Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger

137 reviews

mariebrunelm's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful reflective fast-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
This is such a sweet, sweet story. Not without its darkness, but filled with a lot of light and served by a gorgeous edition.
Elatsoe, known as Ellie, is a fierce advocate for life in all its forms. Her best friend Kirby is the ghost of her dog, whom she can summon in a heartbeat. Her ties with the underworld had been limited to play time, but when oen day Kirby howls with anguish and Ellie's cousin is found dead on the other side of Texas, Ellie is determined to do everything in her power to bring justice to him.
This YA urban fantasy adventure is super lovely despite the dark themes it tackles. It came with a lot of hype for me, but its reputation was totally deserved and I loved following Ellie and Kirby on their quest. This edition has stunning chapter headings illustrated by Rovina Cai, and has deckled edges (if that's how you say it), which means that the paper is extra soft under your fingers.
Rep: brown, asexual Lipan Apache MC.

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ashylibrarian's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional 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

4.0

- GHOST DOGS? I'm sold. 
- I love how this world is one where ghosts and the supernatural and fully integrated and accepted as an everyday thing
- Ellie is a strong female main character that embraces her powers and is not afraid to explore the limits of her capabilities
- I appreciated the casualness of Ellie's identity as asexual. It was there but not a crucial part of the plot. That was cool. 
- Darcie Little Badger did a beautiful job of integrating in Native American history and culture into this fantasy story. I also appreciate them representing the oppressions of Native peoples that is still occurring today. Often times it seems people forget that Indigenous voices, land, and culture are still being oppressed today. 

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mpbookreviews's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional 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? No

5.0


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sunnydale's review against another edition

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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.

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ticktock's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.25


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jjjreads's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful informative lighthearted mysterious sad fast-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

4.5


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lanid's review against another edition

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

4.0


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galexy_brain's review against another edition

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lighthearted mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Loved reading a book with an indigenous protagonist! The story itself was entertaining and the main characters felt like teenagers (i.e. making not-well-thought-through teenage decisions). The writing was a bit bland at times and some metaphors felt a bit too overt, but it didn't bother me too much. 

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kylieqrada's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious sad 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

Such a sweet and heart-warming story!!! I'm so glad I finally picked this one up. It has a lot of really impactful social commentary and casual ace rep. Darcie Little Badger's writing is also A+++. 

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rmperash's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense fast-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

5.0


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