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cassielaj's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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
Family Lore is a work of art. It is lyrical, magical, quiet and exuberant, full of love and hope and fear and all sorts of challenging emotions woven into a truly beautiful story.
The four Marte sisters and their two daughters have such distinct stories and voices that each chapter feels like a story of its own, yet they are interconnected so beautifully to create a complex and wonderful narrative of mothers and daughters, sisters and aunts and nieces, and the ways women love and care for one another across distance, time, and other, more internal barriers. Their magic, both individual and collective, fills this story in more ways than one. I know I’ll be thinking about this one for a long time and going back to reference the many quotes I highlighted when I just need to read something incredible.
The four Marte sisters and their two daughters have such distinct stories and voices that each chapter feels like a story of its own, yet they are interconnected so beautifully to create a complex and wonderful narrative of mothers and daughters, sisters and aunts and nieces, and the ways women love and care for one another across distance, time, and other, more internal barriers. Their magic, both individual and collective, fills this story in more ways than one. I know I’ll be thinking about this one for a long time and going back to reference the many quotes I highlighted when I just need to read something incredible.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Pregnancy, Grief, Infidelity, Infertility, and Sexual content
Moderate: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, and Violence
cassimiranda's review against another edition
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
4.0
I received an eARC of this book for review from Ecco via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
• The Brief: Family Lore is a warm contemporary family saga with expressive prose in Acevedo’s poetic style. It tells the story of a Dominican American family narrated by two generations women coping with their entwined histories while facing future heart break.
• This story will work well for readers who enjoyed the author’s lyrical writing in previous books and is interested in seeing it put to use in a more mature story.
Family Lore is a story about the generational trauma told from the perspective six women, most of whom are blessed with magical skills. One of the elder sister’s is planning a wake for herself. Given her ability to predict death, her family struggles to prepare for the worst, resolve their past suffering, and discover their futures.
I loved Acevedo’s writing and sentence structure here, just as in previous novels. The characters were interesting and believable – although the POV voices were not as distinct as they could have been. The plot and world building was interesting to the point that for once I didn’t mind unexplained magical realism which can be very hit or miss for me. I wasn’t enamored of the way the sex and masturbation scenes were written, but that is a personal preference. This was a beautiful novel, and I’m so glad I had the opportunity to read it.
• The Brief: Family Lore is a warm contemporary family saga with expressive prose in Acevedo’s poetic style. It tells the story of a Dominican American family narrated by two generations women coping with their entwined histories while facing future heart break.
• This story will work well for readers who enjoyed the author’s lyrical writing in previous books and is interested in seeing it put to use in a more mature story.
Family Lore is a story about the generational trauma told from the perspective six women, most of whom are blessed with magical skills. One of the elder sister’s is planning a wake for herself. Given her ability to predict death, her family struggles to prepare for the worst, resolve their past suffering, and discover their futures.
I loved Acevedo’s writing and sentence structure here, just as in previous novels. The characters were interesting and believable – although the POV voices were not as distinct as they could have been. The plot and world building was interesting to the point that for once I didn’t mind unexplained magical realism which can be very hit or miss for me. I wasn’t enamored of the way the sex and masturbation scenes were written, but that is a personal preference. This was a beautiful novel, and I’m so glad I had the opportunity to read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility, Infidelity, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Abandonment, and Addiction
mrscorytee's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Infertility
patelyne's review against another edition
This book was not for me.
First and foremost - with so much content related to various miscarriages and conception issues a content warning should have been a must. I would never had picked it up if I had realized.
Also, even with translating on the e reader, there were language barriers on phrases. I can’t imagine if I had tried to follow it on audio or with a hard copy.
Outside of that, the story itself was hard to follow. There were so many characters to keep track of, especially with how quickly it switched between the characters in the different generations.
(Arc from NG and Ecco)
(Arc from NG and Ecco)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Infidelity, Miscarriage, and Infertility
ktdakotareads's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity, Death, Classism, Infertility, Body shaming, Death of parent, and Grief
covergirlbooks's review against another edition
I was enthralled with the generational, multi-pov storytelling in this book. The supernatural abilities of the first two women were intriguing. Basically a forecaster of death and a lie detector. But then the third woman’s superpower was… well… her lady parts. And I quit.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Infertility, and Infidelity
micalyia's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
medium-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? It's complicated
4.75
Elizabeth has done it again! She has pulled me in and broke my heart. I am heartbroken.
Onya gathers the stories of the women in her family so thoughtfully. I felt every striking word and cried when these women hurt.
The story follows the lives of 4 sisters and their 2 daughters. We see them grow up and come into their magic and the implications of it. But we also see their relationships (whether beautifully fulfilling or dysfunctional) and their hopes and dreams actualized.
I cannot wait for y’all to read this book.
Onya gathers the stories of the women in her family so thoughtfully. I felt every striking word and cried when these women hurt.
The story follows the lives of 4 sisters and their 2 daughters. We see them grow up and come into their magic and the implications of it. But we also see their relationships (whether beautifully fulfilling or dysfunctional) and their hopes and dreams actualized.
I cannot wait for y’all to read this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Infidelity, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Infertility, Pregnancy, Child abuse, and Grief
bookrokosmos's review against another edition
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, and Miscarriage
Moderate: Death, Sexual content, and Death of parent
Minor: Blood, Infertility, and Infidelity
annreadsabook's review against another edition
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
4.25
Family Lore is a strong, stirring novel that explores the stories we inherit, past lives we’ve lived, and the paths we choose to walk in light of all these things.
We’re initially introduced to Flor, an aging woman with the ability to predict when others will die—but her family is shocked when Flor herself requests that they give her a "living wake." Has Flor foreseen her own death? Or possibly the death of another loved one? In light of Flor’s request, her family, including her daughter Ona, grapple with both current and past family dynamics—and in doing so, perhaps they will all come out at the other side with some deeper meaning of themselves and their family.
I loved the ways that Family Lore explores experiences of womanhood across age and time; in this book we’re shown numerous women who all are forced to consider and reconsider what it means to fight for some semblance of agency and power in a world that so often is meant to grind women down. Acevedo paints a portrait of beautifully complicated women who struggle to be the centerpieces of the own story, be it through some working of inner magic, reliance on those around them, or remembrance of days past. And, she explores the ties that bind these women, to various and differing degrees, to the Dominican Republic.
Throughout the novel, Acevedo emphasizes the strength of the collective: each individual woman in this story of course has her unique struggles and desires that are often complicated and thwarted by other family members, but there is a profound power that emerges when these women are gathered together. There is beauty both in the individual and in the togetherness. And, of course, I have to shout out the incredible prose in this book—Acevedo is an amazing poet whose voice shines in the narrative form.
If you’re looking for a deeply character-driven story that is not terribly linear or fast-paced, you’ll be in for a treat with this one! Family Lore is out August 1—thanks so much Ecco Books for the gifted ARC!
We’re initially introduced to Flor, an aging woman with the ability to predict when others will die—but her family is shocked when Flor herself requests that they give her a "living wake." Has Flor foreseen her own death? Or possibly the death of another loved one? In light of Flor’s request, her family, including her daughter Ona, grapple with both current and past family dynamics—and in doing so, perhaps they will all come out at the other side with some deeper meaning of themselves and their family.
I loved the ways that Family Lore explores experiences of womanhood across age and time; in this book we’re shown numerous women who all are forced to consider and reconsider what it means to fight for some semblance of agency and power in a world that so often is meant to grind women down. Acevedo paints a portrait of beautifully complicated women who struggle to be the centerpieces of the own story, be it through some working of inner magic, reliance on those around them, or remembrance of days past. And, she explores the ties that bind these women, to various and differing degrees, to the Dominican Republic.
Throughout the novel, Acevedo emphasizes the strength of the collective: each individual woman in this story of course has her unique struggles and desires that are often complicated and thwarted by other family members, but there is a profound power that emerges when these women are gathered together. There is beauty both in the individual and in the togetherness. And, of course, I have to shout out the incredible prose in this book—Acevedo is an amazing poet whose voice shines in the narrative form.
If you’re looking for a deeply character-driven story that is not terribly linear or fast-paced, you’ll be in for a treat with this one! Family Lore is out August 1—thanks so much Ecco Books for the gifted ARC!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity and Infertility
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