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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Highly recommend for YA readers. Family lore, mystery and the supernatural come together in this thrilling and heartwarming tale. Pick up a hard copy to see the beautiful illustrations at the top of each chapter.
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
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
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
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:
Yes
The writing style took a while to get used to, but I loved everything else about this book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Hate crime, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Genocide, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, Classism
A solid 3.5 read. ⭐
I loved learning about Lipan Apache history, and I wish there was more of it to explore. The call backs to Ellie's sixth-great grandmother's stories felt so rich. The relationship between Ellie & Jay was WONDERFUL, and I appreciated that it was kept platonic (since Ellie is asexual). Remembering that this is Little Badger's debut novel, I think it's really well done! There were some moments that kind of dragged for me, towards the middle of the book, but it's an easy enough read that even the parts that "drag" go by pretty fast.
Only confusing thing... this definitely reads more like a Middle School genre, but is marked first as a Young Adult - I think the writing style is more for the former, but there is a TINY BIT of strong language, so who knows. Either way, a nice debut!
I loved learning about Lipan Apache history, and I wish there was more of it to explore. The call backs to Ellie's sixth-great grandmother's stories felt so rich. The relationship between Ellie & Jay was WONDERFUL, and I appreciated that it was kept platonic (since Ellie is asexual). Remembering that this is Little Badger's debut novel, I think it's really well done! There were some moments that kind of dragged for me, towards the middle of the book, but it's an easy enough read that even the parts that "drag" go by pretty fast.
Only confusing thing... this definitely reads more like a Middle School genre, but is marked first as a Young Adult - I think the writing style is more for the former, but there is a TINY BIT of strong language, so who knows. Either way, a nice debut!
Wow this book took my breath away! It was such a wonderful mixture of fantasy, mystery, supernatural, and more. I love the way everything worked together and how much I love Elatose's character! The best part of this book is the writing. There is no pretentious air, and it's easy to read. Highly recommend if you're looking for a fast read that is enjoyable.
adventurous
mysterious
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:
No
This is the story of Ellie Bride, a Lipan Apache teenager who can raise ghosts. In this world, there are lots of different types of magic, including vampires that are not sexy at all. In a very matter-of-fact voice, Ellie weaves in stories of her ancestors and her culture.
One of the major themes is about older generations making way for the new, and for the newer ones to remember and honor the old. And about engaging with and negotiating with other people's cultures in a respectul manner. Little Badger manages to sidestep making the story super-didactic, keeping a natural, unforced tone.
I really liked it.
One of the major themes is about older generations making way for the new, and for the newer ones to remember and honor the old. And about engaging with and negotiating with other people's cultures in a respectul manner. Little Badger manages to sidestep making the story super-didactic, keeping a natural, unforced tone.
I really liked it.
Holy cow. This book was... SO good. Gosh, it was so good.
Elatsoe manages to cover topics of climate crisis and pollution, ace representation, the generational trauma of the indigenous people of America, white privilege, grief and traumatic loss, and racism absolutely flawlessly. Like, easily within the world that the characters are living in.
But mostly, Elatsoe is just a really well-written, page turning, solidly good... story. Every inch of this world is not only well thought out, but SO unique for a paranormal fantasy. SO original. It's a world I would love to experience again and again. Darcie Little Badger is a voice I cannot wait to read more from.
Also, and this is kinda a weird note, but the heft, feel, and binding of the physical hardcover book is really wonderful and makes it just a really special reading experience. I emersively read this, and the audiobook is also exceptional.
Elatsoe manages to cover topics of climate crisis and pollution, ace representation, the generational trauma of the indigenous people of America, white privilege, grief and traumatic loss, and racism absolutely flawlessly. Like, easily within the world that the characters are living in.
But mostly, Elatsoe is just a really well-written, page turning, solidly good... story. Every inch of this world is not only well thought out, but SO unique for a paranormal fantasy. SO original. It's a world I would love to experience again and again. Darcie Little Badger is a voice I cannot wait to read more from.
Also, and this is kinda a weird note, but the heft, feel, and binding of the physical hardcover book is really wonderful and makes it just a really special reading experience. I emersively read this, and the audiobook is also exceptional.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
can def see why some people think this couldve worked better as a middle grade story :) but it was still super enjoyable and interesting, elatsoe and jay are such cute friends. a really good debut :)