Reviews with content warning for Injury/Injury detail - Elatsoe

3.75 rounded up!

This was one of those books that felt like middle grade plot wise; everything was extremely easy and nearly conflictless

That being said, the world building was super cool, and I loved that Ellie’s parents protected and supported her, without being overbearing or overly nice. they made sure that she had room to do her thing, but we’re always there as safety and backup

Lol at the burly bridesmaids

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anniesbooknook's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional 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

4.5

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katrinky's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

3.5

good mystery, but got a little muddled sometimes (are they leeches? or vampires? or just magic evil humans?) and I didn't find the characters to be very deeply-drawn. I recommend it for YA fans, mystery fans, thriller fans, and anyone into vampire/mythical lore. and HIGHLY recommend for anyone looking to read more Native authors and see more Native protagonists.

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thelittlestmermaid's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense

Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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throwback682's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A murder mystery + ghosts and wizards, with a Lipan Apache protagonist who is canon asexual (and I suspect aromantic) and a boy cheerleader sidekick who is shown having both a(n ex) girlfriend, and a YouTube channel where he teaches tumbling and dance moves.

There are also passing references to other queer characters that feel normalizing, not tokenizing.

(One of the characters, whose life has been irreparably altered, ends the book by moving in with friends - a married couple of women.)

The first half of the book is much slower, the second half is much more action packed. If you’re struggling with the slower start, I’d encourage you to hang in there.

This book blends together a little bit of everything.

The good guys: an indigenous girl with a strong talent for ancestral magic, a fae boy who travels through fairy rings and his psychic aunt, a vampire who is disliked by his future in-laws, a ghost dog, and a ghost mammoth, among others. The bad guys? A rich “miracle working” doctor (actually an evil wizard), an indigenous vampire, colonizers, and… Teddy Roosevelt?! I love it.

I could tell that J had a crush on Ellie the entire book, and she was oblivious. I kept waiting for that to be a plot point, that he was going to confess his love to her despite knowing she’s asexual (and probably aromantic?). But he never did!! It was so refreshing.

I feel like I could ramble on about this book forever. It has so much good stuff about it and it was exciting and enjoyable. I would especially recommend for young girls (who are old enough for monsters and violence). Ellie is a great role model.

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readsforlove's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful mysterious medium-paced

4.5

There was a keen moment about halfway through this book where I just closed it and sat in awe, pondering this beautiful story. It had a wildly wonderful and magical setting unlike anything I've ever read, with a rich magic system that left me wanting more. It also had a great cast with supportive parents! Ellie turns to them first for major things that come up, and they support her through it all, having her back without holding her back.

The only reason this doesn't get a full 5 stars is because the main character felt much younger than 16 to me. The voice seemed more middle school age, and I kept getting thrown when Ellie would drive. I also wanted more into Ellie's emotions and internal monologue, as this was a richly emotional story and I wanted to see more of how Ellie felt through everything.
The plot was spooky and intense and kept me guessing on the edge of my seat. I'm excited to pick up Little Badger's next novel!

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vercopaanir's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional 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? No

4.5

Amazing world-building and a really neat story! The ending felt a little rushed and there were a couple plot holes in the last 100 or so pages that didn’t seem to get answered/resolved, but overall really good writing and a unique story.

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