This novel was a difficult one for me to get through because I was so unfamiliar with the lore at its center. BUT, the only way to learn more about something is to be exposed to it, and I think the story of Elatsoe's search to gain justice for her deceased cousin was an excellent starting place.

I found this book very captivating and I really like how all of the characters were written.

I really enjoyed this one! Ghosts, vampires, native folklore, family, and a murder mystery.. I was a fan from start to finish.

3.5/5

ahh yet another novel that i enjoyed, for the most part, but felt like something was missing? leaving me a bit conflicted about how i felt about it..

the things i liked:
- it's OwnVoices with the author and the main character(s) being lipan apache, and it shows from the writing!! i loved how much the plot and writing style were clearly intertwined with this identity
- the main character is ace!! had no idea about this going in but was pleasantly surprised about it. i like how it's treated so casually, it's only referenced a few times and very briefly but it's just part of ellie's character and i think that was so nice!
- ellie and jay's platonic friendship! Very rare to read a young adult novel without even a hint of romance and it felt refreshing
- ellie and her parents' relationship! again, Very rare to read a young adult (fantasy) novel where the protagonist has two living parents And a good relationship with them. i liked that they trusted and listened to ellie throughout the novel
- the setting!! i love urban fantasy and magical realism and i loved the way magic was intertwined into the world without it being a secret
- the mystery/plot, it wasn't the type of mystery that had me guessing and guessing at who did it and what was the motive, but i liked following along as the pieces were suddenly revealed

the things that didn't work for me:
- the characters.. while there were plenty of things that i liked about how the author chose to write their relationships and such (see above), i never really felt attached to any of them? not only did many of the side characters feel underdeveloped, but even ellie herself did at times
- the explanations of the magic. like i said, i liked how magic was intertwined into the world!! however, i found the explanations strangely confusing. at first i thought it was because i was listening as an audiobook and sometimes my attention drifts, but i read the second half of the book in print and found the climax/ending to be somewhat confusing rather than satisfying as well

i think in conclusion i liked this book and its premise but parts of the execution were lacking, i wish there had been more character-building and world-building to help support the plot because i think there was a lot of potential here but it just didn't quite work out for me!

So many great elements here (Lipan Apache culture and history, a well realized magical world, a platonic central friendship, close family relationships and history) but it definitely needed to be edited and marketed for MG because this is not a YA book. Elly reads like she's 12 and the action is very Zoinks/Jinkies/Get 'Em, Scoob. The dialogue is also sometimes very awkward and weirdly inserted to make plot points - like another character saying Elly is asexual - the only mention of that and a weird way to introduce a pretty major identifier for a character. Elly and Jay are also supposed to be long term best friends that, at times in the dialogue, appear to know very little about each other? The art also contributes to the childlike feel of the book. A ProjectLit selection that I'm not quite sure how to sell to teens.