Elatsoe

{{Infobox book

| image = File:Elatsoe_book_cover.jpg

| author = Darcie Little Badger

| audio_read_by = Kinsale Hueston

| illustrator = Rovina Cai

| language = English

| genre = Fantasy, young adult literature

| publisher = Levine Querido

| media_type = Print (hardcover), ebook, audiobook

| country = United States

| pub_date = August 25, 2020

| pages = 368 pp.

| isbn = 9781646140053

| isbn_note =
(hardcover 1st ed.)

| dewey = 813/.6

| oclc = 1131773594

| congress = PZ7.1.L57812 El 2020

}}

Elatsoe is a 2020 young adult novel by Darcie Little Badger marketed to young readers aged 12–18. It is Little Badger's debut novel. It was included on Time's list of the 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time.{{Cite magazine |date=2020-10-15 |title='Elatsoe' Is on TIME's List of the 100 Best Fantasy Books |url=https://time.com/collection/100-best-fantasy-books/5898537/elatsoe/ |access-date=2023-06-05 |magazine=Time |language=en}} Some publications have classed the novel as part of the Indigenous Futurism movement.{{Cite web |date=2020-10-08 |title=10 Unforgettable Indigenous Futurism Books by Indigenous Authors |url=https://theportalist.com/indigenous-authors-sci-fi-fantasy |access-date=2023-06-05 |website=theportalist.com |language=en}}

Plot

Elatsoe is set in contemporary Texas, but supernatural creatures like ghosts, vampires, and fairies exist. The titular character Elatsoe, nicknamed Ellie, is a 17-year old asexual Lipan Apache girl. She has the ability to recall the ghosts of deceased animals, due to knowledge passed down through her family; Ellie chooses to bring back the ghost of her childhood dog, Kirby, as her companion. Ellie's best friend, Jay, is a descendant of Oberon.

One night, Kirby is spooked by an unknown cause, and shortly afterward Ellie learns that her cousin, Trevor, has died in an apparent car accident. After her mother flies to fictional Willowbee, Texas to support his widowed wife, Lenore, and infant child, Trevor's ghost appears to Ellie. He tells her he was murdered by Abe Allerton, a wealthy local doctor, and asks her to protect his wife and child. She and her father join her mother in Texas. Ellie sets out on a mission to bring her cousin's killer to justice, during which she learns about some misdeeds committed by her own ancestors.

Development

Little Badger came up with the idea for Elatsoe when she was a teenager. Although initially intended to be written for an adult audience, Little Badger decided to shift to a young adult demographic given the teenage protagonist.{{Cite news |last=Cram |first=Stephanie |date=December 11, 2020 |title=Darcie Little Badger's YA debut landed on Time's list of Best Fantasy Books of All Time |work=CBC |url=https://www.cbc.ca/radio/unreserved/winter-reading-list-indigenous-authors-share-their-favourite-reads-of-2020-1.5832896/darcie-little-badger-s-ya-debut-landed-on-time-s-list-of-best-fantasy-books-of-all-time-1.5835933 |access-date=4 June 2023}}

Critical reception and reviews

Cole Rush of Tor.com gave 9/10 review to Elatsoe and wrote "I highly recommend picking up the book and relishing Darcie Little Badger’s exquisite tale".{{Cite web |last=Rush |first=Cole |date=2022-05-17 |title=Please Adapt: Darcie Little Badger's Elatsoe |url=https://www.tor.com/2022/05/17/please-adapt-darcie-little-badgers-elatsoe/ |access-date=2022-12-03 |website=Tor.com |language=en-US}} It was also reviewed favorably by NPR,{{Cite news |last=El-Mohtar |first=Amal |date=2020-09-05 |title=The World Of 'Elatsoe' Mixes Humor And Horror (And Ghost Dogs) |language=en |work=NPR |url=https://www.npr.org/2020/09/05/909802296/the-world-of-elatsoe-mixes-humor-and-horror-and-ghost-dogs |access-date=2022-12-03}} School Library Journal,{{Cite web |last=Little |first=Badger, Darcie |title=Elatsoe |url=https://www.slj.com/review/elatsoe |access-date=2022-12-03 |website=School Library Journal}} The Horn Book Magazine,{{Cite web |last=Gall |first=Elisa |title=Review of Elatsoe |url=https://www.hbook.com/story/review-of-elatsoe |access-date=2022-12-03 |website=The Horn Book}} and Kirkus Reviews.{{Cite book |url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/darcie-little-badger/elatsoe/ |title=Elatsoe |publisher=Kirkus Reviews |language=en}}

Awards and honors

= Awards =

rowspan="3" \| 2021 \| ALA's Best Fiction for Young Adults \|\| — \|\| {{sho\|Finalist}} \|\| style="text-align:center;" \|{{Cite web \|date=2020-12-04 \|title=Best Fiction for Young Adults (#BFYA2021) Nominees Round Up, December 4 Edition \|url=https://www.yalsa.ala.org/thehub/2020/12/04/best-fiction-for-young-adults-bfya2021-nominees-round-up-december-4-edition/ \|access-date=2023-06-05 \|website=The Hub \|language=en-US}}
class="wikitable sortable" ! Year !! Award !! Category !! Result !! Ref.
Locus Award	First Novel	{{won}}	style="text-align:center;" \|{{Cite web \|date=2021-06-26 \|title=2021 Locus Awards Winners \|url=https://locusmag.com/2021/06/2021-locus-awards-winners/ \|access-date=2022-12-03 \|website=Locus: The Magazine of The Science Fiction & Fantasy Field \|language=en-US}}
Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book	—	{{sho\|Finalist}}	style="text-align:center;" \|{{Cite web \|date=2021-01-01 \|title=2021 Hugo Awards \|url=https://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/2021-hugo-awards/ \|access-date=2022-12-03 \|website=The Hugo Awards \|language=en-US}}
rowspan="2" \| 2022 \| American Indian Youth Literature Awards \|\| Young Adult \|\| {{sho\|Honor}} \|\| style="text-align:center;" \|{{Cite web \|date=2022-01-24 \|title=American Library Association announces 2022 Youth Media Award winners \|url=https://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2022/01/american-library-association-announces-2022-youth-media-award-winners \|access-date=2022-12-03 \|website=American Library Association \|language=en}}
Whippoorwill Book Award	—	{{won}}	style="text-align:center;" \|{{Cite web \|title=Whippoorwill Book Award Winners 2021-2022 \|url=https://www.kpl.gov/collection/whippoorwill2122/ \|access-date=2022-12-03 \|website=Kalamazoo Public Library \|language=en-US}}

= Honors =

Time's Best 100 Fantasy Books of All Time
BuzzFeed's Best YA SFF Book of 2020{{Cite web |last=Strolle |first=Rachel |title=30 Of 2020's Best YA Science Fiction And Fantasy Books |url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/rachelstrolle/best-2020-ya-sff |access-date=2022-12-03 |website=BuzzFeed |date=7 December 2020 |language=en}}
Chicago Public Library's Best of the Best Books of 2020{{Cite web |title=CPL Best of the Best Books 2020 |url=https://www.chipublib.org/news/cpl-best-of-the-best-books-2020 |access-date=2022-12-03 |website=Chicago Public Library |date=23 November 2020 |language=en-US}}
Kirkus Reviews Best YA Book of 2020{{Cite web |title=Best of 2020: Our Favorite YA Books |url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/news-and-features/articles/best-of-2020-our-favorite-ya-books/ |access-date=2022-12-03 |website=Kirkus Reviews |language=en}}
NPR's Best Book of 2020{{Cite web |title=Best Books of 2020 |url=https://apps.npr.org/best-books/#view=covers&year=2020/ |access-date=2022-12-03 |website=NPR |language=en-US}}
Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2020{{Cite web |title=Best Books 2020: Publishers Weekly Publishers Weekly |url=https://best-books.publishersweekly.com/pw/best-books/2020/young-adult/ |access-date=2022-12-03 |website=Publishers Weekly}}
Shelf Awareness's Best Children's & Teen Books of 2020{{Cite web |title=Shelf Awareness's Best Children's & Teen Books of 2020 |url=https://www.shelf-awareness.com/readers-issue.html?issue=973#m17034 |access-date=2022-12-03 |website=Shelf Awareness}}