I was a bit concerned when I read that this was the author’s first foray into adult fiction as I do not like what is termed YA fiction. I was also concerned about the long list of characters at the beginning of the book. I did however enjoy the book. A nicely written family saga that focuses in four sisters, once of whom has the ability to predict when a person will die.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I liked the idea of all the siblings and woman stories, but I have found it difficult to follow at times. I had loved Acevado's earlier book With The Fire on High but Family Lore left me a little confused. Still I enjoyed the voices and subjects this book mention. Thank you Canongate for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

DNF @ 10%

I really disliked this book. It was jumpy and I did not overly see a full storyline when I did (although I think the storyline bit is purely because I did not make it past 10%).

This one is for fans of poetic prose, magical realism and multi-generational, matriarchal stories. I'm a big fan of all of those things so it's no surprise that I really enjoyed myself.

There are a LOT of characters which are at times tricky to keep track of (and my Spanish was also tested - if you're not a speaker you might find yourself looking up phrases to make sure you're not missing any context), but Acevedo's gorgeous, rich, heartfelt writing makes it worth it. I can't wait to read more of her adult fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley and Canongate for the e-ARC ahead of the UK paperback publication!

Perfect for fans of Isabel Allende or Gabriel Garcia Marquez, this magical realist, multi-generational novel focusing on the women in one Dominican family was an enjoyable read.

Thisbwas an absolute delight! I love how every characyer has their own chapters and separate story because you come to appreciate them more and the feel fully fleshed out. The writing style was amazing and very captivating and I will be reading everything miss Acevedo writes for sure

This novel had a promising premise. I enjoy family sagas and this one spans generations and focuses on a Dominican-American family. I appreciated reading this as I like to broaden my reading scope and learn more about other cultures through fiction.

This was a very well-written story with a detailed plot and vibrant characters. However, I did find the sheer amount of important characters a little hard to keep track of, especially as so many of their stories are explored. They are all very interesting characters, it was just a few too many. My other qualm is with some of the magical realism. I enjoyed flor’s power of predicting deaths, however, the inclusion of a ‘magical alpha vagina’ and the detail to which this was described felt unnecessary and was not for me.

That said, this is a unique story and I certainly haven’t read anything similar. The characterisation is good and, despite some choices which aren’t to my personal taste, the writing style is very good.

I am rating this novel 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

I have loved every book Elizabeth Acevedo has released so far and this is no different. Distinctive character voices, a beautiful setting and a situation you may not expect to see.

Life and death, love and hate, new and old - this is a book that explores varying perspectives and experiences as it weaves together multigenerational stories across the Dominican Republic and the United States.

Ona is a focal voice in Family Lore, jumping into the elders' and cousin's chapters to give commentary periodically, yet her story is the one that is least unraveled. In many ways, this book is about what goes unsaid, and Ona's lack of depth captures this well.

The book shares the magic each family member, from detecting lies to influencing cooking. However, Family Lore is more interested in the ties between family members. How far can you push someone before you lose them? What constitutes love? When should you intervene? Each sister or cousin thinks they have it worse, but what they don't understand is that each has encountered struggles - abuse, adultery, financial strains, assault, infertility, anxiety, isolation... Yet no one speaks of these issues. Silence is the shared experience, and Family Lore interrogates this phenomenon without judgment.

Heavy and insightful, this is definitely worth a read, as is any book by Elizabeth Acevedo!!

Devastated isn’t even the word to describe how I’m feeling about DNFing this book. Elizabeth Acevedo is one of my favourite authors, but unfortunately this one just didn’t work for me. I adored the writing style, as per usual with Acevedo, and while the idea of the wake of someone still alive did intrigue me, along with the gifts the women in this family have, I didn’t feel particularly attached to any of the characters and struggled to get into the book.
There are also quite a lot of characters and it took a while to figure out who was who. I think it would have been easier reading this physically, to be able to quickly flick to the beginning and get a refresher on who is who.
Acevedo’s writing talent is evidently clear in this book, and I will absolutely still pick up everything by her, this one just wasn’t my cup of tea. I’d still recommend if the plot sounds interesting because the writing is so incredibly good.

Incredible prose and characters.
Marte sisters are from the Dominican countryside, and each of them possesses a special gift.
The shape of the stories of these women and how they connect is interesting.
Flor plans her wake and we learn of the other Martes stories until the make-shift wake.
I think my favourite character was Ona. I enjoyed the themes and the agency these characters displayed. The story shape was not my favourite.

I am eager to read more by this author.

This is Elizabeth Acevedo's first adult novel and it's incredible!

Family Lore tells the story of the women of a Dominican-American family. The novel's epicentre is a living wake that one of the characters, Flor, decides to organize for herself to celebrate her life with her family and friends. Flor has the ability to predict someone's death, so organizing an event like this understandably worries her family, but she offers no explanation. Surrounding this situation, we learn about all the women in this family — Flor's sisters, Mathilde, Pastora and Camilla, as well as her daughter, Ona, who narrates the novel, and her niece, Yadi. I love books that tell the story of families across generations, so I was really excited to read this book, and it did not disappoint. I especially liked the Spanish used in many moments in the novel, since the language is very much a part of these women's lives.

Thank you very much to Canongate and NetGalley for this e-ARC!

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.