Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger

23 reviews

bluejayreads's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief and Death

Moderate: Murder and Racism

Minor: Car accident, Body horror, and Animal death

talonsontypewriters's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful 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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Death, and Violence

Moderate: Medical trauma, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Car accident, Gore, Murder, Racism, Gun violence, Body horror, Classism, Medical content, and Death of parent

Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, Genocide, Forced institutionalization, Alcohol, and Self harm

Missing persons. Insects. Near-drowning. Mild unreality (time/space distortion).

ladythana's review against another edition

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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief and Death

Moderate: Car accident, Genocide, Animal death, Death of parent, Body horror, Murder, and Racism

pastelkerstin's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Car accident, Chronic illness, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Gore, Body horror, Genocide, Medical trauma, Murder, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Alcohol, Death of parent, Grief, Gun violence, Racism, Violence, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, and Racial slurs

Minor: Cancer, Terminal illness, and Pregnancy

Police corruption

emily_mh's review against another edition

adventurous 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

5.0

This was such a delight to read!! It really reminded me of the game Night in the Woods. I adored the author’s writing style; the dialogue gave off a real arthouse film vibe which was really unique. But also, she effortlessly wove together so many strands of story and character, but all in the direction of telling a murder mystery?? Masterfully done!! The plot was also well-paced and held my attention throughout. Ellie was a wonderful main character: she was clever, determined, and thought outside the box, so it was really refreshing to read from her POV. Jay as a side character was so much fun, and the friendship between the him and Ellie was joyful. Finally, the illustrations in the chapter headings were absolutely gorgeous, and I loved how they ended up weaving in with Ellie’s storyline.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, Colonisation, and Animal death

Moderate: Violence, Car accident, Racism, Grief, and Body horror

Minor: War, Self harm, Cursing, Confinement, Excrement, Alcohol, Fire/Fire injury, Cancer, Death of parent, Gore, Mental illness, Cannibalism, Gun violence, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Medical content, Blood, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, and Kidnapping

Major content warnings for death of a pet and loss of a loved one. Minor content warnings for drowning, climate change/global warming, drought, insects, mass murder, and divorce.

nodogsonthemoon's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood, Car accident, Death, Murder, and Animal death

Minor: Violence, Gore, Racism, Body horror, and Genocide

morganperks's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Car accident, Torture, Gaslighting, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Xenophobia, and Child death

Moderate: Colonisation, Medical content, Addiction, Miscarriage, Animal death, Racism, Violence, Genocide, Medical trauma, Stalking, Hate crime, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Gore, and Body horror

Minor: Kidnapping, Confinement, Cancer, and Gun violence

lumorise's review against another edition

adventurous emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, and Death of parent

Moderate: Body horror, Car accident, Grief, Racism, and Blood

Minor: Kidnapping and Cancer

longlost's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

im gonna be thinking about this book for weeks

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Car accident, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Grief, Murder, and Racism

Moderate: Blood, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Stalking, Torture, and Violence

Minor: Colonisation

plumpaperbacks's review against another edition

mysterious tense 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

4.0

I wasn’t sure what to expect from Elatsoe, but it ended up being really good. I liked Ellie and Jay, and appreciated Ellie’s open, positive relationship with her parents. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book with a ghost dog before, but Kirby is undeniably a very good boy and I love him.

Little Badger’s take on paranormal creatures in the modern world was interesting and unique. I would’ve liked a bit more focus on that, but regardless, the blend of urban fantasy and mystery is something I think she handled well. Ghosts and vampires and fairy transport rings certainly spice up this whodunnit, as does the fact that the victim is able to tell Ellie who murdered him. Thus, this is a story of proving one man guilty rather than determining who is guilty. I was frequently surprised by the secrets Ellie and Jay unveiled.

Lastly, I liked that Ellie was queer. She’s definitely asexual and possibly aromantic as well, which means there’s no romance in this book, only jokes about how she’s totally not interested. It was nice to see her and Jay working together as friends and nothing more, with no unrequited crushes or hormones bogging down their relationship or kissing at inappropriate times. This is also, if I remember correctly, the first book I’ve read with an asexual protagonist that wasn’t strictly contemporary.

There are only two reasons I didn’t rate this five stars. One, like I said a bit earlier, I would’ve liked to see a bit more world-building, as it felt at times like Little Badger had a brilliant idea that was only partially explained on page and we were supposed to understand the rest. I did not. Two, while the intrigue was undoubtedly present and the mystery excellent, I thought the final scene with Allerton was anticlimactic, and I’m still not entirely sure what happened.

Despite that, Elatsoe is a great book, one of the most unique mysteries I’ve read, and a very impressive debut. I recommend it, and will definitely pick up more from this author in the future.

Representation

• Lipan Apache asexual protagonist
• Lipan Apache side characters
• side characters of color

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, Grief, Car accident, Blood, Body horror, Gore, Animal death, Racism, and Violence

Moderate: Genocide, Medical trauma, and Medical content

Minor: Confinement, Kidnapping, and Gun violence