Family Lore
Family Lore is a 2023 fantasy novel by Elizabeth Acevedo. Acevedo's first novel intended for an adult audience, Family Lore has been shortlisted for the 2023 Center for Fiction First Novel Prize. Plot Reception Despite some mixed reviews, Family Lore was generally well received by critics.Star Tribune'''s Kevin Canfield called the novel "vibrant", writing that "Acevedo wields her own sort of magic in her first novel for adults, deftly blending comedy and sorrow". Also highlighting the novel's fantastical elements, Publishers Weekly noted that "the various magical elements aren’t very well developed". On behalf of The Washington Post, Patricia Engel called the novel "enchanting" and highlighted how Acevedo "strikes a rousing prose blend of bluntness, lyricism, slang, pop culture references, and the interlingual expansiveness fluidly employed by first- and second-generation immigrants". The Observer's Stephanie Merritt also discussed the writing style, noting that "Acevedo’s background in spoken-word poetry shines through in the energy and lyricism of her prose". Kirkus Reviews was more critical, noting that the "prose that fails to sing consistently". Some reviewers commented on the book's structure, in which "the present narrative is frequently interrupted by nostalgia and melancholy tied to the motherland, knots of memories of Santo Domingo". Rebecca