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

Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo
is about the complexities of women and families told through the Marte Sisters and their daughters. While the story is centered around the living wake that Flor wants to have for herself, what unfolds is the sister and daughter dynamics and their lives presently in New York and the past in the Dominican Republic. There’s also a little bit of magical realism as all the Marte women have a ‘talent.’ These talents are what make and, at times, break these women.

This was a wonderful emotive story of women and families. Elizabeth Acevedo knows language and how to use it beautifully.

A few favorite sentences...
“The little mouth inside of my creativity that became hungry when I hadn’t offered it something new to chew on, to work through, hadn’t been craving anything academic in a long time.”

“If all my sisters were born unnatural, or perhaps, in the ways of wild creatures, overly natural, attuned to the fluctuations of living the way elephants can feel earthquakes half a world away through their feet, I was the one least connected.”

“And I know the heart is a burial ground for memories that shame and hurt. You can visit and place flowers there and make it a tomb. Or let those things act as fertilizer and pay no homage.”

“Ancestors: you showed up in the season of sorrow and carry me into the season of sweetness”

Thank you, @netgalley and @eccobooks for the eARC.

Getting an ARC of “Family Lore” has honestly been one of the highlights of 2023 so far…y’all know how much I love an @acevedowrites book!

This is not the writing of “Poet X” or “With the Fire on High”—this is truly a foray away from her previous YA novels. Everything, from the subject matter to the syntax, feels more mature. It was actually a bit shocking at first to absorb how different this book was from what I was my assumed expectations; this is an exciting break away from her previous directions.

Throughout the first third of the book, I had to work to read. Understanding the family dynamics, the “rules” of the world, and the structure of Ona’s narrative took my full attention. It wasn’t until about the halfway point when things started to click and—somewhat suddenly—I feel in love with the Marte sisters & their daughters. It was like the magic of the story finally settled in and enveloped me throughout the remaining chapters. Ona weaves in the former generation’s pasts alongside the present events—centered around her mother, who has dreams which foreshadow death, announcing that she will be hosting her own living wake—and the end result is a compilation of heartbreak and comfort.

“Family Lore” is built on a foundation of magical realism, and the book uses this to entwine the more uncomfortable scenes of the book with the romanticized moments that the characters encounter together. Every single character grew on me as I continued to read, and while I have my favorites—Pastora and Yadi, hands down—I truly enjoyed every section, as told in each of their voices.

This is a book I will definitely be picking up a copy of when it officially releases in August (and my collection of Acevedo’s writing will continue to expand!). It’s truly a beautiful narrative that encompasses family, femininity, and love in all of its forms. Truly a stunning read!

Thanks to @netgalley and @eccobooks for providing me with this copy 💕

She’s done it again! Written a powerful and empowering book that is equal parts ethereal beauty of language and hope grounded in the realities of life. I want every teen I’ve ever taught to read this book - and all her books. Gah! I’m so thankful that Elizabeth Acevedo writes!!!!!

ARC releasing 8/1/23. The women in the Marte family all have gifts and Flor is that she can predict when someone will die. When she plans her own wake, her family thinks the worst and her daughter, Ona, begins to weave through the family history with all of the women in the family. I've really enjoyed this author in the past so this was a giant bummer. I could get on board with the magical gifts until one of the women had a magical vagina. It was incredibly difficult for me to keep all 6 characters straight as each chapter was from a different woman. The format was also somewhat confusing because it was hard to tell what they were telling Ona and what was omniscient.

What a beautiful book! I enjoyed the mothers and sisters and daughters that Acevedo created for a family story. You will want to invest time and dig into this book. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Four stars!

This is the book I have been dreaming of for years! I fell in love with Elizabeth Acevedo after reading Poet X... and everything else she's ever written! I love YA, but getting an adult novel is a real treat.

This book follows four sisters, each with a little bit of magic. We see each of them using their gifts, getting closer as sisters, and making difficult decisions as time leads up to one sister's living wake. In addition to following the sisters, we also get the perspective of two cousins, Yadi and Ona, each with their own serious plot lines. I'll be honest; the sheer number of characters we are following and that have complete plots could be confusing and a bit overwhelming (we get six perspectives). I'm not sure I had who was who straight until after the halfway point, and even then, time jumps with scenes from the past left me a bit lost.

Despite heavy topics, this book was an utter, unputdownable joy. It celebrates life, love, family, individuality, and choice. I loved this book and highly recommend it to fans of Julia Alvarez, family dramas, intergenerational stories, a hint of magic in contemporary settings, and highly lovable characters.

Content warnings for sex, cheating, and death.

Huge thank you to Elizabeth Acevedo, Ecco, and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. I cannot wait to see what Acevedo does next.

I want to start off by saying that Elizabeth Acevedo is one of my favorite authors. She has mastered poetry in books and writing for young adults. I was extremely happy that she decided to write an adult novel. Family Lore fascinated me from the first page. I absolutely loved the story and loved following the multiple family members/characters.

First, I will put what I did not enjoy about the book. I know that this is an ARC/uncorrected proof copy that has not been proofed. I found a number of errors that I know will be fixed upon final review, so I won't mention those. It's just the grammar nerd in me couldn't look away! I will say that there were some parts that I did not understand since the Spanish didn't translate exactly. I asked my Panamanian mother about a number of the translations, but some can't translate exactly, and I couldn't follow. For example, in the Pastora chapter that discusses "La Vieja [redacted]", I couldn't follow what this meant or who this person was. I think this will be corrected during the final version, but I didn't understand most of this. Also, I had no idea what the last chapter, "Abstract", was about. I couldn't tell who the narrator or character was supposed to be. I read it about 3 times and was still lost. I understood the ending and where each character was left, but this chapter didn't seem to fit.

Next, I will put what I did love about the book, which is everything else! The storylines of each sister and daughter/niece were perfection. I love how the past and present were woven together. It flowed seamlessly and never distracted me from the present storyline or what was happening. There were characters that I loved (#justiceforMatilde!) over others, but each character had their strengths and weaknesses, and it all fit so well. This reminded me so much of the strong Afro-Latina women in my own family. The entire premise of the book with Flor having her living wake was so well-written. I love how we as the reader didn't know if she was dreaming about herself or someone else. I am glad that we did not find out the true nature of the wake until the ending. Oh, and I really loved that we only get the narration of the women in the family. I loved hearing their points of view of how the men and their female family members fit into their lives. I was happy that the women characters of this family were prominently featured.

There is so much more I could add about each character individually, but I want to leave that to the future readers of this beautiful book. I truly appreciate having the opportunity to read the advance copy and for the publisher to read my notes about the book. Elizabeth Acevedo NEVER misses! She is a phenomenal author and deserves to be praised for this amazing piece of work. THANK YOU!