A review by lauracooleyjohnson
Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger

4.0

I’m mostly impressed with this novel, but see a few opportunities. I found the world to be absolutely incredibly creative. Urban fantasy-esque, where the world is mostly normal, but not quite. When teenagers seem to do teenagery things and then summon dead dogs and scale bridges with vampires because that’s “normal” in this place. I loved that this world just -was. The author didn’t set it up, or coddle the reader with exposition. It is an incredibly unique setting and writing style. It was also a fun whodunnit, with the main character feeling a bit like Nancy Drew with supernatural abilities. And skillfully woven throughout were rich stories of Native American lore, that made the book better by enriching the characters and propelling the arc or growth. My only hesitation is that the writing was choppy quick, language super simple, and served as a reminder that this was, indeed, Young Adult fantasy.