This was such a beautifully written story filled with so much Indigenous history!

Sadly, I didn't become as invested as I hoped to which impacted my overall enjoyment. I think this is a book I personally need to physically read at a slower pace to fully appreciate whereas I listed via audio rather quickly.

I definitely plan on picking this book up again when I'm in a different headspace to truly admire it!

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minervacerridwen's review

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adventurous mysterious relaxing fast-paced

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

5.0

I've been wanting to read Elatsoe since it came out in 2020 (a couple of weeks before my own ace book!), and now I finally got around to it thanks to my book club. Even after anticipating the read for so long, it delivered. I really hope this will become a new children's classic, because there is so much in this story that I feel is of great value. The way the prejudice against the Lipan Apache people is touched upon, the way the 17-year-old main character is actually believed by the adults in her life when she tells them she is asexual. Those aren't big elements in this story at all, but they are remarkably well done. And then there's the mystery itself, which maintains its tension throughout and yet doesn't leave you hanging at any point because you're discovering just enough new information at just the right times. It reminded me of some of my favourite (Dutch-language) books of my childhood, but with an extra sparkle of magic and so much more soul. And then there's all the cute animals! The way stories are used to transfer important cultural knowledge! The beautiful illustrations by Rovina Cai that add an entire little story of their own to each chapter!
I'm definitely going to read the prequel too.

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maecave15's review

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.75

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hellavaral's review

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adventurous emotional funny mysterious medium-paced

3.25

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archiebb's review

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adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

General Thoughts

I tried listening to this but couldn’t get into the narrator so i switched to the ebook.
I won't be re-reading this or engaging with the rest of the series. I probably need to just realize YA is not something I enjoy at this part of my life.

Things I liked

Her positive relationship with both parents (that’s nice to see!).
The stories of her Six Great Grandmom which helped her understand her own powers better.
There’s some genuinely scary parts given it’s a YA book!

Criticisms

The dialogue is very stilted throughout.
The action is also not very engaging. The background stories are the most interesting.
The worldbuilding feels kinda like the author just pulled whatever she wanted that are well established fantasy things (like elves, ghost, vampires, etc) without establishing them herself in this world.

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raptorq's review

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adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

3.5

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dhiyanah's review

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adventurous mysterious reflective fast-paced

4.5

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lauren_shilling's review

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adventurous 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? No

4.25

This book definitely surprised me! I had heard of it once or twice, but it didn't really catch my eye until I saw it in a bookstore and decided to give it a try. I'm really glad I did, because I enjoyed it a lot. I loved the world it created, and I loved learning about the main character's ability to raise the dead. It was so interesting. I also thought the mystery in this book was really well crafted, and the unnerving vibes you get from it until you find out what is actually happening was really well done. It's such a great exploration of native cultures and how they have been impacted throughout history. I learned a lot reading this book, and I would love to read more like it. It was a great way to bring parts of history to life and to the forefront of discussions. The characters were all great, and I loved following them all.

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