<i>Family Lore</i> is Elizabeth Acevedo's first novel for an adult audience, and as a big fan of her YA work, I was so excited to see this book on NetGalley. <i>Family Lore</i> is a multigenerational saga that follow the women of one family as they prepare for the living wake of Flor, who has the ability to see people's deaths.

I really loved this book. Big, sweeping family sagas have been very popular on the contemporary market in the past few years, but <i>Family Lore</i> doesn't feel like Acevedo is treading well-worn ground. Her approach and the story she weaves around the sisters and nieces is complex and beautifully told. I really appreciated how much grace she gives each character to make mistakes and then to find their way back.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC of this book.

Elizabeth Acevedo's books are must-reads for me, even before I look at plot summaries and jacket flaps. So I was really eager to read her foray into adult fiction, and I wasn't disappointed. Acevedo has a knack for creating believable, ordinary characters I come to love. In this novel, there were a lot of them, and at first I got lost as the narrator changed from chapter to chapter. I suspect a paper copy of the book would have been helpful with that; I don't love flipping back through e-reader pages quite as much as I do paper pages. Before long, though, the characters' quirky personalities brought them to life in my imagination, and I was so glad to have met them.

I hope EA continues with Young Adult fiction, and I want to read more adult novels from her, as well.

Many thanks to #NetGalley and Ecco for a free copy for review!

Do you ever really want to love a book, but start and then just realize the book isn’t or you? That is exactly what happened with me and this book. It had the making of a beautiful novel, but for me it fell flat. There were so many characters and points of view, that I just couldn’t keep up. Maybe they all come together, but I couldn’t last it out. The characters were lovely, and quirky, but the sheer number of them just got to me.

Since I couldn’t get into this book and ultimately did not finish it, I will not be posting to my social media or retail sites (goodreads & instagram or amazon) as I normally do in fairness to the publisher and author. Thank you for this e-arc in exchange for this review.

Do check this one out if you want a multigenerational novel with plenty of points of views.

I'm a big fan of Laura Esquivel, Isabel Allende, and the master Gabriel Garcia Marquez, whose vivid, abstract, and powerful stories are filled with pure magical realism. Latin American culture, history, and geography serve as inspiration for these brilliant authors, fueling their creation of inspirational, poetic, and colorful works.

As soon as I read the storyline of this book, which reminded me of Marquez's 100 Years of Solitude, a powerful family saga about unique and powerful women's stories, I was so invested in exploring this Dominican-American family saga.

The story focuses on four unique and quirky sisters, Flor, Matilde, Pastora, and Camila. Flor has the unique ability to predict when a person will die since she was five years old. Now, instead of predicting her own death, she decides to have a "living wake" that she can attend. This raises the question of what would happen if she predicted her own death and wanted to say goodbye to her loved ones in her own peculiar way.

The story moves back and forth in time, exploring the entire family saga, including hilarious and heartfelt stories of the gifted Marte women. Each sister's perspective on the events and the other people, including their mother, is different, and their opinions are reflected by their unique characteristics. It was enjoyable to stay in their heads and learn more about their backstories.

Overall, Latin American culture, customs, traditions, myths, and unique perspectives always pique my interest. This book was truly enjoyable and entertaining, and is one of Elizabeth Acevedo's greatest works.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Ecco for sharing this brilliant digital review copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

If you're someone who enjoys multiple POVS then this is for you. I personally am not a fan of such a rapidly changing narrative and, in the case of Family Lore, I felt as if it had a weird rhythm about the story just due to how many POV's were involved. But overall I found the premise of Family Lore very intriguing and the magic was unique. I just wish I could have connected to the characters more, and I feel like I would have if the amount of POV's were decreased.

"All of us are magic wrapped in skin. And taut with over-wrought wonder, for the fleeting time we are beings..." Reading the Family Lore felt magical. I loved this book. The Marte woman are flawed, human and lovable. The multigenerational storyline is beautifully written capturing the nuances of individuality, relationships and familial roles. I enjoyed the different perspectives and the genuine love the characters had for one another. Acevedo has a way of bringing Hispanic culture to life in her writing in a reflective, respectful and honest way. This book was everything I wanted and more,

I was excited when I saw Elizabeth Acevedo wrote adult fiction as I often recommend her YA books to adults and young adults alike. She did not disappoint. I will be recommending this book when it is released,

Acevedo has given us another beautifully entwined book with characters that keep you coming back for more. At first I found it a little hard to keep up with everyone, but it all worked together and I soon learned how everyone was connected. The way Acevedo writes these characters and keeps you hooked on what is happening to them and where they are going, is really great writing.

A beautiful story of family, that had me thinking about my family and my family history.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC!

I was so excited to see a new book from Elizabeth Acevedo. I have read everything she has written. I had a bit of a hard time getting into this one, but saw others enjoyed it so I stuck it out. As a whole, I loved it. I found the array of characters hard to follow at times, but the book, overall, was wonderful. Her writing is stunning as always and I can't wait for more people to get their hands on this one!

family lore weaves together the very different lives of the women in a Dominican-American family. the story itself is magical, reverent, and pensive as it builds up to an family gathering that the women are spearheading. Flor, Pastora, Matilde, Camila, Yadira, Anacaona, Mama Silvia, and more will live in my mind not only for the coming days as i continue to reflect on this book, but quite possibly for years to come. while the format of the book takes some getting used to - as it is broken up into the lives of the different women then and now - it was intriguing, enticing, and had me wondering what answers I would yield if I sat the women in my family down and questioned them. would i also have a plethora of family lore to report on? i experienced probably every emotion reading this, and even after three hundred pages i still wanted more.

elizabeth acevedo’s adult debut was stunning and reflective, with an ending that had me closing my eyes and letting out a long long breath of release. if you’re into magical realism, stories about large families, and women-centered stories, i definitely wouldn’t skip this when it releases!

This is not really my type of book, it was, however, well written in the characters as quirky as they were were somewhat believable. I found myself struggling to finish it, but I don’t think this is a reflection on the book or the author more my own personal taste in literature. Thank you for my advance copy.

This is not what I expected, but it will still really well done. One of the things I love about Acevedo is her ability to write such relatable, raw and grounded characters. I'm imagining this book will be an outstanding audiobook (just like all her others as well)

Thanks so much for a chance to read an early copy of this newest release!

I am a huge fan of Elizabeth Acevedo so I was extremely excited when I saw this adult title. I am so happy to say that she did not disappoint. Her work continues to be poetic and even more so when it is in prose form and I don't understand how that is possible.

The premise of the story is unique and delivered artfully. The characters are full people: I feel like they are people I have met and interacted with, and in fact they remind me of some of my family members. Acevedo represents Dominican culture beautiful and has a written a story that many will be happy to re-read over and over.

wowww yes this is amazing. I've loved all of Elizabeth Acevedo's YA books but she's really flexing here. I think the intergenerational stuff could have teen appeal but it's also really sexy so idk, PSA. it's hot in here. I just love this family and the matter-of-fact magical realism and of course the language is so beautiful and poetic.

Beyond excited that Elizabeth Acevedo has ventured into adult fiction! A touch of magical realism and a giant dose of family, Family Lore features a family full of strong, dynamic, powerful women. A must read!

In "Family Lore," we meet a family of women with special gifts. The novel centers on four sisters (Matilde, Flor, Pastora and Camila) and their families. Flor's gift leads her to plan a "living wake," and the story revolves around that event, jumping backward and forward in time and developing the story through multiple female perspectives. I liked the fact that the story is women-led, and the character development in this novel is strong. Elizabeth Acevedo succeeds at developing a unique family culture, which (as a multicultural reader) I love to see. I enjoyed this book and the great cover art makes me want to grab it when it's in print!

Elizabeth Acevedo — previously known for her YA work — makes her adult debut with the novel Family Lore which explores the lives and family history of a group of sisters and their daughters who emigrated from DR to New York. When one of the sisters invites the family to her living wake they all must come together and support each other. Acevedo has some serious writing chops that she often displays in Family Lore, but certain parts of the story drag, and she gets bogged down in her narrative structure, which feels tedious at points. Even so, she has created some very memorable female characters living interesting and true lives that explore family, feminism, immigration, and Latina culture that many readers will love.

This book really just took me for a ride. I loved the build up, the character development, and the writing. I would definitely read more from this author!

I have read Elizabeth Acevedo's young adult novels, and thoroughly enjoyed her first adult novel, Family Lore. Flor, Matilde, Pastora, and Camila are sisters. Flor has a unique gift--she can predict the day of someone's death. Flor decides to have a living wake for herself and invites all her family. What should just be a wake ends up being the impetus of tumult for each sister. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced e-reader copy.

Everyone in the family's got a gift: knowing someone is going to die, having a "magic vagina"--just go with it--and so when one of them decides to hold a living wake, it's an opportunity for everyone in the family to tell their story and define their relationship with her, and the family in general. It's a rambunctious novel, full of surprises and some very silly things, but also sometimes fun and a tribute to Dominican women in the US--which some view as being in exile. I think it could have used some editing to tighten things up, and there are some very tedious sections that don't add much, so 3/5.

Thank you, NetGalley for the opportunity to read an eARC of Elizabeth Acevedo’s novel Family Lore.

Those familiar with Acevedo’s work will instantly recognize her distinctive, candid voice. In writing Family Lore, Acevedo deftly transitions from YA fiction to adult fiction without losing what makes her a powerful writer, the ability to represent people as complex and beautiful. Mix Acevedo’s signature style with the intriguing plot premise of a living wake and sprinkle it with a bit of magical realism, and what do you get? A narrative that is sure to win countless accolades and awards, while simultaneously cementing the versatility of Acevedo’s authorship.