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booksoversecondbreakfast's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
reflective
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
4.75
If I had read this book back in middle or high school, this very likely would have been my favorite book. The story features a teenage Lipan Apache girl, Elatsoe, living in an alternate U.S. where magic and mythical creatures exist. Elatsoe is the type of heroine I loved looking up to as a teen. She is smart, innovative, and passionate and is an all-around loveable character from the very beginning.
This is an Indigenous Futurism book that feels like a cross between Nancy Drew, Ghostbusters, and Netflix's Wednesday. The thoroughness of world-building made it very obvious to me why this book has made it onto Time's list of the 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time. Every bit of lore revealed about this alternative U.S. society was interesting and believable when viewed with an imaginative lens. The magic system and the way it interweaves society as we know it feels plausible in the same way that the world's of Harry Potter did.
This book is incredibly heartwarming and interesting. It had a bit of a horror element to it, which I didn't expect, but it was done in a way that still didn't seem too intense. The plot and the lore hooked me from the very beginning and easily held my attention through the end.
My only critique of this is that there were some vampire parts that felt too cheesy for me, but I'm not letting it affect my rating because I have to remember that this was written for ages 12 through 18. Most of the book felt like it was good for teens and adults alike, but it was some of the vampire scenes towards the end that made it feel more middle-grades/YA.
All in all, this was a wonderful book that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. I read this as an audiobook I borrowed from my local library, but I will definitely be purchasing a physical copy for my personal collection because I anticipate reading this more throughout my lifetime and encouraging my friends and future kids to read it.
This is an Indigenous Futurism book that feels like a cross between Nancy Drew, Ghostbusters, and Netflix's Wednesday. The thoroughness of world-building made it very obvious to me why this book has made it onto Time's list of the 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time. Every bit of lore revealed about this alternative U.S. society was interesting and believable when viewed with an imaginative lens. The magic system and the way it interweaves society as we know it feels plausible in the same way that the world's of Harry Potter did.
This book is incredibly heartwarming and interesting. It had a bit of a horror element to it, which I didn't expect, but it was done in a way that still didn't seem too intense. The plot and the lore hooked me from the very beginning and easily held my attention through the end.
My only critique of this is that there were some vampire parts that felt too cheesy for me, but I'm not letting it affect my rating because I have to remember that this was written for ages 12 through 18. Most of the book felt like it was good for teens and adults alike, but it was some of the vampire scenes towards the end that made it feel more middle-grades/YA.
All in all, this was a wonderful book that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. I read this as an audiobook I borrowed from my local library, but I will definitely be purchasing a physical copy for my personal collection because I anticipate reading this more throughout my lifetime and encouraging my friends and future kids to read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Grief, Car accident, and Colonisation
Moderate: Racism, Blood, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Stalking, and Murder
Minor: Genocide
scsparrow125's review against another edition
adventurous
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
4.75
A bit magical, a bit true crime, coming of age.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Police brutality and Murder
sunnydale's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
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
4.5
I read this book exactly when I needed to. Grief is explored in a meaningful way, but is never gratuitous or burdensome, so I found it restorative as I processed the loss of a family member. The narrative voice is warm and inviting, and I felt genuine affection for the characters.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Grief, Car accident, and Death of parent
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Alcohol, and War
Ellie has experienced racism, but she does not describe previous experiences in detail. Subjects like violence and danger are appropriate to a middle grade novel. Death and grief are discussed at length.therainbowshelf's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
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
๐ญ My thoughts ๐ญ: So fun! The world building is wonderful, and I really enjoyed getting to know Elatsoe and her powers. The legends of Six Great and the glimpses into stories from Lipan Apache folklore added a lot to the story, but there was a long period where it felt like we hadn't had one in too long (it felt a little unevenly mixed). Overall, I really enjoyed this read. I heard about this book from the August @rainbowcratebookbox which included an Elatsoe bowl cover, and it was fun seeing each of the animals featured on this item show up in the book.
๐ The gist ๐: Elatsoe lives in a version of our world where supernatural beings and magic powers are somewhat commonplace. What's not common, though, is her ability to communicate with and summon ghosts. When her cousin is killed in a vehicle accident, his spirit comes to her to tell her that he was murdered. It's up to Elatsoe to figure out what to do next.
๐Representation๐: asexual mc, Native American mc (Lipan Apache), Native American culture and legends
๐ For readers looking for ๐: a playful magical realist version of America, a mixing of legends (especially Lipan Apache), vampires, a dangerous mystery, and ghosts
๐ The gist ๐: Elatsoe lives in a version of our world where supernatural beings and magic powers are somewhat commonplace. What's not common, though, is her ability to communicate with and summon ghosts. When her cousin is killed in a vehicle accident, his spirit comes to her to tell her that he was murdered. It's up to Elatsoe to figure out what to do next.
๐Representation๐: asexual mc, Native American mc (Lipan Apache), Native American culture and legends
๐ For readers looking for ๐: a playful magical realist version of America, a mixing of legends (especially Lipan Apache), vampires, a dangerous mystery, and ghosts
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Grief, and Car accident
Moderate: Racism, Violence, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Police brutality
Death of a family member and relativetina94's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Genocide, Racism, Violence, Police brutality, Trafficking, Grief, Murder, and Colonisation