Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger, an enrolled member of the Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas, is contextualized in an America with homework, best friends, and pistachio ice cream. But there are some differences.This America has been shaped dramatically by the magic, monsters, knowledge, and legends of its peoples, those Indigenous and those not. Some of these forces are charmingly everyday, like the ability of Elatoe's friend Jay and his sister to make an orb of light appear or travel across the world through rings of fungi. But other forces are less charming and should never see the light of day. Elatsoe lives in this slightly stranger America with her friends and now invisible pet dog. She has skills passed down through generations of her Lipan Apache family and more. Her beloved cousin, Trevor, has just been murdered, in a town that wants no prying eyes. But she is going to do more than pry. The picture-perfect facade of Willowbee masks gruesome secrets, and she will rely on her wits, skills, and family and friends to tear off the mask and protect her family. This is an exciting and riveting read for a YA audience.
