Earlier this year I read Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger to fill a couple of book bingo prompts. Then Sheine Lende, the prequel came out, and wouldn’t you know it, I managed to fill another prompt on the same card with it!
To avoid repeating myself too much, I’m just going to direct you over to my review of Elatsoe, because a lot of what’s good (and bad) about this book was also present in that book. The pacing issues remain, but so do the focus on friendship and family relationships, Indigenous representation, and Very Good Dogs.
Now that we’ve established what the first book and the prequel have in common, let’s see what makes this one unique! First and foremost, this book takes place in the 1970s, rather than the modern setting of Elatsoe. The same supernatural elements are present, but people know less about them. And Shane, Ellie’s grandmother, doesn’t feel as safe sharing about her ghost-speaking abilities.
Sheine Lende does a good job of continuing to build on the lore established in Elatsoe, filling in some of the blanks and introducing new elements. It does a good job of sharing information with the reader by either weaving it naturally into the main story, or incorporating it into a story that a parent or other adult tells Ellie about an ancestor or a legend. Nothing ever feels like an info dump.
As an Elder Millennial, I just missed the 70s. But I do have memories of the 80s and 90s, which means I have memories of life before the internet and cell phones. This book reminded me of how much harder life was when you couldn’t just look things up on the internet, when you couldn’t reach people if they weren’t next to the phone, and when contacting someone outside of your local area could get expensive, fast.
If you liked Elatsoe, you’ll probably like this. If you felt Elatsoe was too slow-paced or otherwise had issues with this, I don’t think Sheine Lende will win you over. If you haven’t read Elatsoe and you’re curious about the series, I feel like you can go ahead and read these books in whichever order you would prefer, as they each stand alone very well, and introduce different elements of the world and the main characters’ family lineage.
CWs and TWs: Racism, death of a parent, other family deaths, children in peril, housing insecurity. All presented in an age-appropriate way for YA readers.
Source and Format: I read this as an ebook borrowed from Seattle Public Libraries.
Book Bingo Prompts
Nook & Cranny (Card 2): Strange Doors & New Worlds. This book reveals more about the faerie ring travel network and involves traveling through a gateway to the land of the dead, too.
Book Bingo Progress
Nook & Cranny (Card 1): 17 out of 25 prompts complete. 2 bingos.
Nook & Cranny (Card 2): 16 out of 25 prompts complete. 2 bingos.
SAL/SPL Adult Summer Reading: 16 out of 23 prompts complete, 3 bingos.
SBTB Summer Romance: 4 out of 24 prompts complete, 0 bingos.