‘Elatsoe’ is a YA Supernatural contemporary fantasy debut novel. The story centres Ellie (short for Elatsoe) who is a young, native, Lipan Apache, asexual, girl seeking the truth behind her cousin’s sudden death. The story is full of Native traditions, lore, & community; supernatural beings such as vampires and ghost animals; and a beautiful, loving, platonic friendship.

Before I deep-dive into the different aspects of the book, I just want to say that this is one of my favourite books I’ve ever read. It’s unlike anything I’ve read before and I can’t wait to read more of Darcie Little Badger’s work and I’m going to seek out more stories like this! This was so beautifully written and multi-faceted, I am in awe of the author. Thank you for blessing us with this masterpiece. 

One of the secrets of the Lipan Apache tribe is the ability to raise the dead. Typically only done with animals as human souls come back distorted, angry, and violent. Ellie’s best friend Kirby (a ghost dog) is always by her side and protects her from harm. The practice of raising animal spirits from the dead is such an interesting ability and so beautifully put together, I really loved this feature of the story! It was so great to read about Ellie’s progression in mastering this technique and teaching herself to raise trilobite spirits from the dead too. 

I absolutely adored the friendship between Jay and Ellie. The love and trust they shared for each other was so clear and so beautifully portrayed by the author. Their relationship has the same feel as a ‘platonic soulmates’ or ‘twin flame’ type of friendship and I fell in love with it. You can feel the pure love and respect they have for each other and it’s exquisite. It’s the type of friendship where they’d be lost without each other, they would die for each other, they would do anything for each other and I absolutely adored them. 

A heavy chunk of the book focuses on Ellie’s six-great-grandmother and telling the reader her experiences. Some may find this a bit info-dumpy, but I for one LOVED IT. You can tell how much every member of the tribe respected and loved six-great and how much she influenced and protected many generations of her family. The author draws connections between Ellie and Six-great with both their power/abilities and their personalities. Six-great’s story is so beautifully woven into the main story. 

The world that Darcie Little Badger has created in this novel could be described as magical realism. The author intertwines our reality with fantasy elements and combines it with real life Native-American experiences and history to explore the present day effects of colonisation that Native-American people still experience every day. In this novel, the author shows the beauty and strength of Native communities and their familial relationships with each other. 

The relationships that Ellie has with her parents, her extended family and her best friend are so beautiful. Ellie’s relationship with her parents is so open, trusting and loving. They all communicate so openly and clearly with each other and you can just tell how much trust and love they share with each other. Her parents are SO supportive and protective of her without being over bearing and controlling. It’s truly the BEST parent/child relationship I’ve ever read about. Ellie’s parents have created such a safe and nurturing environment for Ellie that she is able to have a very open and honest relationship with them and I feel like that’s so rare to see in books. 

All of the characters in this book have depth and are written so well. There’s a clear objective to the story. The author makes it so easy for the reader to form a deep love for the characters. The magic is so well done too. I love the magic that the native characters have, the inclusion of vampires (or as they’re officially called - cursed). There’s also fairies and Ellie’s best friend Jay can summon a willow the wisp. 

The author beautifully illustrates the creepiness and eeriness of Willowbee and Dr Allerton. Little Badger masterfully demonstrates the evil acts of colonisation and white supremist views and how white people still benefit from and take advantage of the atrocious acts of their ancestors. 

Darcie Little Badger is truly a master at story telling, especially considering this is her debut novel. This story is so creative and rich with Lipan Apache heritage and folklore. This book is truly unforgettable and will remain a favourite of mine forever. The warmth of Ellie and her relationships mixed with the mystery and magic of the story is exquisite. I will be convincing everyone I meet to read this book. 

Representation - Indigenous (Ellie, MC, Lipan Apache); Asexual (Ellie, MC); Hyperpigmentation (Ellie, MC); POC (Ellie, MC)

TWs/CWs - Animal Death (past); Attempted kidnapping; Blood; Bugs; Car Accident; Child death; Corpses; Cussing; Death; Death of a loved one; Divorce; Genocide; Grave robbing; Gun violence; Murder; Racism