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Elatsoe (Elatsoe, #1)

Darcie Little Badger,

Rovina Cai (Illustrator)

Start date: October 28, 2021

Finish date: December 13, 2021

Why we're reading this: Elatsoe is DMPL virtual YA for Adults Book Club's November selection! This book club will be held via Zoo…more
[close] Elatsoe is DMPL virtual YA for Adults Book Club's November selection! This book club will be held via Zoom on Thursday, 11/18 at 6:00 PM. Visit our website or call 515-248-4152 to register or for more details.

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Dec 13, 2021 Danielle rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy, ya-lit, audiobooks-read, contemporary, project-lit-ya

"Sometimes, guilt haunts us more intrusively than ghosts."

This is one of those books that never would have been on my radar if it wasn't for Project LIT and their fantastic book selections. The cover of this book is absolutely stunning and I have to say: this book physically weighs more than a typical book does. I don't know why or how, but every time I pick up this book I am surprised by the weight of the book. Yet, there is something so symbolic thinking about the weight of genocide white folx "Sometimes, guilt haunts us more intrusively than ghosts."

This is one of those books that never would have been on my radar if it wasn't for Project LIT and their fantastic book selections. The cover of this book is absolutely stunning and I have to say: this book physically weighs more than a typical book does. I don't know why or how, but every time I pick up this book I am surprised by the weight of the book. Yet, there is something so symbolic thinking about the weight of genocide white folx in this country are guilty of. Oof.

Elatsoe (e-laht-so-a) is a story that takes place in an America that is very similar to ours. Indigenous people have the ability to bring back animals from the dead. In fact, Ellie's grandmother brought back a mammoth, which looked really odd to all the people who couldn't actually see the mammoth. In fact, Ellie's best friend is her ghost dog Kirby that goes with her everywhere. When Ellie's cousin suddenly dies in a car accident, Ellie is sure there is more to the story than a tragic accident. As she investigates, she finds a world of ghosts and vampires and fairies. This is where the story lost me a little bit. It's not that I don't love a good fantasy story, it's just that this story had a lot of things thrown into it and I'm not sure everything was as developed as it could have been. I had a lot of questions about how Ellie and her family could bring back animals from the dead and I wish this had been explored more.

Yet, I'm not sure the fantasy elements were the main focus of this novel. In fact, I think Darcie Little Badger wanted the focus to be on the generational trauma that is still in effect in today's modern America for indigenous people. Despite all we say and think, there is still a disparity of money and resources between many indigenous folx and the white folx living nearby. To think that things have magically become better simply because we live in a modern society is absurd and naive. I appreciated this fantastical look at the differences between these two groups of people. This book definitely invites some quality discussion and that's really what Project LIT book club selections are all about.

TW: Racism, car accident, death of a family member, gun violence, grief, discussion of genocide, child abduction, violence, murder, kidnapping ...more

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