at some point as I'm hoping it is just not meant for me right now.

3.5⭐️ After reading and loving Acevedo’s previous work, I went into this book with too many expectations. I saw where she was trying to take me with her story, but I just had a little bit of difficulty getting there.

That being said, I did have a good time with this book (will admit that some of the women’s feelings REALLY resonated with me), and will continue to read anything she writes.

I found certain aspects of Family Lore very interesting, and I loved the themes of sisterhood and female magic. Also, Acevedo’s writing style was beautiful as always. However, I didn’t connect with the characters as much as her other novels, and the plot was hard for me to get into, so it fell flat for me personally. I still enjoyed my time though, and would definitely recommend it to those that like lyrical writing.

My god, this book was excellent. I love Acevedo’s YA novels, but I think her adult foray is actually her best book yet! I usually listen to her novels on audio because I love her narration, but I just couldn’t wait for an ALC of this one. For those who love stories of families, stories of women, stories of people. Easily a top book of 2023 for me.

Acevedo’s writing is a feast for any reader. The way she writes and explains her characters emotions is so unique. I have loved all of her YA novels and this adult fiction was definitely different and something I had to get used to at first (especially with all the different characters to keep track of) but as it went on I made myself comfortable in the story and was so engaged by her prose. Highly recommend the audio!

Wow- this book was ENCANTO, but make it adult!!!! I'm shocked that I haven't seen more people talking about that, I loooove the movie Encanto so I instantly loved this one too.

There are MANY POVs and characters, which took a bit to get straight but didn't take away from my experience. This book involves the concept of a living wake which is so beyond interesting to me. It really got me thinking.

Overall, I do think something was missing here. I can't put my finger on what it was-perhaps the writing, the length, the MANY characters. I'm not sure. But I think this was a solid first foray into the adult genre from an author who has INCREDIBLE YA books. I am still an Acevedo stan!!

I absolutely adore Elizabeth Acevedo's YA titles. I've read them all and recommend them often. I had high hopes for FAMILY LORE but ultimately, it fell flat. I think it wa sa case of too many characters.

Flor can predict the exact date when someone will die. When Flor invites her large Dominican American family to a living wake, no one knows if Flor has seen her own death or someone else’s. While the wake looms large, family members begin to reflect on their lives, choices, and secrets. Each story pulses with life in Acevedo’s striking foray into adult fiction.

Family Lore is Acevedo's first novel for adults after a series of YA novels in verse. I loved all of those YA novels, all so different in their stories. The verse was a signature for Acevedo in the likes of Jason Reynolds and Kwame Alexander. All of her books were popular with my former students. Elizabeth has become an auto buy author for me, I will read whatever she puts out.

Family Lore was not the book I hoped for when I requested on #NetGalley. The excitement for the newest installment was dashed fairly quickly in the opening chapters. Gone is Elizabeth's signature verse and verve of storytelling. Instead replaced with prose that to me did not carry the weight of her YA novels. Sadly for me I did not really connect with these characters the way I was invested in all of her YA characters. My rating for this book 3 stars.

Elizabeth Acevedo’s prose is poetic, and in her adult debut, Family Lore, her storytelling jumps in time and character to paint a picture of a family of two generations of Dominican-American women who come together for Flor’s living wake. This wake is a cause for reflection as Flor has the power to see death before it happens. Each of the women possesses a gift which are talked about in a matter of fact way, each helping them navigate the world. The nonlinear storytelling worked for me, creating this larger picture of desires, regrets, and familial love. Acevedo’s choice to use Ona’s research as a frame worked really well in some sections of the book while feeling inconsistent in others. I loved how each woman’s story read like oral history, family lore passed down to all those girls and women to come.. This novel takes big swings and many of them pay off. Family Lore is a novel sure to please readers comfortable with nonlinear storytelling, multiple perspectives, and lyrical writing. Thank you Ecco and NetGalley for the eARC of this novel, available August 1.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2023. I have loved 3/4 of Elizabeth Acevedo's YA novels. Family Lore was a good story and one that I enjoyed -- I liked getting to know the sisters and the people in their lives, I liked the magical realism in the book, and I still liked Elizabeth Acevedo's writing in this book. However, for me, it didn't quite have the same emotional pull in terms of the writing and the characters as some of the books I had previously read of hers. This was still a very good book, just more of a 4 star read than a 5 star read for me as with some of her other books.

Some of the structure didn't entirely work for me. I wanted more from some characters (Yadi, Ona) and less from others. I wish we'd gotten more of Ona's work, beyond the brief transcripts. But I loved these sisters and cousins. I wanted to know what happened to them. I was rooting for each of them. I'll be recommending this to anyone who loves generational sagas.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy.

I did not love this novel, although I can see that Acevedo is an excellent writer. I was drawn to the Dominican-American family story, but ultimately found the pacing and narrative changes did not pull me in as much as I had hoped. This will be a great read for those that enjoy more sweeping sagas.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to review an ARC copy of this novel.

Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo is her first novel for adults, the story of one Dominican-American family told through the voices of its women as they await a gathering that will forever change their lives. Flor has a gift: she can predict, to the day, when someone will die. So when she decides she wants a living wake--a party to bring her family and community together to celebrate the long life she's led--her sisters are surprised. Has Flor forseen her own death, or someone else's? Does she have other motives? She refuses to tell her sisters, Matilde, Pastora, and Camila.
But Flor isn't the only person with secrets. Matilde has tried for decades to cover the extent of her husband's infidelity, but she must now confront the true state of her marriage. Pastora is typically the most reserved sister, but Flor's wake motivates this driven woman to solve her sibling's problems. Camila is the youngest sibling, and often the forgotten one, but she's decided she no longer wants to be taken for granted. And the next generation, cousins Ona and Yadi, face tumult of their own: Yadi is reuniting with her first love, who was imprisoned when they were both still kids; Ona is married for years and attempting to conceive. Ona must decide whether it's worth it to keep trying--to have a child, and the anthropology research that's begun to feel lackluster. Spanning the three days prior to the wake, Family Lore traces the lives of each of the Marte women, weaving together past and present, Santo Domingo and New York City. Told with Elizabeth Acevedo's inimitable and incandescent voice, this is an indelible portrait of sisters and cousins, aunts and nieces--one family's journey through their history, helping them better navigate all that is to come. follows Pippa who lives in her dream home with her husband, Gabe, and their two kids. However, The tall cliffs have become a popular spot for people to end their lives. Night after night Gabe comes to their rescue, literally talking them off the ledge. Until he doesn’t. When Pippa discovers Gabe knew the victim, the questions spiral...Did the victim jump? Was she pushed? And would Gabe, the love of Pippa’s life, her soulmate...lie? As the perfect facade of their marriage begins to crack, the deepest and darkest secrets begin to unravel.

I have read all of Elizabeth Acevedo's books and enjoyed every single one. This book was no exception. I fell in love with all the women featured in this book. Acevedo has a way of making her characters feel so real. I can't wait to read anything Acevedo writes in the future.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Elizabeth Acevedo has done it again with a beautiful and thoughtful work of art. This truly lived up to every expectation I had after reading all of her other books. Her prose is as beautiful as her verse. I enjoyed every word of this book.

Content warnings: child abandonment, parental abuse, infidelity, miscarriages, sexual assault, physical violence

If you enjoy sweeping family histories comprised of intricate generational experiences layered on top of one another, you'll love FAMILY LORE. Acevedo will easily hook new readers as she moved into writing Adult Fiction.

For me personally, this is lacking the magic of Acevedo's YA books and I found myself getting lost in trying to follow the threads of the plot with so many characters jumping in and out of the narrative (along with the time line jumping back and forth). It's all well executed, the miss is on me as a reader for this one.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley and Ecco in exchange for an honest review.