Elatsoe—Ellie for short—lives in an alternate contemporary America shaped by ancestral magics and knowledge of Indigenous and immigrant groups. She can raise the spirits of dead animals—most importantly, her ghost dog Kirby. When her beloved cousin dies, all signs point to a car crash, but his ghost tells Ellie otherwise: he was murdered. Who killed him and how did he die? With the help of her family, her best friend Jay, and the legend of her six great grandmother, Ellie must track down the killer and unravel the mystery of the creepy town where her cousin died and it's dark past.

This book has been on my TBR for some time, and I’m so glad I finally got to it! This was a great read to start off the year with. The best way to describe this book was like a supernatural murder mystery with a fierce teen as the lead detective, and it was so unique and engaging! I loved how Little Badger used Lipan Apache lore and traditions to inform the fantasy elements of the book. They were super unique but also didn’t feel crazy out of reach or difficult to understand. The plot was really exciting and engaging, and I didn’t want to put this book down. Such a creative story, I definitely recommend Elatsoe! Can’t wait for Little Badger’s next book that comes out in April!