Elatsoe was a solid read. I most appreciated how different this story felt from standard paranormal YA. From the casual integration of paranormal elements into the fabric of a familiar contemporary world to the small-town setting Darcie Little Badger's worldbuilding was novel and fairly engaging throughout.

Our protagonist Elatsoe was also well crafted. Seeing her learn more about her ghost-raising powers was fascinating. Her respect for the dead and reverence for her family's history made her especially endearing, especially in the ways she looked up to and attempted to emulate her ancestor Six Great.

Another element of novelty I appreciated was just how involved Ellie's parents were in the plot. At every step of her journey Ellie's parents believed her and trusted her judgement. The intergenerational aspects of the story were really where this book shined and seeing Ellie's family work together to avenge their murdered relative was heartwarming.

However, while I appreciated a lot about Elatsoe I will be honest and say nothing truly gripped me as the story unfolded. While I was rooting for Ellie to avenge her cousin's murder the mystery plot was never as thrilling or twisty as I hoped it would be and the characters while well-written enough never became favourites. This, however, could be a sign of my disconnect from the YA genre as I age.

Overall Elatose is a story I respected more than I enjoyed. I don't regret having read it and I think kids closer to its target demographic will likely get much more out of it than I did.