Group Reads Discussions 2023: "Elatsoe" First Impressions *No Spoilers*

[SFFBC, Ancillary Mod]

Come share your carefully vague initial impressions here! Save any detailed comments for the spoiler thread.

You can find the full discussion thread for spoilers here.

Content warnings for those who want them: (view spoiler)[ racism, grief & loss depiction, threat to children, abduction, gore/body horror, genocide. (hide spoiler)]

[Kirsi]

I just got started and was delighted to find out this is a dog book! I love Kirby already! However, if this lovely astral canine is really an English springer spaniel, the illustrations (as beautiful as they are) are way off the mark.

Based on one chapter, I think I'm going to like this book quite a bit.

[Anna]

Those who are eye-reading, I've heard that the pictures above (before? near?) the chapter titles form a story! I listened to this, so I haven't seen them myself, but that's what I heard :)

[Christopher]

Been enjoying this so far -- listening to the audiobook which helped me with the pronunciation of the title -- it's not anywhere close to what I would have guessed!

[David]

I'm about halfway in. I like it, but Ellie strikes me as whiny. Maybe it's just her age.

[Ellen]

Kirby won my heart on the first page. I'm a little over halfway and am enjoying the story.

[Warren]

This is my first time joining the book challenge. In the mood for a fantasy, my bookshelf was relatively sparse, and this post caught my eye -a good combination. Intriguing read so far, a few chapters in. I'm interested to see how it develops.

[CBRetriever]

Interesting read, but it seems more aimed at 13-16 year olds. I did like Kirby though, but I don't think that I'd read sequels to it

[Bobby]

I like the creativity, but the writing style is rough for me. Seems kind of abrupt and obvious. Maybe it will have a strong ending.

[Ann]

Anna wrote: "Those who are eye-reading, I've heard that the pictures above (before? near?) the chapter titles form a story! I listened to this, so I haven't seen them myself, but that's what I heard :)"

I'm listening also, but I did flip through the physical copy at the book and looked at the nice illustrations, they are above the chapter number, not huge but nicely done.

I'm at about 75%, I like this world but the story has got some YA vibes that I get kinda annoyed by at this point in a book, but I still like the story. Kirby is the best!

[Sebastian]

20% in, I really like it. I can immediately see the world, I like the characters, and the story so far is interesting. Coming off a really bad book just now, I might overpraise this one though.

[Sabrina]

I am 30% in, I really like the setting, less the YA tone, but it slowly grows on me. My kindle version also has the pretty drawings before each chapter.

[Georgann]

I like the story, and the additional Lipan Apache stories, but it is really bugging me that 1) three of the stories have come in middle of moments of great danger - I feel interrupted like a tv commercial right when the bad guy is ready to kill the good guys. and 2) Ellie is 17 but she acts so young and her parents treat her as she is about 14, that I had to reread that bit to see she is actually 17. But I do like the magic of this world, and the info and reality of what our Indigenous characters have to face. I like that I have no idea where this is going. Now to check out that story in the art work.

[Kristel]

I am only so so with this book. I did not engage with it.

[Bonnie]

I just read two YA books so thought I'd do one more.
Four chapters in, which is 10%.

Don't care for it so far... finding it hard to pay attention. Feels like a kids' book, not YA.
Random fantastical bits, ghost dogs and vampires and ESP and Native beliefs... In a post-apocalyptic US? not sure yet.
Reminds of The Graveyard Book or Coraline, a little whimsical.
Most of my GR friends gave it four stars though.

[Melanie, the neutral party]

I agree it has a MG feel, but the story arc is good if you stay with it.