Tag: Elatsoe

A Snake Falls to Earth

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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Author: Darcie Little Badger
Genres: Fiction, Young Adult
Pub. Date: Nov. 2021 (read Jan. 2022)

A Snake Falls to Earth was one of my most anticipated books for 2021 – I wasn’t able to get my hands on a copy in 2021, so I read it early in 2022 and really enjoyed it! It’s the second book from Darcie Little Badger, whose debut novel was Elatsoe. I really loved Elatsoe, which is why I was so excited for this one.

Overall, I don’t think I liked A Snake Falls to Earth quite as much as Elatsoe, but it’s also hard to compare because they are very different books. A Snake Falls to Earth delves into Lipan Apache history and legend about the joined Era, when spirits and monsters walked the Earth. The spirit world has since become separated from Earth, but our protagonist, Nina, a Lipan Apache girl, believes animal people may still occasionally visit earth. We follow two parallel stories, that of Nina, and of Oli, a cottonmouth from the spirit world. Until one day a snake falls to earth and the two meet. 

Little Badger still captures a lot of the magic of what made Elatsoe so great in this book. I adore her writing style, which I think reads like middle grade rather than young adult, but both her stories are strongly centered around family and place. She writes very thoughtful teenagers – whether or not it’s an accurate portrayal of teens, I’m not sure, but it’s very refreshing to read. She also blends Lipan Apache storytelling and cultural elements seamlessly into the narrative. I loved learning all about the joined era and animal people and the interesting quirks and abilities of each of her family members. 

Oli’s story is much more whimsical and I didn’t find it quite as compelling early in the novel. Again, I love the characters (Oli, Reign, Risk, Ari, Brightest, and the bear, and the mockingbird), but I didn’t find myself really engaged in the story until they started their journey to earth and their adventures blended with Nina’s. Plus I found the spirit world to be somewhat lacking in tension. Oli has the run in with the Alligator and the Fish (I’m sorry I can’t remember what specific animal it was), but I’m not sure that it added a lot to the story and felt more like the kind of faux drama you’d find in a children’s book. Whereas Paul and the hurricane were more believable threats. It’s a great feel-good book, but I think it could benefit from just a little bit more conflict and tension.

I loved Grandma! I thought her connection to the land and the fact that she couldn’t leave it was fascinating. Plus I appreciated the inclusion of oral storytelling and respect for elders. I only wished that Nina had more friends. She grows throughout the course of the novel and essentially has no friends throughout. I thought that would likely have a big impact on her character over time and was sad to see that she remains a loner the entire book. I know she eventually befriends the animal people, but given that they can only visit earth occasionally, I don’t think this would really benefit her in the long term. 

Anyways, I still really liked it. The structure is interesting and falls a really different narrative than Elatsoe, but both offer something really special and different from what we see in most literature these days. Just another reason why it’s important to amplify all voices! Will definitely read whatever this author decides to write next!

Top 7 Reads in 2021

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Every year I try to identify my top 15 reads of the year. Usually I dedicate the top 10 to my best books from 2021 and the other 5 are books published in other years, but I read a few more this year that I loved that weren’t new releases. So this year I have my Top 7 reads in 2021, ordered in terms of how much I loved them:

7. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

I love Lisa See’s writing and I’ve slowly been trying to make my way through her backlist books. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan seems to be the most popular of all her novels, so I decided to add it to my TBR for this year. Like her other books, I ended up loving it. It’s a hard read about the Chinese culture of foot binding, but it’s about so much more than that. More accurately, it’s about women’s culture and the friendship and comradery that develops between two girls that come from different socio-economic backgrounds, but grow up together and develop a strong bond.

6. We Are Okay by Nina LaCour

We Are Okay is from another repeat author, Nina LaCour. This is only my second book by her (although arguably her most popular) and I really liked it. It’s a young adult/new adult book about a young girl named Marin starting University after the loss of her grandfather. It’s a simple book about guilt, grief, and friendship. It has a small setting, which the author uses to explore the impacts of grief while we learn more of Marin’s backstory. LaCour is a wonderful writer and I really appreciated the hard honesty in her storytelling.

5. Brooklyn by Colm Toibin

Brooklyn is a rare book that I read after seeing the movie. I loved the movie and didn’t expect that I would like the book quite as much, but fortunately, I did! It differs a little bit from the movie, but mostly I just think this is a timeless tale of what it means to leave home. The tenderness you feel for it, the pain of saying goodbye to your loved ones, and the conflict you feel when you develop those same feelings of love for a new place and new people. I loved both the book and the movie and you can’t go wrong with either one!

4. A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn

A Curious Beginning is the first book in the Veronica Speedwell series, a historical mystery set in London in the late 1800’s that captured my heart this year. It’s been on my TBR for a long time and I flew through the first 5 books in 2021. Veronica Speedwell is such a fun character and I love how the author blends so many different genres in this laugh-out-loud series. I debated stopping after book 5, but I think I’m going to continue on and read the next 2 books in 2022.

3. In My Own Moccasins by Helen Knott

This is another book that was on my TBR for a while that I read in 2021 with my book club. It’s a memoir about healing from addiction and trauma that is incredibly impactful. Helen Knott has experienced years of multi-generational trauma, racism, and sexual violence that leaves her addicted to alcohol and drugs, before finally finding the help she needs to heal her spirit. This is a book that matters because Knott is incredibly honest in her storytelling and highlights that she shares her story predominantly for other indigenous women.

2. Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger

I haven’t seen a lot of press about this book, but it is so deserving. Elatsoe is a debut novel from Lipan Apache writer Darcie Little Badger. It’s an excellent blend of genres: mystery, fantasy, and young adult, that feels like the most wonderfully wholesome read. It reads a bit more like middle grade to me, but it features teen Elatsoe, who is investigating the suspicious death of her cousin. It blends traditional Lipan Apache myth with fantastical elements and makes for such a fun book!

1. The Wild Heavens by Sarah Louise Butler

The Wild Heavens was one of my first reads of 2021 and it has stuck with me ever since. It’s a character driven story set in remote British Columbia and has the most atmospheric mood throughout the book. It evokes similar feelings to my top pick from my other 2021 list, Once There Were Wolves, as well as other favourites like The Great Alone, so I’m not surprised I loved it. I love remote settings, character driven stories, and local authors, so this was a slam dunk. Intriguingly, Bigfoot is featured in this book, but it’s primarily a book about growing up and growing old – those that we’ve loved and lost and how they influence our lives.

Elatsoe

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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Author: Darcie Little Badger
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy
Pub. Date: Aug. 2020 (read March 2021)

I’m not sure how I stumbled upon Elatsoe, it may have been on Booktube, but I was immediately intrigued by the plotline. Elatsoe is a young adult story about 17 year old, Lipan Apache member, Elatsoe. She is one of a long line of women who can raise the ghosts of dead animals and is inspired by her six-great grandmother for whom she is named.

When her cousin, Trevor passes after a car crash and his ghost visits her in a dream, warning her that he was actually murdered, Elatsoe is catapulted on a mission to bring her cousin’s murderer to justice. She travels to his hometown with her parents to comfort his widow and immediately starts searching for the truth of Trevor’s untimely passing. In the process, she encounters more ghosts and makes a worrisome journey that causes her to seek advice from her elders.

I loved this book. It is such a wholesome story – it deals with heavy themes, yet it always feels like a light and fun read. I thought it read a little more like middle grade than YA, but that is really what made this feel like such a wholesome read. Instead of the teenage angst you usually find within the pages of a YA novel, Elatsoe is an individual who is very much comfortable with who she is and maintains good relationships with her friends and family. In a way it’s a coming of age story, but one in which she is respectful of her family members and seeks guidance from them. It is mentioned in passing that she is asexual and I loved that it’s just accepted by all the characters and we move on from there. Her best friend is male, but there is no love story between them and their friendship is very much built on trust and respect. It’s refreshing to read a book with such well balanced and respectful characters.

The author, Darcie Little Badger, is also Lipan Apache and she brings a very interesting fantastical element to the story. Elatsoe lives in a similar world to us, but her world is filled with monsters both seen and unseen. Personally, I thought the monster idea could have been a bit better developed and overall could probably have done without it, but the inclusion of ghosts in the story is really what makes it shine. She integrates Lipan Apache culture into the story flawlessly and I loved how she wove the verbal storytelling of Elatsoe’s ancestors into the book. I found it very engaging and it added so much depth to the story.

This was really close to a 5 star read for me. I thought it got a little plot heavy towards the end, and while we do see character growth throughout, I would have liked to see a little more character development at the end instead of going heavy on a ghost showdown. But it’s really a minor comment and I would still absolutely recommend this book to everyone. The writing is lovely and it reads very quickly. I think it’s a story that can be enjoyed by all ages and am so happy to see more indigenous voices and indigenous stories being published. 4.5 stars!