finedanddandy's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
ARC provided by Kensington Books via NetGalley.
Familia follows New York twentysomething Gabby DiMarco, whose life takes a swift turn when a genealogical test reveals a sibling match. A confused Gabby, convinced that this is a mistake, embarks on a trip to Puerto Rico to investigate with Isabel Ruiz, the woman claiming that Gabby is her long lost younger sister.
Isabela was by far my favorite character out of the cast. Despite her (somewhat stereotypical hotheadedness) Isabel handles the situation with grace and patience, despite Gabby's spoiled, bratty demeanor. Gabby's inability to recognize her own flaws was incredibly frustrating and made it hard to recognize any redeeming qualities that she might have.
While the storyline was intriguing and my desire for answers kept my turning the pages, the book was sadly lacking for me. At several points, I felt that the tone of the story, specifically when juxtaposing the darker content regarding the past crime and the lighter moments of conversation in the present, was quite discordant. Additionally the discussions regarding Lucy and Mack's actions and their ultimate complicity in the crime didn't seem to be taken seriously enough during the present day storyline and felt a bit like white saviorism. This was further emphasized every time that the narrative reminded us how dirty, unsafe, and crime ridden Puerto Rico was. The writing it self was fine, aside from the excessive overuse of ellipses, which I stopped counting after reaching the hundredth instance in the first 10 chapters.
2.5 stars, rounded up to 3. I would definitely pick up another book from Lauren E. Rico in the future, if the premise was of interest to me.
Familia follows New York twentysomething Gabby DiMarco, whose life takes a swift turn when a genealogical test reveals a sibling match. A confused Gabby, convinced that this is a mistake, embarks on a trip to Puerto Rico to investigate with Isabel Ruiz, the woman claiming that Gabby is her long lost younger sister.
Isabela was by far my favorite character out of the cast. Despite her (somewhat stereotypical hotheadedness) Isabel handles the situation with grace and patience, despite Gabby's spoiled, bratty demeanor. Gabby's inability to recognize her own flaws was incredibly frustrating and made it hard to recognize any redeeming qualities that she might have.
While the storyline was intriguing and my desire for answers kept my turning the pages, the book was sadly lacking for me. At several points, I felt that the tone of the story, specifically when juxtaposing the darker content regarding the past crime and the lighter moments of conversation in the present, was quite discordant. Additionally the discussions regarding Lucy and Mack's actions and their ultimate complicity in the crime didn't seem to be taken seriously enough during the present day storyline and felt a bit like white saviorism. This was further emphasized every time that the narrative reminded us how dirty, unsafe, and crime ridden Puerto Rico was. The writing it self was fine, aside from the excessive overuse of ellipses, which I stopped counting after reaching the hundredth instance in the first 10 chapters.
2.5 stars, rounded up to 3. I would definitely pick up another book from Lauren E. Rico in the future, if the premise was of interest to me.
mrlzbth's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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? Yes
4.0
sams_bookss's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
fast-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
5.0
I’m so glad I was able to read this because it completely took me out of a reading slump. I think I might even put it in my top ten favorite books of the year! I loved it so much that I’m going to get the physical copy when it comes out in December. I already know this is a book I could talk about for hours and I’ll definitely be re-reading it in the future.
This was such a powerful and beautifully written story of both lost and found family. There were so many times that I laughed, got angry, and cried. The depth of the relationship between Gabby and Isabella really kept me engaged and I couldn’t put the book down. I cried for both the life they never got together as sisters and for the life they each endured.
Lauren did a great job of unraveling the complexities of the kidnapping of Isabella’s sister. It is both a book about family and the dewebbing of an unsolved crime. Going back and forth between the past and present really made me want to keep reading to understand how and why things ended the way they did. I cannot say anything bad about this book (only that switching between multiple POVs was slightly confusing) I definitely recommend it!
ahill33's review
adventurous
emotional
fast-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
3.5
Wow, this story hooked me from the beginning. The opening chapter really sets the stage for all that is to come. This covers an intense story of two sisters being separated due to tragic instances. Throughout the story, we get to really know the two main characters: Isabella and Gabby. We get to see their struggles and insecurities. We also get to see them give guidance and support to each other. Throughout the story we also get to read snippets about what actually happened that fateful night. This is a story that really shows the power of family.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in an exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in an exchange for an honest review.
andrea_gagne's review
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This was such a unique and interesting concept, and I'm really glad I picked it up.
Familia explores questions around the meaning of family, what story our DNA tells, identity, and what shapes who we are. It tugs at the loose threads of who we think we are -- and explores what happens if they start to unravel.
Gabby DiMarco grew up as a single child of Italian American parents, and now works as a fact checker at a magazine in New York. But when a story about DNA testing prompts the magazine staff to do their own genealogy testing, she's hit with an unexpected result - and a potential sister. Meanwhile in Puerto Rico, Isabella Ruiz has been searching for her lost sister for 25 years, and she's sure her search is over. When a highly skeptical Gabby flies to Puerto Rico to try and track down the truth, she and Isabella must work together to uncover what happened all those years ago.
The mystery of this story really drew me in, and I couldn't stop turning the pages to find out what happened. I was also so compelled by the evolution of Gabby and Isabella's relationship, and they got me feeling emotional at times! And I admit, I did get a bit emotional at times (especially around the end).
The writing largely worked for me. The narrative voice feels less like you're in the character's mind and more like they're telling the story to you -- kind of like a narrator's voiceover in a movie. The writing style wasn't the most embellished, but it did keep the pacing moving ahead smoothly.
I did find Gabby to be a little immature for my taste. She has a bit of a "teenager insisting they're an adult" vibe.
Overall, I'm very glad I picked this up and I look forward to more by Lauren E. Rico.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this ARC to read and review.
Familia explores questions around the meaning of family, what story our DNA tells, identity, and what shapes who we are. It tugs at the loose threads of who we think we are -- and explores what happens if they start to unravel.
Gabby DiMarco grew up as a single child of Italian American parents, and now works as a fact checker at a magazine in New York. But when a story about DNA testing prompts the magazine staff to do their own genealogy testing, she's hit with an unexpected result - and a potential sister. Meanwhile in Puerto Rico, Isabella Ruiz has been searching for her lost sister for 25 years, and she's sure her search is over. When a highly skeptical Gabby flies to Puerto Rico to try and track down the truth, she and Isabella must work together to uncover what happened all those years ago.
The mystery of this story really drew me in, and I couldn't stop turning the pages to find out what happened. I was also so compelled by the evolution of Gabby and Isabella's relationship, and they got me feeling emotional at times! And I admit, I did get a bit emotional at times (especially around the end).
The writing largely worked for me. The narrative voice feels less like you're in the character's mind and more like they're telling the story to you -- kind of like a narrator's voiceover in a movie. The writing style wasn't the most embellished, but it did keep the pacing moving ahead smoothly.
I did find Gabby to be a little immature for my taste. She has a bit of a "teenager insisting they're an adult" vibe.
Overall, I'm very glad I picked this up and I look forward to more by Lauren E. Rico.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this ARC to read and review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Trafficking
Moderate: Rape
noniesrose's review
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
Familia is a contemporary novel focusing on, as the title says it all, family and past tragedies through following two protagonists solving a mystery after a DNA test and matching.
I found the premise intriguing as I never really thought much about DNA testing. The different perspectives are interesting and made me curious about this thing: what happens when you actually get your results and find out something, like a relative, a new family, or that your whole life is a lie? What do you make of it? Do you shrug and forget about it, or do you try to learn a bit about this part of yourself? You may start questioning your entire existence, have an identity crisis, etc. It can for sure be a life changing event. And I think it's nice to have a book about this topic.
I enjoyed Familia. It wasn't too long nor too short. I thought the story was told well through the structure of the book and its narration. I liked the author's prose was well; simple, not poetic but not too much dialogue. The mystery part of the novel was good, obviously you want to know. Because of the first chapter, I don't think the mystery is about the DNA test result, but clearly more about what went wrong to lead to this. I think the main theme remains family, with the classic questions: what it means, does blood only make family, are you willing to start bonding with a newly found family member, and so on.
There were a lot of different points of vue and I have to say I sometimes got lost, in particular regarding the recurrent characters and the chapters in the past but it's fine. I personally think that Isabella's pov was the most interesting. She could be annoying at times, being a little naive and not taking into account Gabby's feelings about this whole situation they were both in. Obviously, her way of seeing things is understandable. Nevertheless, the author gives Isabella a well appreciated character development.
This book takes place for the most part in Puerto Rico. I can't really say anything about the representation of Puerto Rico and the Latino/hispanic culture as it is not my place. The only thing I will say though is how I wasn't too sure about the constant reminders that certain places were far from being safe, and the whole "drugs, crime, child traffic" thing because in my opinion it lacked nuance. I feel like I didn't get to see another side of Puerto Rico? From my small experience, Latinos and their culture are often represented as that old 'criminals' cliché. Then again, I don't know how valid my opinion is. But is there enough of a balanced, or enough of a positive, latino representation in general so these themes can still take so much place in one book? It is noted in the preface of the book that the author has origins from Puerto Rico through her grandparents and she clearly stated she wanted to give justice to the Puerto Rico of her grandparents, that she meant well. So maybe this lack of nuance comes more from her own unconscious American and western vision of Puerto Rico and Latin America in general.
If you want to read about family, DNA testing consequences in a Puerto Rico setting with a touch of mystery novel, then go for it. Be very careful with the trigger warnings.
Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Murder, Toxic relationship, Violence, Alcoholism, Death, Kidnapping, and Rape
Minor: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Grief
gabbys_booklog's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction and Alcoholism
Minor: Child abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Death of parent
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