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mugsandmanuscripts's review
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
TLDR: This a poignant novel and skillful writing even if it isn't really my cup of tea.
Family Lore is the story of 6 Dominican women—sisters Matilde, Flor, Pastora, and Camila, and Ona and Yadi, the daughters of Flor and Pastora. Acevado creates a character- and relationship-driven narrative that explores family ties, inner struggles, relational and familial tension, sexuality, and especially love in its many forms. This is not a light read, although it is beautiful.
Spanning multiple points of view and sometimes overlapping timelines, Family Lore takes place in the few weeks between Flor's dream about her death and her living wake. Her decision to call this gathering together makes everyone nervous, as Flor has a gift (or a curse) for foreseeing how and when people die in her dreams. She stays mum on the date and way of her passing, but everyone knows something is up.
With that as the backdrop, Acevedo takes us on a journey through both the present struggles of the sisters and daughters as well as an examination of their past. Ona is an anthropologist and takes on her family as a research project. There are several short asides in which she adds her commentary on specific issues.
Matilde has no supernatural gift, but her graciousness is other-worldly, and she is taken advantage of because of it. Flor struggled with her spiritual connection to death from an early age. Pastora, reader of people's truths, was too much child for their anxious and cold mother, so she was sent away and abused by a (possibly) possessed aunt. And Camila came many years after Pastora, so she is never quite as connected to her sisters nor does she have a supernatural gift.
I felt connected to each of the sisters, but I struggled to connect with Ona and Yadi a bit (which is okay; no one has to connect with every character). I was mesmerized by each of their unique stories, and I really liked following their stories and growth. I also loved the magical realism incorporated into the novel—I never felt like I was taken for a fantastical ride, although I loved what the magic brought to the story. It was all almost believable.
The main reason that this is not a 5-star read for me is that I really, really struggled to get through it. I found myself not wanting to pick it up to finish but at the same time feeling like I needed to finish it because it was a story that deserved to be finished. The end is foretold in the beginning, so I never really reached a point where I felt like I had to know what came next, so it was often easy to put down and harder than usual for me to pick up. I tend to prefer plot-driven rather than character-driven books, and this was very much NOT a plot-driven narrative. That said, I'm going to be adding Acevedo's other work to my TBR.
Family Lore is the story of 6 Dominican women—sisters Matilde, Flor, Pastora, and Camila, and Ona and Yadi, the daughters of Flor and Pastora. Acevado creates a character- and relationship-driven narrative that explores family ties, inner struggles, relational and familial tension, sexuality, and especially love in its many forms. This is not a light read, although it is beautiful.
Spanning multiple points of view and sometimes overlapping timelines, Family Lore takes place in the few weeks between Flor's dream about her death and her living wake. Her decision to call this gathering together makes everyone nervous, as Flor has a gift (or a curse) for foreseeing how and when people die in her dreams. She stays mum on the date and way of her passing, but everyone knows something is up.
With that as the backdrop, Acevedo takes us on a journey through both the present struggles of the sisters and daughters as well as an examination of their past. Ona is an anthropologist and takes on her family as a research project. There are several short asides in which she adds her commentary on specific issues.
Matilde has no supernatural gift, but her graciousness is other-worldly, and she is taken advantage of because of it. Flor struggled with her spiritual connection to death from an early age. Pastora, reader of people's truths, was too much child for their anxious and cold mother, so she was sent away and abused by a (possibly) possessed aunt. And Camila came many years after Pastora, so she is never quite as connected to her sisters nor does she have a supernatural gift.
I felt connected to each of the sisters, but I struggled to connect with Ona and Yadi a bit (which is okay; no one has to connect with every character). I was mesmerized by each of their unique stories, and I really liked following their stories and growth. I also loved the magical realism incorporated into the novel—I never felt like I was taken for a fantastical ride, although I loved what the magic brought to the story. It was all almost believable.
The main reason that this is not a 5-star read for me is that I really, really struggled to get through it. I found myself not wanting to pick it up to finish but at the same time feeling like I needed to finish it because it was a story that deserved to be finished. The end is foretold in the beginning, so I never really reached a point where I felt like I had to know what came next, so it was often easy to put down and harder than usual for me to pick up. I tend to prefer plot-driven rather than character-driven books, and this was very much NOT a plot-driven narrative. That said, I'm going to be adding Acevedo's other work to my TBR.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Infertility
Moderate: Infidelity and Alcoholism
Minor: Miscarriage and Pregnancy
skitch41's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Miscarriage, Infidelity, Infertility, Sexual content, and Sexual assault
rgander's review
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Rape, Infertility, and Miscarriage
machenn's review
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death, Misogyny, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Alcohol, Infertility, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
passionatereader78's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I love Elizabeth Acevedo! I enjoyed the generations of women telling the story of their family and their experiences. The way Elizabeth tells a story is like the gentle ripples in a lake. Each new experience flows into the previous ones seamlessly. Flor is dying soon and she wants her flowers while she's alive, so she plans a living wake. We follow the family as they plan the wake. Each woman in the family gives us insight on the family. We learn from each person the family's history.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Alcohol, Death, Infertility, Alcoholism, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Mental illness, Sexual content, and Infertility
Minor: Vomit and Confinement
stephmcoakley's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Alcoholism, Infertility, Infidelity, Child abuse, Mental illness, Police brutality, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, and Miscarriage
mollywoodblvd's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infertility and Miscarriage
javafenn's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book was such an interesting dive into what family means with a touch of magic. Each woman has their own magical ability but nothing grandiose, just something simple that can make their lives easier, I’d say. It starts with an invitation to a wake for a living person and ends with a family close than before and more understanding of one another. Some parts of it were wildly uncomfortable to listen to without headphones but it’s a good book nonetheless.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Murder, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Colonisation, Cursing, Death, Infertility, Infidelity, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Miscarriage
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Deportation, Drug use, Sexual harassment, and Blood
author2223's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Toxic relationship, and Child abuse
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Miscarriage
bookishmillennial's review
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews because I don’t like leaving them. I enjoy most books for what they are, & I extract lessons from them all. Everyone’s reading experiences are subjective, so I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me on Instagram: @bookish.millennial or tiktok: @bookishmillennial
Oh gosh, I'm nervous to write this because I absolutely ADORE Elizabeth Acevedo. LET ME BE PERFECTLY CLEAR: I AM A MASSIVE FAN OF ELIZABETH ACEVEDO! I have read everything she has published and I have been absolutely *ENAMORED* with her work. She is a master class in novel-in-verse, and in powerful writing in general. I truly believe that. However, this was just an example of me being the biggest fangirl ever, and yet not loving something by one of my favorite authors. Believe me, this is as devastating for me as it is for yall!
I was so excited by the premise, and when I realized what this book was about! I love a multigenerational family saga, and following the women in the family who have magical gifts?! FUCKING INCREDIBLE PREMISE! Flor hosts a living wake and doesn't say who it is for and when the person will die?! Iconic behavior. However, overall, the novel just did not work for me. See: *me wistfully ruminating on how sad I am that I didn't love this*
My problem with this novel is the same problem I had with books like Atlas Six by Olivie Blake - there were too many characters' POVs, and to *fully* invest in, leaving me a bit flustered and frustrated when I had to switch POVs to someone else, just as I was getting pulled in to one character's arc/motivations/desires/hopes. I understand this is not a decision that only Acevedo makes, and I've seen it in other books, especially in thrillers (which I also love to read!). However, I don't think it was executed well in this book, and I could have done without three POVs; I still could have learned about the rest of the characters through the main POVs' chapters! I didn't feel that many of them were able to be fully fleshed out because of this choice to split up the story's POVs so much.
I've seen criticisms that the book has too much Spanish in the book that is not translated to English but I didn't mind Googling anything if I felt I was missing context. That's not a factor in my review; I actually really enjoy seeing more languages in books, and it consoles me that more books are being written with the authors' community in mind, rather than for the white gaze.
However, that last sentence is where this novel fell short for me. With the resolutions for certain characters by the end of the book, I felt like this was written for a white audience. The Spanish may not have been, but the actual plotline and storyline really felt like it was catering to what big publishing houses think the "market" wants, and that was super disappointing. I don't want to spoil anything obviously, and my opinion is not gospel, but this is just the vibe I got.
Anyway, I will go re-listen to The Poet X for now, and this doesn't mean I will never read a book by Acevedo again. GET REAL! I will continue to read her work, and I'm sad that this one just didn't hit for me.
steam rating: steam was sort-of open-door but not written as explicit smut if that makes sense! So yes, there's sexual content in here but it's not particularly the smut you'd read in another romcom, so just keep that in mind.
cw: infertility, infidelity, miscarriages, death, grief, fraught family dynamics
Oh gosh, I'm nervous to write this because I absolutely ADORE Elizabeth Acevedo. LET ME BE PERFECTLY CLEAR: I AM A MASSIVE FAN OF ELIZABETH ACEVEDO! I have read everything she has published and I have been absolutely *ENAMORED* with her work. She is a master class in novel-in-verse, and in powerful writing in general. I truly believe that. However, this was just an example of me being the biggest fangirl ever, and yet not loving something by one of my favorite authors. Believe me, this is as devastating for me as it is for yall!
I was so excited by the premise, and when I realized what this book was about! I love a multigenerational family saga, and following the women in the family who have magical gifts?! FUCKING INCREDIBLE PREMISE! Flor hosts a living wake and doesn't say who it is for and when the person will die?! Iconic behavior. However, overall, the novel just did not work for me. See: *me wistfully ruminating on how sad I am that I didn't love this*
My problem with this novel is the same problem I had with books like Atlas Six by Olivie Blake - there were too many characters' POVs, and to *fully* invest in, leaving me a bit flustered and frustrated when I had to switch POVs to someone else, just as I was getting pulled in to one character's arc/motivations/desires/hopes. I understand this is not a decision that only Acevedo makes, and I've seen it in other books, especially in thrillers (which I also love to read!). However, I don't think it was executed well in this book, and I could have done without three POVs; I still could have learned about the rest of the characters through the main POVs' chapters! I didn't feel that many of them were able to be fully fleshed out because of this choice to split up the story's POVs so much.
I've seen criticisms that the book has too much Spanish in the book that is not translated to English but I didn't mind Googling anything if I felt I was missing context. That's not a factor in my review; I actually really enjoy seeing more languages in books, and it consoles me that more books are being written with the authors' community in mind, rather than for the white gaze.
However, that last sentence is where this novel fell short for me. With the resolutions for certain characters by the end of the book, I felt like this was written for a white audience. The Spanish may not have been, but the actual plotline and storyline really felt like it was catering to what big publishing houses think the "market" wants, and that was super disappointing. I don't want to spoil anything obviously, and my opinion is not gospel, but this is just the vibe I got.
Anyway, I will go re-listen to The Poet X for now, and this doesn't mean I will never read a book by Acevedo again. GET REAL! I will continue to read her work, and I'm sad that this one just didn't hit for me.
steam rating: steam was sort-of open-door but not written as explicit smut if that makes sense! So yes, there's sexual content in here but it's not particularly the smut you'd read in another romcom, so just keep that in mind.
cw: infertility, infidelity, miscarriages, death, grief, fraught family dynamics
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Miscarriage, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, Infertility, and Grief
Minor: Sexual content