Elatsoe
Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger is an illustrated edition published by Levine Querido on August 25, 2020. This young adult fiction novel follows Ellie, a Texas teen who possesses the ability to raise the spirits of dead animals, including her ghost dog, Kirby. When her cousin dies under suspicious circumstances, Ellie is determined to uncover the truth behind his death, which she believes was a murder rather than an accident. Set in an alternate contemporary America enriched by Indigenous and immigrant cultures, the story intertwines elements of mystery, horror, and fantasy.
Readers will find a compelling narrative that explores themes of family, ancestral knowledge, and the supernatural as Ellie, with the support of her family and friends, navigates a town filled with secrets and dark histories. The book combines aspects of detective stories and paranormal elements, creating a unique atmosphere that engages with the complexities of identity and heritage. With a page count of 368, this edition presents a visually captivating experience alongside its intriguing storyline.
Official synopsis Publisher
One of TIME Magazine’s Top 100 Fantasy Novels of All Time — Now in Paperback!
A Texas teen comes face-to-face with a cousin’s ghost and vows to unmask the murderer.
Elatsoe–Ellie for short–lives in an alternate contemporary America shaped by the ancestral magics and knowledge of its Indigenous and immigrant groups. She can raise the spirits of dead animals–most importantly, her ghost dog Kirby. When her beloved cousin dies, all signs point to a car crash, but his ghost tells her otherwise: He was murdered.
Who killed him and how did he die? With the help of her family, her best friend Jay, and the memory great, great, great, great, great, great grandmother, Ellie, must track down the killer and unravel the mystery of this creepy town and its dark past. But will the nefarious townsfolk and a mysterious Doctor stop her before she gets started?
The breathtaking debut novel from Darcie Little Badger features an asexual, Apache teen protagonist–and combines mystery, horror, noir, ancestral knowledge, haunting illustrations, and fantasy elements, in one of the most-talked-about books in years.
AWARDS
Locus Award Winner–Best First Novel
A National Indie Bestseller
Nebula Award Finalist
Lodestar Award Finalist
Ignyte Award Finalist
American Indian Youth Literature Award Finalist
P R A I S E
“Groundbreaking.” –TIME
“Deeply enjoyable from start to finish.”–NPR
“Utterly magical.” –SyFyWire
“Atmospheric and lyrical…a gorgeous work of art.”–BuzzFeed
“One of the best YA debuts of 2020. Read it.”–Marieke Nijkamp
★ “A fresh voice and perspective.”–Booklist (starred)
★ “A unique and powerful Native American voice.”-BookPage (starred)
★ “A brilliant, engaging debut.”–Kirkus (starred)
★ “A fast-paced murder mystery.”–Publishers Weekly (starred)
★ “A Lipan Apache Sookie Stackhouse for the teen set.” —Shelf-Awareness (starred)
BEST OF THE YEAR
NPR * Buzzfeed * BookPage * Chicago Public Library * Publishers Weekly * Kirkus * Shelf Awareness * Reactor * Booklist
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