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lenastockton's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
janeleng's review against another edition
5.0
Lyrical and gorgeous, like everything that Acevedo writes. Family Lore is her first foray into adult fiction and, as much as I love her YA work, I hope she continues to write for adults. The book is an ambitious jump from previous works— it’s significantly longer and has a larger cast of narrators than any of Acevedo’s past books, not to mention she is writing for an entirely new intended audience.
But what could have felt like a nice attempt at a new genre and style from a lesser author, instead confirms that Acevedo is an expert of her craft. With Family Lore, she is writing the way she was always meant to write: wholly unedited.
But what could have felt like a nice attempt at a new genre and style from a lesser author, instead confirms that Acevedo is an expert of her craft. With Family Lore, she is writing the way she was always meant to write: wholly unedited.
kelseyharfoush's review against another edition
emotional
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? No
2.5
wlambert0412's review against another edition
emotional
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? No
2.5
_zara's review against another edition
I'm a mood reader, and this isn't my mood right now.
Will return to this when I want less horror, more family drama.
Will return to this when I want less horror, more family drama.
disabledbookdragon's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
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
3.5
arielkc's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
pandaintheshelves's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
I just had one of those experiences where you love a book but then you see the ratings and a lot of people think it's not good 😩 So yeah, apparently I'm swimming against the tide here, because this was an almost 5-star reading experience for me.
The reasons?
📚 This book has Isabel Allende/García Márquez/Laura Esquivel vibes. They provided some of my fav reading experiences in the past, so I may be a little biased here.
📚 How the author portrays Caribbean culture. I'm not Dominican, but I was born in the, let's call it, vicinity (🇨🇺), and I now live in a country that has English as one of the official languages. So, of course, I basked in the Spanglish, the food and music references, and the way the characters interact with each other.
📚 The family dynamics. Specifically, the relationship between the women in the family. They're so complex and deep and realistic. You can absolutely feel how fiercely they love each other in spite of their differences.
📚 The magical realism. I'm a sucker for that. In this story (not a spoiler, it's literally in the description), almost all the female characters possess a little bit of magic. The story shows how this permeates their lives and characters, and I'm sooo here for it!
📚 How the author depicted heavy topics like emotional abuse, trauma bonding, miscarriages, infertility, grief, and loss. No judgment, but no detachment either. Just compassion and love.
📚 The writing. This was my first time reading the author, and I didn't know she writes poetry too. But when I found out, it was like "yeah, that tracks". While the style is not always consistent, most of the time it feels like reading a poem (without becoming purple prose). And as a poetry reader, that's something I appreciate.
😅 I do have to admit, the multiple POVs made me feel lost sometimes. I had to draw myself a small guide to remember whose voice I'm hearing right now and how they're related to each other. The glimpses into the past added even more to that confusion.
As a disclaimer, I need to clarify I listened to the audiobook. Maybe the printed/ebook version has this as an aid for the reader. Not sure.
😅 Also, little story time: I was listening to this book on the bus. Picture rush hour, full bus, almost no space, I'm surrounded by people. And one of the characters says, in perfect Spanish, "ah, sí, porque mi ch*cha mágica." Which translates into "my magical p*ssy." And starts describing in excruciating detail what her magical kitty can do. Of course, I'm using my headphones, but the shock was so strong I jumped in my seat with my most surprised Pikachu expression. And then EVERYONE IS LOOKING AT ME. It was a "trágame, tierra" moment, if I ever had one.
So, wrapping things up, is this book for everyone? No. Does it have a structure that may be difficult to follow sometimes? Yes. Is it incredibly touching, insightful, and moving? Also yes. Is it an amazing portrait of womanhood, family relationships, Caribbean culture, and provides glimpses into the specific experiences of Afro-Latinx individuals? Heck yes.
Do I recommend it? 100%.
The reasons?
📚 This book has Isabel Allende/García Márquez/Laura Esquivel vibes. They provided some of my fav reading experiences in the past, so I may be a little biased here.
📚 How the author portrays Caribbean culture. I'm not Dominican, but I was born in the, let's call it, vicinity (🇨🇺), and I now live in a country that has English as one of the official languages. So, of course, I basked in the Spanglish, the food and music references, and the way the characters interact with each other.
📚 The family dynamics. Specifically, the relationship between the women in the family. They're so complex and deep and realistic. You can absolutely feel how fiercely they love each other in spite of their differences.
📚 The magical realism. I'm a sucker for that. In this story (not a spoiler, it's literally in the description), almost all the female characters possess a little bit of magic. The story shows how this permeates their lives and characters, and I'm sooo here for it!
📚 How the author depicted heavy topics like emotional abuse, trauma bonding, miscarriages, infertility, grief, and loss. No judgment, but no detachment either. Just compassion and love.
📚 The writing. This was my first time reading the author, and I didn't know she writes poetry too. But when I found out, it was like "yeah, that tracks". While the style is not always consistent, most of the time it feels like reading a poem (without becoming purple prose). And as a poetry reader, that's something I appreciate.
😅 I do have to admit, the multiple POVs made me feel lost sometimes. I had to draw myself a small guide to remember whose voice I'm hearing right now and how they're related to each other. The glimpses into the past added even more to that confusion.
As a disclaimer, I need to clarify I listened to the audiobook. Maybe the printed/ebook version has this as an aid for the reader. Not sure.
😅 Also, little story time: I was listening to this book on the bus. Picture rush hour, full bus, almost no space, I'm surrounded by people. And one of the characters says, in perfect Spanish, "ah, sí, porque mi ch*cha mágica." Which translates into "my magical p*ssy." And starts describing in excruciating detail what her magical kitty can do. Of course, I'm using my headphones, but the shock was so strong I jumped in my seat with my most surprised Pikachu expression. And then EVERYONE IS LOOKING AT ME. It was a "trágame, tierra" moment, if I ever had one.
So, wrapping things up, is this book for everyone? No. Does it have a structure that may be difficult to follow sometimes? Yes. Is it incredibly touching, insightful, and moving? Also yes. Is it an amazing portrait of womanhood, family relationships, Caribbean culture, and provides glimpses into the specific experiences of Afro-Latinx individuals? Heck yes.
Do I recommend it? 100%.
asacco9642's review against another edition
emotional
funny
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