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lpkbooks's review
3.0
3.5, but can’t seem to round up. Liked the generational central themes but ultimately felt like author threw too many random magic elements into the plot…overburdened the lyrical qualities of the story.
leer_amor's review
5.0
This book is a supernatural/paranormal mystery with a main character, Ellie, who can raise the ghosts of dead animals. After her cousins death, which was deemed an “accident“, Ellie is visited by his ghost in a dream where he tells her that he was actually m!rdered. She then sets out to try to, solve the mystery of his m!rder and prevent further deaths.
I absolutely loved the ancestral stories. They were woven into the plot so beautifully and you could really feel the familial bonds within the tellings of the stories. I loved how indigenous agency, history, and rights were seamlessly embedded in the magic system. Like yes, they can totally banish a vampire from a vast area of land because that was their land first before colonizers took it. They dont need to banish them from a house with a deed in their name. The whole freaking land belongs to them.
I appreciated the phonetic spelling of the name El-ot-so-ay, as well, because I was definitelt saying it wrong in my head.
The illustrations at the beginning of each chapter are gorgeous, but I couldn’t always understand the relevance to the story that they had. I don’t know if they were intended to connect with each chapter, but I felt like they didnt. I appreciate them either way though.
I also loved how the main characters friendship with the main secondary character, Jay, was completely platonic, and there was no romantic tension or anything like that within their relationship. I would like to normalize completely platonic relationships without any romance. Because those relationships are just as important as romantic relationships. (As well as reallt nice, seamless asexual representation)
I also love the relationship between Ellie and her dog, Kirby. The relationships that the characters had with various animals and the strong bond that they had with them were really beautiful. I love a good story about a girl and her dog.
This book managed to stay fairly lighthearted while still dealing with deep topics. I’ve been reading more YA recently and I kind of started to fear that I had “outgrown“ the genre because I was not enjoying my recent YA reads. But this book reminded me what I love about the YA genre. With a gorgeous blend of culture, heart, mystery, suspense, and familial ties, Elatsoe is a must read.
I absolutely loved the ancestral stories. They were woven into the plot so beautifully and you could really feel the familial bonds within the tellings of the stories. I loved how indigenous agency, history, and rights were seamlessly embedded in the magic system. Like yes, they can totally banish a vampire from a vast area of land because that was their land first before colonizers took it. They dont need to banish them from a house with a deed in their name. The whole freaking land belongs to them.
I appreciated the phonetic spelling of the name El-ot-so-ay, as well, because I was definitelt saying it wrong in my head.
The illustrations at the beginning of each chapter are gorgeous, but I couldn’t always understand the relevance to the story that they had. I don’t know if they were intended to connect with each chapter, but I felt like they didnt. I appreciate them either way though.
I also loved how the main characters friendship with the main secondary character, Jay, was completely platonic, and there was no romantic tension or anything like that within their relationship. I would like to normalize completely platonic relationships without any romance. Because those relationships are just as important as romantic relationships. (As well as reallt nice, seamless asexual representation)
I also love the relationship between Ellie and her dog, Kirby. The relationships that the characters had with various animals and the strong bond that they had with them were really beautiful. I love a good story about a girl and her dog.
This book managed to stay fairly lighthearted while still dealing with deep topics. I’ve been reading more YA recently and I kind of started to fear that I had “outgrown“ the genre because I was not enjoying my recent YA reads. But this book reminded me what I love about the YA genre. With a gorgeous blend of culture, heart, mystery, suspense, and familial ties, Elatsoe is a must read.
kendallreads's review
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
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? No
4.0
samantha_leon's review
5.0
Weird, compelling, and exciting. It got a few real chuckles outta me and a few tears. Loved the ride.
jpluff2334's review
5.0
PURE AMAZINGNESS. I had to read this for school and I am so glad I did. Little Badger does an incredible job of intertwining Lipan Apache culture and the supernatural. We meet Ellie who has a beloved ghost dog and a strong sense of justice when she is called to solve her cousin's murder. Let me just say, it is not at all what you think. Navigating this alternate world was so fun. It's a place where waking up animals from the dead can lead to amazing things, but when you do the same for people, problems may arise. There's also evil vampires and faerie rings that teleport psychics to help save the day. I enjoyed this so much as an adult and I could see teens loving it just as much. There really wasn't a part that I didn't like.
jacky_orozco's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
infinite_mirrors's review
The writing style just wasn't for me. Narratively all over the place, and although it is a YA book I still thought it read too juvenile.
hrgisahero's review against another edition
4.75
Excellent introduction to a world, a character, and the general vibe of this series. I am SO excited to read more. The plot itself was nothing particularly new, I did enjoy the interplay between various teen characters more than usual if only because they went beyond your overdone love triangle. The mythologies woven in here are done exquisitely and I think there is much to be explored both in Elatsoe’s character and this world.