It pains me to say this is the first book by Elizabeth Acevedo I do not like :( It was so slow and confusing, and I didn't really care for the character, which is something that never ever happened while reading her books. I usually fall in love with her characters within the first chapter. Oh well, can't win them all :(

Adult fans of Elizabeth Acevedo, she’s written one for you! In Family Lore, the acclaimed YA author of The Poet X and With the Fire on High focuses on the women of the Marte family. From their childhood on a farm in the Dominican Republic to their current lives as busy seniors in modern-day New York, the four sisters of the Marte family have known they each have a unique gift. Flor’s is knowing who will be the next in the community to die. So when she decides to throw herself a “living wake,” her sisters Camila, Pastora, and Matilde, her adult daughter Ona, and her niece Yadi are all understandably worried and upset. As the book unfolds, the family members take turns narrating the story, plumbing their memories as they attempt to reassure themselves that Flor, and the rest of the family, will be all right.

Likes: Acevedo nails the historical family drama. Her writing style is always compelling, and in this context gets to flower into full bloom. The narrative isn’t fast-paced and has room for the lush descriptions, funny asides, and sharp observations that kept me eagerly turning the pages. This large cast is full of sharp tongues and strong personalities; I did not have any problem keeping the characters straight (there’s a handy family chart at the beginning). The magical touches also helped to differentiate the women and gave the narrative a hint of fantasy, which I enjoyed. I loved learning about the history of the Dominican Republic and how each woman ended up in New York.

Dislikes: In a cast this full, not every character will get equal treatment, and I felt like in this book, Camila’s story was less effective and added the least to the overall narrative. The book, given that it is not YA, is free to be far more sexually graphic than the author’s previous work, and it went there a little more than is my preference. In particular, one character had a fetish that I did not feel added much to the book.

FYI: attempted sexual assault, references to murder and violence, marital infidelity, death of a family member, miscarriage, infertility.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.
I loved the conceit of this book - the idea of the daughter as anthropologist exploring the history of the women of her family. I enjoyed getting to know the women as the perspectives switched through the different women - however, there didn't seem to be any real conclusion to the "study" the daughter was conducting - we were just seeing the data collected. The story ended as it had to, telegraphed from the very beginning, and it was a satisfying ending.
I appreciated the forward approach to the sexuality of the women in this text, but sometimes it felt intrusive almost, like I was privy to something I shouldn't be. It also took me out from the concept of the text, as I couldn't imagine some of these characters opening up to the main character in the way they do.
In the end, this book didn't have the emotional punch I expected it to have for me, though I would love to read more from Acevedo in the future.

I really enjoyed Acevedo’s writing in this one. It was my first novel I have read by her and I really enjoyed reading. There’s something about family dramas that pulls me in, this one did not fail me. Adding in the magical realism, I’m hooked. There were times however that I had to go back and reread as some of the plot lines and characters were difficult to keep up with, but the story itself was intriguing. Rating 3.25 round up to 4.

This is my first Elizabeth Acevedo book and on paper this was written for me in mind but it just didn't quite work out for me. The way Acevedo executed the characters made it hard to keep track of who's who, we're jumping from one person to the next including everything that's going on in their life. Usually I have no problem keeping up with the characters and telling them apart but I was struggling with this one and had to backtrack to see who point of view I'm in and quickly recall what's going on in their life. I do love the writing though and I will definitely keep an eye out for what Acevedo put out next especially if it's Adult.

Thanks to Ecco books for the publicity review copy of FAMILY LORE by Elizabeth Acevedo, out August 1.

This is the story of a Dominican-American family told by its women; the ones who have gifts. It's their relationships with each other, their relationships with the past, and the stories of their present.
This story is imbued with complex family relationships, magical realism, and so much heart. Elizabeth Acevedo continues to be a must-read author for me.

Family Lore is Acevedo's first novel (not in verse). It is the story of 4 aging sisters from the Dominican Republic who have spent most of their adulthood in New York City. The book, however, does return to the Dominican Republic so as to fill in their lived histories and experiences.

Each of the Marte sisters has a gift, except for Matilde.. Flor has dreams that seem to come true (especially about death), Pastora can read and sense truths, and Camila is gifted in herbs and plants. Only Matilde is without a gift, but, she is an amazing dancer. While the others all have a child, Matilde is childless and is married to a cheating husband. As the story commences, Flor has decided to have a "living wake" for herself. She wants to bring together her entire family so that they can pay tribute to her, although no one can figure out why she wants to have such an event if she is still very much alive.

The story is told from the point of view of Anaconda (Ona), who is Flor's daughter. Ona is an anthropologist, and although she unsure as to why she is collecting so many notes on her family, she continues to do so anyway in an effort to document their story.. She interviews her aunts so as to piece together their lives and what has brought them to where they are now. The sisters are extremely close, having always looked out for each other, especially because their own mother was unkind and detached. As the sisters, Ona, and her cousin Yadi (Pastora's daughter) prepare for the wake, more and more stories (and issues) emerge.

I was excited to read this novel and it definitely did not disappoint, I found it to have echoes of Angie Cruz's writing, with many family details coming through as the book evolves. The Marte sisters are interesting, each in her own right, as are the two cousins, Ona and Yadi. The complexities of Dominican immigrant families are highlighted in stunning prose.

The book drops in September 2023.

Elizabeth Acevedo has an incredible gift for words and I've enjoyed her earlier YA works. Family Lore brings in the complexities of family relationships and the lingering effects of decisions made long-ago (sometimes even generations ago!) amid the backdrop of a rich and vibrant community and a touch of magic. I enjoyed the different perspectives as a way to experience the fierce way the sisters and daughters loved one another and tried to find their footing as their definitions of home and family evolve over time, across physical distances and with the entrance and exit of important figures in their life. I found the second half of the book to go much faster than the first half - maybe it's the pacing of the story, maybe it's more intimate knowledge of the characters. While I still prefer Acevedo's other works, I'm looking forward to her future work outside of YA. Overall this was a 3.75/5 for me.

Many thanks to Ecco and NetGalley for this e-arc.

As far as I am concerned everything Elizabeth Acevedo writes is gold. I have adored her books and poetry for young adults and shrieked with delight when I learned she had an adult novel in the works. No surprise, it was a joy to read. This is not a fast read and thank goodness for that. I didn't want the book to end so took my sweet time reading it. It deserves to be read slowly and with thought. Each of the women of the Marie family have a story to tell and there was no one character that I didn't want to hear more about. My only complaint is that the ending came too soon, I wanted to stay with the family even longer.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I’m normally a skimmer but I wanted to read every word of this. The stories were powerful and emotional, heart-rending and yet hopeful, so honest and raw in their truthfulness. I thoroughly enjoyed this and the questions it made me consider about my own family and our legacy. 5/5

Gorgeous writing, and written with a lot of love. Highly recommend this one--I though the characters and style of writing were pretty fleshed out and made sense for the story.

This novel is quite different from what this author normally writes. Normally she does YA novels in verse which are so beautiful. This is an adult novel in prose. The story is told from the perspective of 4 sisters and 2 of their daughters. They all have very rich stories and each one has a special ancestral gift, some less subtle than others. The novel starts with Flor who can see when death is coming and who decides to plan a living wake for herself. None of the other women can get her to tell them what is going on. The novel carries on, up to the event, but also goes backward to tell their individual stories, and how they all got to this point. It's lovely. I would definitely read another one.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC of Family Lore.
Unfortunately I DNF'ed at 15% because I was so confused about characters and their roles. Too many people to keep straight and the storyline was all over the place.
I'm so bummed because I love Elizabeth Acevedo and her previous work. But I couldn't get into Family Lore and had zero desire to continue reading.

Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The women of a Dominican-American family attend the wake of a deceased family member.
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An intriguing premise: Flor, who can predict deaths, is planning a wake. But for whom? This concept provides an interesting framework for an emotional family get-together. However, most of the book actually takes place in the past, in both the DR and in New York. And as a whole, the novel is not incredibly eventful. It’s more of a deep dive into various characters and their relationships with each other. The last 10% of the book in particular is enjoyable, but I do think a lot of the plot started to drag aimlessly in the middle.

Characters: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Though the characters have mystic powers of sorts, they’re ultimately portraying normal, everyday people.
I love the all-female protagonists, a la Memphis or A Thousand Ships. However, having 6+ protagonists makes each of their narratives feel watered down, and I think the same story could exist with fewer people taking center stage.
Ona is the MAIN main protagonist and I did enjoy getting to know her. She came across as a classic, strong lead who keeps the family together despite her own challenges. Yadi is a standout as well.

Writing: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Very nice prose. I’m biased towards liking stories that jump through time and across protagonists. Inserting interviews and Ona’s research further established that this novel is essentially a compilation of backstory about the Marte women. I do think some of the dramatic or comedic parts did fall flat at times, making the writing perhaps not as enthralling as it could’ve been.

Recommended to fans of Memphis (by Stringfellow) or other family drama stories.

Every Elizabeth Acevedo book I have read has left its mark on me in someway.

This one was no different. I couldn't wait to read it it!

As I started reading this book, I noticed I was reading this particular book at a much slower pace than I normally d0, almost as if I was trying to absorb every little bit of information about the characters. I read this book like I was savoring every little bit of it. I wanted to know about each family members gifts, their lives, and how their relationships with one another worked. It all was interlaced into a complex world which was so poignant and reminiscent of my some of my very own experiences with family.

To say, I love this book would be under selling it. It was like reading a warm hug, even while crying. Elizabeth Acevedo weaves a tapestry of intricate intergenerational family relationships, and every day life. I absolutely recommend you pick up this book. This story was beautiful. The characters were real and relatable. There is so much here to feel and experience.

I was given an e-book in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you so much to Harper Collins and NetGalley for this ARC..

Intergenerational stories of complicated families have gradually become my bread and butter; I love watching a chaotic story unfold only for writers to reveal a deeper, more complex layer that recontextualizes everything previously established. In "Family Lore," Elizabeth Acevedo brings readers into the folds of a messy family, woven with a touch of magical realism featuring family members with uncanny supernatural gifts. Through the eyes of all the women in this Dominican American family, we witness Flor, the death seer, announce her living wake and the ripples this causes in the family structure.

The intriguing premise and the vivid cast of characters drew me into the story immediately; I've been a big fan of Acevado's writing ever since I read "With the Fire On High."

However, Acevado's transition from young adult fiction to adult fiction was tumultuous at best. In stark contrast to YA, usually much more fast-paced and action-oriented, "Family Lore" felt like such a strong effort toward a more slower paced storyline that the plot often stood at a standstill with stagnant, directionless characters. Another common side affect for authors switching from YA to adult was the abrupt presence of raunchy and explicit sex scenes, peppered so randomly throughout the novel that it was difficult to piece together the purpose of these scenes.

In short, even though "Family Lore" was a miss for me in its execution style, I felt that there was a lot of potential in the storyand its premise. Even though this wasn't a strong adult debut, Acevado has a lot of room for growth, and I look forward to her next adult novel if she chooses to write another.

I wanted to like this book so badly. There was so much potential but if there are multiple (over 40) times that I need to go back and reread because the author has so many nonsense filler words added to the sentence that it takes away from the meaning, it’s going to be a 1 star review from me.

Beautiful, beautiful story. Such a unique storyline. Magical Realism is a favorite of mine, and this has bits of it throughout. A lovely story about sisters and family. You will not be disappointed with this one. I will definitely be buying my own copy to keep and reread when I want something special .

2.75 stars

Family Lore was the story of a Dominican-American family told through the eyes of the women of the family. Some of the women had unique abilities. Flor had the ability to be able to tell when someone would die. After viewing a show featuring a man having a living wake, she decided she wanted one as well. The rest of the book followed the days leading up to the wake and flashbacks of the women's lives. The family wanted to know if Flor was going to die, but she would not say. Her sister, Pastora, had the ability to read whether someone was telling the truth by their words. Pastora decided not to ask her sister if she saw her own death because she didn't want the burden of knowing her sister might die. Others wonder if Flor saw another family member's death and the wake was a way to get the family together before it happened.

This was a great premise for a book. Unfortunately, I had a hard time keeping up with the characters in the book. There was a "Table of Principal Characters" in the front of the book, but each chapter bounced to a new character each time. Most of the book was told as flashbacks and the stories did not follow a linear progression to me. The writing style was difficult for me to follow at times as well. The characters in this book were very interesting. I wish their stories had been presented in a more concise way as I was disappointed I could not enjoy them more.

I received an e-ARC for Family Lore and want to thank Elizabeth Acevedo, Harper Collins Publishers, Ecco Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to voluntarily read and give an honest review of this book. Family Lore is scheduled to be released August 1, 2023.

This is a story of sisters in a Dominican-American family. It winds through the three days before the wake of Flora - the sister who can predict death and has chosen to hold her wake while she is still alive. Notes of magical realism are woven through the story as we meet each sister and learn of their unique abilities and how they have served them through their lives. It's a beautiful and funny story, lots of tales, and gossip and LORE. If you love long spanning family epics, stories of latinx culture or just want a new novel that is enriched with a hint of witchcraft, Family Lore is for you!
#ElizabethAcevedo #FamilyLore #Ecco