Reviews with content warning for Murder - Elatsoe

Reviews tagging 'Murder'

Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger

130 reviews

wends_nblw's review

adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

I will say. I went into this blind, and was expecting something a lot more compelling.

This book is okay; it's fine. Nothing I would rave about, but something I would casually recommend.
I'm not sure if it's just me, but this felt like a middle school read rather than young adult? I don't know why, but I keep imagining the MC as like.. 12-14 years old. (Actually, I think this book could've been better if it had been a MG haha!)

I was a huge fan of the concept, but not the plot. I don't care about vampires or cults or anything else. I wanted so bad to read more about Elatsoe's gift and the Lipan Apaches. I found it so much more interesting than the murder mystery that was happening in the foreground.

However, I'm always rooting for representation as an asexual native myself LOL !
Would def recommend to a younger audience. Nice little murder mystery with fantasy elements.

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katrinky's review

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

3.5

good mystery, but got a little muddled sometimes (are they leeches? or vampires? or just magic evil humans?) and I didn't find the characters to be very deeply-drawn. I recommend it for YA fans, mystery fans, thriller fans, and anyone into vampire/mythical lore. and HIGHLY recommend for anyone looking to read more Native authors and see more Native protagonists.

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thelittlestmermaid's review

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adventurous dark mysterious tense

Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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bluejayreads's review against another edition

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3.75

I very nearly DNF'd this one, because the main murder mystery plot just didn't vibe with me. Ellie's magic with ghosts means that her murdered cousin straight-up told her who killed him, and the mystery part was actually about finding why and how in a manner that law enforcement would accept. And I just didn't find it that interesting. However, then I realized that I did find everything else in this story interesting. The world of monsters and magic - fae magic, Indigenous magic, vampires, all sorts of stuff - along with the modern world was well-crafted and fascinating. I loved how it was the modern world just a little askew because, you know, magic. I loved learning about the Ellie's Lipan Apache traditions and magic, I loved having a protagonist who was explicitly aro/ace without it being a big deal, I even really enjoyed Ellie's relationship with her best friend Jay. And the murder mystery part did end up having a solid climax (although I'll be honest, I saw the big twist from a mile away). On the whole, I'm glad I finished reading it, because even though parts of it didn't do it for me personally, there's a lot to love in this book.

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stubsofun's review

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mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

Elatsoe is a novel brimming with potential, and in some aspects, meets that potential. However, hand-in-hand with exciting action scenes, great world building, and a good mystery, are poorly done lore-dumps, a pov change for one chapter that stops the action in its tracks, and clunky dialogue at times.
I think with a few more rounds of edits to trim unnecessary parts and find more natural ways to convey the world building, Elatsoe would have greatly benefited.
Overall, I will be interested in what the author writes in the future, and I don't regret reading this book, but I would be hesitant before recommending Elatsoe to another reader.

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throwback682's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A murder mystery + ghosts and wizards, with a Lipan Apache protagonist who is canon asexual (and I suspect aromantic) and a boy cheerleader sidekick who is shown having both a(n ex) girlfriend, and a YouTube channel where he teaches tumbling and dance moves.

There are also passing references to other queer characters that feel normalizing, not tokenizing.

(One of the characters, whose life has been irreparably altered, ends the book by moving in with friends - a married couple of women.)

The first half of the book is much slower, the second half is much more action packed. If you’re struggling with the slower start, I’d encourage you to hang in there.

This book blends together a little bit of everything.

The good guys: an indigenous girl with a strong talent for ancestral magic, a fae boy who travels through fairy rings and his psychic aunt, a vampire who is disliked by his future in-laws, a ghost dog, and a ghost mammoth, among others. The bad guys? A rich “miracle working” doctor (actually an evil wizard), an indigenous vampire, colonizers, and… Teddy Roosevelt?! I love it.

I could tell that J had a crush on Ellie the entire book, and she was oblivious. I kept waiting for that to be a plot point, that he was going to confess his love to her despite knowing she’s asexual (and probably aromantic?). But he never did!! It was so refreshing.

I feel like I could ramble on about this book forever. It has so much good stuff about it and it was exciting and enjoyable. I would especially recommend for young girls (who are old enough for monsters and violence). Ellie is a great role model.

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readsforlove's review

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful mysterious medium-paced

4.5

There was a keen moment about halfway through this book where I just closed it and sat in awe, pondering this beautiful story. It had a wildly wonderful and magical setting unlike anything I've ever read, with a rich magic system that left me wanting more. It also had a great cast with supportive parents! Ellie turns to them first for major things that come up, and they support her through it all, having her back without holding her back.

The only reason this doesn't get a full 5 stars is because the main character felt much younger than 16 to me. The voice seemed more middle school age, and I kept getting thrown when Ellie would drive. I also wanted more into Ellie's emotions and internal monologue, as this was a richly emotional story and I wanted to see more of how Ellie felt through everything.
The plot was spooky and intense and kept me guessing on the edge of my seat. I'm excited to pick up Little Badger's next novel!

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some_random_person_hi's review against another edition

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emotional sad

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

I feel like one of the plotlines just never got resolved and I disagree with the main character on

how Abe Allerton should've just died like it does make sense for dying ppl to be extremely desperate

. Besides those, the pace is slow until it becomes fast in the final 100ish pages and there are emotional scenes towards the end, just like a milder version of Record of a Spaceborn Few.

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vercopaanir's review

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adventurous emotional mysterious tense fast-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? No

4.5

Amazing world-building and a really neat story! The ending felt a little rushed and there were a couple plot holes in the last 100 or so pages that didn’t seem to get answered/resolved, but overall really good writing and a unique story.

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vanesst's review

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adventurous dark hopeful mysterious fast-paced

4.5

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