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ellemnope 's review for:
A Snake Falls to Earth
by Darcie Little Badger
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
4.25 stars.
I really enjoy Darcie Little Badger's writing and world building. Though shelved as young adult, A Snake Falls to Earth does read a little younger and I would categorize it more as an upper middle grade read. This is not to detract from the talent or the world-building in any way, as the construction of this novel is still really well done and I enjoyed my read quite a bit.
I love that Little Badger creates her world around myth and legend while still fusing that with the modern world. Her character inclusion is really seamlessly done, bringing in all walks of life and really treating all of her characters as equals in a way that feels so beautifully natural. All writers should take a lesson here. Race, gender, and sexuality are dealt with in ways that make things wholly inclusive without focusing solely on those differences or the fact that there is inclusion in the writing. It's just there. The way it is in real life.
The story itself was a little bumpy for me here and there because of the construction style, but overall the dual POV between Oli and Nina works really well. Oli's side of things reads like a book of short moral stories (think Aesop), but slowly blends to match Nina's more modern style of addressing life. When the two stories merge, there is a little bit of clunkiness for a few pages, but then the story moves on perfectly from there forward.
The story is interesting and fun, but doesn't quite pack the punch of Elatsoe. Things seem a little lower stakes and a bit more cartoonish. Again, another reason for the overall more middle grade feel to the work. The story didn't feel as deftly constructed and gave more of an over-arching style of tale than and character study. Still worth the read and I still very much enjoy the writing, but it just didn't have me as riveted.
I really enjoy Darcie Little Badger's writing and world building. Though shelved as young adult, A Snake Falls to Earth does read a little younger and I would categorize it more as an upper middle grade read. This is not to detract from the talent or the world-building in any way, as the construction of this novel is still really well done and I enjoyed my read quite a bit.
I love that Little Badger creates her world around myth and legend while still fusing that with the modern world. Her character inclusion is really seamlessly done, bringing in all walks of life and really treating all of her characters as equals in a way that feels so beautifully natural. All writers should take a lesson here. Race, gender, and sexuality are dealt with in ways that make things wholly inclusive without focusing solely on those differences or the fact that there is inclusion in the writing. It's just there. The way it is in real life.
The story itself was a little bumpy for me here and there because of the construction style, but overall the dual POV between Oli and Nina works really well. Oli's side of things reads like a book of short moral stories (think Aesop), but slowly blends to match Nina's more modern style of addressing life. When the two stories merge, there is a little bit of clunkiness for a few pages, but then the story moves on perfectly from there forward.
The story is interesting and fun, but doesn't quite pack the punch of Elatsoe. Things seem a little lower stakes and a bit more cartoonish. Again, another reason for the overall more middle grade feel to the work. The story didn't feel as deftly constructed and gave more of an over-arching style of tale than and character study. Still worth the read and I still very much enjoy the writing, but it just didn't have me as riveted.