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A review by luly_sc
Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I have been waiting to read this book since before it came out. I've been a fan of Darcie Little Badger's short stories, especially Nkásht íí, and knowing she was releasing a full novel with an aroace lead was a gift.
The world of Elatsoe is a very interesting urban fantasy type of setting which, much like other stories from her, are rooted in Lipan Apache culture. This story is a murder mystery of sorts, a coming-of-age, a fantasy adventure and a ghost story, all rolled into one and done marvelously.
One thing I LOVED about it was the absolute trust and support Ellie's parents give to her. It's so frequent to find stories with young characters (and older ones too) where parents don't believe, don't listen or look away, but Ellie's parents weren't only supporting from the start, they also take part on the adventure and are far from bystanders.
The friendship between Ellie and Jay is so refreshing to read, they have great platonic chemistry and all the side characters are so well constructed that they have a set personality very clearly, no matter how long they've been around for or how little.
Ellie being aroace is treated so well throughout the story and is stated in the text in a way in which I am incredibly grateful for.
Cultural aspects, folklore and the stifling presence of colonization and systematic exploitation are very present in the crafting of the narrative. I particularly loved the way it introduced the relationship of original peoples - outsiders in a way that is a core part of the identity of the story and moves (pun intended, if you get there you'll know) the mystery along. It isn't an accessory, it's ingrained in the development of the plot and in the situation of the characters in more ways than one.
I particularly loved the illustration aspect of the book because it's less like an illustrated novel and more like a picture book: the illustrations tell a parallel story, another character's story, snippets of which we get here and there in text but which we can only fully grasp through the illustrations, and the ending illustration made me pretty much tear up, absolute stunning work by Rovina Cai.
The only thing I can criticize is the dialogue, in some places. I feel like it sometimes felt a bit forced and didn't quite fit the mood of the scene. It was somewhat disruptive at times because the prose is very well crafted. It didn't take me out from it entirely but there were segments in which the things they said, especially between Ellie and Jay in the middle of Complicated Situations, felt not as natural as I would have wanted.
All in all, this book was 100% worth the wait (for me) and I'm so happy I could finally read it. Absolute gem from Dracie Little Badger, as expected.
The world of Elatsoe is a very interesting urban fantasy type of setting which, much like other stories from her, are rooted in Lipan Apache culture. This story is a murder mystery of sorts, a coming-of-age, a fantasy adventure and a ghost story, all rolled into one and done marvelously.
One thing I LOVED about it was the absolute trust and support Ellie's parents give to her. It's so frequent to find stories with young characters (and older ones too) where parents don't believe, don't listen or look away, but Ellie's parents weren't only supporting from the start, they also take part on the adventure and are far from bystanders.
The friendship between Ellie and Jay is so refreshing to read, they have great platonic chemistry and all the side characters are so well constructed that they have a set personality very clearly, no matter how long they've been around for or how little.
Ellie being aroace is treated so well throughout the story and is stated in the text in a way in which I am incredibly grateful for.
Cultural aspects, folklore and the stifling presence of colonization and systematic exploitation are very present in the crafting of the narrative. I particularly loved the way it introduced the relationship of original peoples - outsiders in a way that is a core part of the identity of the story and moves (pun intended, if you get there you'll know) the mystery along. It isn't an accessory, it's ingrained in the development of the plot and in the situation of the characters in more ways than one.
I particularly loved the illustration aspect of the book because it's less like an illustrated novel and more like a picture book: the illustrations tell a parallel story, another character's story, snippets of which we get here and there in text but which we can only fully grasp through the illustrations, and the ending illustration made me pretty much tear up, absolute stunning work by Rovina Cai.
The only thing I can criticize is the dialogue, in some places. I feel like it sometimes felt a bit forced and didn't quite fit the mood of the scene. It was somewhat disruptive at times because the prose is very well crafted. It didn't take me out from it entirely but there were segments in which the things they said, especially between Ellie and Jay in the middle of Complicated Situations, felt not as natural as I would have wanted.
All in all, this book was 100% worth the wait (for me) and I'm so happy I could finally read it. Absolute gem from Dracie Little Badger, as expected.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Xenophobia, Death, Animal death, and Racism