Elatsoe - Outside of a Dog

Hardcover, 362 pages

English language

Published Oct. 29, 2020 by Levine Querido.

ISBN:: 9781646140053
OCLC Number:: 1131773594

(2 reviews)

Imagine an America very similar to our own. It's got homework, best friends, and pistachio ice cream.

There are some differences. This America has been shaped dramatically by the magic, monsters, knowledge, and legends of its peoples, those Indigenous and those not. Some of these forces are charmingly everyday, like the ability to make an orb of light appear or travel across the world through rings of fungi. But other forces are less charming and should never see the light of day.

Elatsoe lives in this slightly stranger America. She can raise the ghosts of dead animals, a skill passed down through generations of her Lipan Apache family. Her beloved cousin has just been murdered in a town that wants no prying eyes. But she is going to do more than pry. The picture-perfect facade of Willowbee masks gruesome secrets, and she will rely on her wits, skills, and friends …

Imagine an America very similar to our own. It's got homework, best friends, and pistachio ice cream.

There are some differences. This America has been shaped dramatically by the magic, monsters, knowledge, and legends of its peoples, those Indigenous and those not. Some of these forces are charmingly everyday, like the ability to make an orb of light appear or travel across the world through rings of fungi. But other forces are less charming and should never see the light of day.

Elatsoe lives in this slightly stranger America. She can raise the ghosts of dead animals, a skill passed down through generations of her Lipan Apache family. Her beloved cousin has just been murdered in a town that wants no prying eyes. But she is going to do more than pry. The picture-perfect facade of Willowbee masks gruesome secrets, and she will rely on her wits, skills, and friends to tear off the mask and protect her family.

2 editions

David Bremner reviewed Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger

plot twist: a loving family and positive indigenous role models

5 stars

This is at one level a YA supernatural mystery novel, and successful as such. Unlike many YA novels where the bulk of dramatic tension is provided by stupid and uncaring adults, here the love and support Elatsoe receives from her family and elders is a constant happy surprise. Unlike the relentlessly negative (and probably accurate!) media stories I usually read, this made being an indigenous child/teen seem like a wonderful experience I was missing out on.

Elska Bee reviewed Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger

Review of 'Elatsoe' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

While I didn't personally love this as much as I hoped I would, I can see why it's so highly recommended. Urban fantasy I guess just isn't really my jam these days, though I really enjoyed Ellie's ghost stuff and the stories about her Six-Great-Grandmother. Also as an Australian is was really cool to learn a bit about a Native American culture through an own voices story.

Did not realise going in that there would be ace rep, but as an ace myself it was a nice surprise, especially since it's not really important, just an aspect of the character and extremely normalised. Also nice to just read a YA book with zero romance lol.

Overall, it was well-written and a fun book to read even if it's not a new favourite and I pass on the recommendation!

Subjects

Middle Grade
Fantasy
LGBTQIA+
Mystery