Reviews with content warning for Gore - Elatsoe

I loved this little urban fantasy! It's too overtly magical to be just magical realism, but it's treated as a normal part of life in much the same way. It's chock full of vampires, wizards, and magical powers. Ellie is a great narrator too - she's a little dry, and very funny, but she's also incredibly heartfelt. Her sense of right and wrong is stronger than many contemporary protagonists, and she shows a degree of selflessness and courage that was really nice to see. Maybe her wisdom comes as a result of her deep connection to her family - not only to her parents and cousin, but to her six-great grandmother, from whom she inherited her own powers.

Dude

I thought we were safe having the dog already dead, but the ending scared the HECK out of me, no thank you!

Luckily everything ended up fine but for a moment I was quite displeased.

My brain is boring today. I liked this, I liked the writing, I liked the fantastical elements. There were several moments that made me chuckle. Maybe it's because I read this as my "at work" read, and it took me like 3 months to read, but I don't have much to say 😔

"Last season, we sat three to a seat on the bus to Dallas," Jess added. "By the end of the trip, I was in Martia's lap."
"Good times," Martia said. "Until my legs fell asleep. How do mall Santas do it?"

*Okay, but the bit about how indigenous people can kill vampires by verbally claiming the land was pretty metal.

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laurenexploresbooks's review

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

5.0

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poppysoffe7's review

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adventurous dark hopeful inspiring mysterious sad fast-paced

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

4.25

Make sure to listen or read the intro because it explains a lot. The book is kind of confusing if you don’t.

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wickedgrumpy's review

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adventurous challenging emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

The magical realism involving ghosts lent a dreamy quality to this book. I’d love to read more about this world.

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avisreadsandreads's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful 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

4.0

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cassielaj's review

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense 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? Yes

5.0

Wow. What an incredible story. Ellie is a fierce protagonist, and the rest of her family and friends make up a great cast. I loved Kirby and the idea that pets continue to be companions after death 🥹 The mystery plot was super intriguing, and it was resolved well. I worried that the magic added to a familiar setting would be too much or confusing, but I think it was balanced well. And the art of the chapter headers…

it took me a second to catch on, but i loved how Six-Great’s story paralleled Ellie and Kirby’s.

SO COOL.
P.S. Hooray for an explicitly asexual protagonist! Especially in a non-romance story

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river23's review

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adventurous dark emotional inspiring 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? Yes

4.5

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cowardthedog18's review

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adventurous emotional hopeful informative reflective relaxing 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? Yes

5.0

There had to be more; And boy the drawing at the end of the book is the best part. The best parting gift knowing your grandparents will always watch over you. I’m reading A Snake Falls To Earth now. Hope it meets my expectations just as this one did.

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