Together with her parents and her friend Jay, Ellie travels to Willowbee to uncover the truth about Abe Allerton, who by all external appearances has led a virtuous life. Then her cousin visits her in a dream, says that a man named Abe Allerton murdered him and asks her to protect his family from further harm. But will the nefarious townsfolk and a mysterious Doctor stop her before she gets started?Ī breathtaking debut novel featuring an asexual, Apache teen protagonist, Elatsoe combines mystery, horror, noir, ancestral knowledge, haunting illustrations, fantasy elements, and is one of the most-talked about debuts of the year.In an alternate Texas where major cities have Fairy Ring Transport Centers and the university offers an invasive monster program, Ellie, a Lipan Apache teenager, just wants to reincarnate prehistoric fossils and teach her ghost dog new tricks. 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, Elatsoe, must track down the killer and unravel the mystery of this creepy town and its dark past. When her beloved cousin dies, all signs point to a car crash, but his ghost tells her otherwise: He was murdered. She can raise the spirits of dead animals - most importantly, her ghost dog Kirby. ★ “A Lipan Apache Sookie Stackhouse for the teen set.” - Shelf-Awareness, starred reviewĪ Texas teen comes face-to-face with a cousin’s ghost and vows to unmask the murderer.Įlatsoe - Ellie for short - lives in an alternate contemporary America shaped by the ancestral magics and knowledge of its Indigenous and immigrant groups.

★ “A fast-paced murder mystery.” - Publishers Weekly, starred review

★ “A brilliant, engaging debut.” - Kirkus Reviews, starred review ★ “A unique and powerful Native American voice.” - BookPage, starred review ★ “A fresh voice and perspective.” - Booklist, starred review NPRĪtmospheric and lyrical.a gorgeous work of art. TIME’s Best 100 Fantasy Books of All TimeĪ Booklist’s Top 10 First Novel for Youthĭeeply enjoyable from start to finish. Fantasy, Mystery, Young Adult Fiction, Young Adult Literature

Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger