Scan barcode
jnishi's review against another edition
4.0
Great book. Original plot and characters and just an awesome concept. Wished it had more from the perspective of the goddesses or more development of the gods. But over all great.
typedtruths's review
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
paxihayes's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Very interesting idea, okay execution. I found the plot predictable and the pacing a tad off. Good story for a younger audience than me.
may_books20's review against another edition
5.0
Woah, this book was crazy. I did love it though. Sal and Asa make such a good team! And the whole Life and Death, the world is a chessboard trope really sold me. I also adore that there’s just a band of girls living in a dangerous desert, and surviving like girl bosses. Sisterhood, baby!
tinynavajo's review against another edition
3.0
An alternative timeline where the world of Oklahoma during the Great Depression and the Dustbowl turn into a game between the Goddess, Life and Death. If the town of Elysium can survive for 10 years, they'll live. If they do not, they'll die.
I enjoyed all of the characters, I enjoyed the magic, the world is an interesting place to land in, I just wish it could be been expanded on a bit more. It felt like things went a bit too quickly to really have any big emotional payoff at the end, and it seemed as though the story was trying to rush itself a bit more than it should have. It could have been a duology, and I think that would have given the wonderful that was created a bit more room to breathe.
While Sal is an intriguing main character, I actually enjoyed the small points of view from Asa that we got, and some of Olivia's story as well. I wish we could have found out more about them organically, rather than having it told to us in exposition.
I enjoyed all of the characters, I enjoyed the magic, the world is an interesting place to land in, I just wish it could be been expanded on a bit more. It felt like things went a bit too quickly to really have any big emotional payoff at the end, and it seemed as though the story was trying to rush itself a bit more than it should have. It could have been a duology, and I think that would have given the wonderful that was created a bit more room to breathe.
While Sal is an intriguing main character, I actually enjoyed the small points of view from Asa that we got, and some of Olivia's story as well. I wish we could have found out more about them organically, rather than having it told to us in exposition.
rosescav's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
adrzeck's review against another edition
3.0
Alternate reality western-esque literal end of the world story.
Lots of magic and daemons and a battle of wills between the goddess of life and the goddess of death.
Will the outcasts save the world? ...I mean it's YA so there's a chance.
Lots of magic and daemons and a battle of wills between the goddess of life and the goddess of death.
Will the outcasts save the world? ...I mean it's YA so there's a chance.
nicolleelizabeth's review against another edition
I liked the idea of the plot, I fell in love with the cover art. I was drastically disappointed at this though. It felt rushed and there was no substance, characters were flat and unrelatable. I feel like this should have been twice as long to engage the reader better, to introduce the characters and the setting better. Every time it got interesting it just glossed over a surface. Such a shame.
rkiladitis's review against another edition
5.0
When I was at a Book Buzz where this book came up, the publisher rep said, "I love this book! It's hard to describe, but it's so good! It's so weird!" And really, that was all I needed to hear: I wanted to read a book with a big steampunk horse on the cover. I was not disappointed.
Elysium Girls is Dust Bowl-era dystopian fiction. In 1935, while America is in the grips of the Great Depression, a giant dust cloud rolls over Oklahoma. The goddesses of Life and Death have taken this little chunk of America and placed it in its own space and time, a chessboard for their own game. The survivors of the storm have 10 years to maintain order and set aside a third of their crops as a sacrifice for a chance to survive. Mother Morevna, an ailing witch in charge of a settlement called Elysium, takes on Sal, a teenaged apprentice, when a stranger calling himself Asa Skander arrives with supplies and a knack for magic himself. Sal and Asa are exiled from Elysium following a duel, where they meet a group of young women who have their own histories with Elysium and beyond. Facing the final days of the contest, a rising death toll, and plummeting spirits, Elysium and the group of women - and Asa - join forces once more to face the coming Dust Soldiers and attempt to break the game in order to win it.
This book is AMAZING. A dystopian historical fiction piece placing readers in Depression-Era Dust Bowl America? It's a great concept, and Kate Pentecost touches on the endemic racism that endures even among the survivors; her description of the Dust Sickness that eats away at the populace is so gritty and raw that you'll want a sip of water and to clear your throat as you read. Sal emerges as a smart heroine that comes into her confidence as a magic user, and Asa, who could easily have been sidelined as a cardboard supporting character, has a good backstory and has a character arc that really develops him nicely. Supporting characters all get fleshed out nicely, and should easily get reader investment.
The shifting perspective, from Sal's first-person narration to third-person narration, takes a little getting used to, but I feel into the rhythm pretty quickly. The action is fast-paced, and dialogue will keep readers turning pages as different plots and subplots become revealed. I loved this one, and really, REALLY, want my own metal horse now.
Give this one to your new generation of post-cataclysm readers. (I can't believe there's a new generation of them, but wow: Hunger Games, Maze Runner, and Divergent are all a decade old, and then some. Wow.)
Elysium Girls is Dust Bowl-era dystopian fiction. In 1935, while America is in the grips of the Great Depression, a giant dust cloud rolls over Oklahoma. The goddesses of Life and Death have taken this little chunk of America and placed it in its own space and time, a chessboard for their own game. The survivors of the storm have 10 years to maintain order and set aside a third of their crops as a sacrifice for a chance to survive. Mother Morevna, an ailing witch in charge of a settlement called Elysium, takes on Sal, a teenaged apprentice, when a stranger calling himself Asa Skander arrives with supplies and a knack for magic himself. Sal and Asa are exiled from Elysium following a duel, where they meet a group of young women who have their own histories with Elysium and beyond. Facing the final days of the contest, a rising death toll, and plummeting spirits, Elysium and the group of women - and Asa - join forces once more to face the coming Dust Soldiers and attempt to break the game in order to win it.
This book is AMAZING. A dystopian historical fiction piece placing readers in Depression-Era Dust Bowl America? It's a great concept, and Kate Pentecost touches on the endemic racism that endures even among the survivors; her description of the Dust Sickness that eats away at the populace is so gritty and raw that you'll want a sip of water and to clear your throat as you read. Sal emerges as a smart heroine that comes into her confidence as a magic user, and Asa, who could easily have been sidelined as a cardboard supporting character, has a good backstory and has a character arc that really develops him nicely. Supporting characters all get fleshed out nicely, and should easily get reader investment.
The shifting perspective, from Sal's first-person narration to third-person narration, takes a little getting used to, but I feel into the rhythm pretty quickly. The action is fast-paced, and dialogue will keep readers turning pages as different plots and subplots become revealed. I loved this one, and really, REALLY, want my own metal horse now.
Give this one to your new generation of post-cataclysm readers. (I can't believe there's a new generation of them, but wow: Hunger Games, Maze Runner, and Divergent are all a decade old, and then some. Wow.)
shannonxo's review against another edition
4.0
None of this should work. In reading the synopsis, there is no way that any two elements of this story should work together. And yet, somehow, some unfathomable how, it does. Beautifully.
The premise of this book could be likened to quarantine cooking. The author rooted through her mental pantry and threw whatever she had that might taste decent into a pot. Dustbowl USA, the Great Depression, a game between the goddesses of life and death, witches, daemons, and a gun-slinging girl gang with metal horses. All of it into a pot, simmered on the stove for twenty minutes until this book sat at the bottom. And somehow it works. It's a fantastical and weird mix of story elements that all piece together to form a highly unique and entertaining story.
On top of the writing being excellent, there are some incredible world building details. I mean, obviously, but let me go into a few of my favourites. Dust sickness is a blight that infects people in the walled town of Elysium from the regularly occurring dust storms that hammer this isolated world. It gets in their lungs and makes them cough up mud. Another detail I liked is the monsters in the desert. They aren't featured much—to my eternal disappointment—but there is one that pulls you down through your own shadow like quicksand. And yet for all that I liked, there wasn't enough. I was left feeling a little cheated on a few things. The horses, for instance. They're a huge part of why I was drawn to this book. Metal, fiery horses on the cover; surely they're a focal point. Instead I found they weren't explained well and didn't become important until way too late.
I was surprised by how well diversity was handled in this book. I've often seen books set in this time period maintain the racist and sexist tones of life at the time. Coloured-only spaces and the woman is only good in the kitchen and all that. This book said I see you, and I know you're wrong. In Elysium, the leader strives to create a town of equality. It is led by a woman, and racism and sexism are not present. Everyone is treated the same, given the circumstances, and it was such a treat. And, of course, who can say no to a gang of girls causing trouble out in the big, bad desert?
If you're coming into this expecting a spectacular sapphic read, I'd temper those expectations right this second. To call it wholly queer is a stretch. For one, there is very little romance that takes place. The most prominent love story is between one main and secondary character, and it's a peculiar straight one. Yes, there are a couple of characters who we know to be lesbian, but nothing comes of it. Even when the other main character begins to develop feelings toward a woman, it is never named or acknowledged, really.
As a debut and a standalone, this was a ridiculously unique and entertaining read that I would highly recommend if you're on the lookout for something new and different.
3.5/5 stars
The premise of this book could be likened to quarantine cooking. The author rooted through her mental pantry and threw whatever she had that might taste decent into a pot. Dustbowl USA, the Great Depression, a game between the goddesses of life and death, witches, daemons, and a gun-slinging girl gang with metal horses. All of it into a pot, simmered on the stove for twenty minutes until this book sat at the bottom. And somehow it works. It's a fantastical and weird mix of story elements that all piece together to form a highly unique and entertaining story.
On top of the writing being excellent, there are some incredible world building details. I mean, obviously, but let me go into a few of my favourites. Dust sickness is a blight that infects people in the walled town of Elysium from the regularly occurring dust storms that hammer this isolated world. It gets in their lungs and makes them cough up mud. Another detail I liked is the monsters in the desert. They aren't featured much—to my eternal disappointment—but there is one that pulls you down through your own shadow like quicksand. And yet for all that I liked, there wasn't enough. I was left feeling a little cheated on a few things. The horses, for instance. They're a huge part of why I was drawn to this book. Metal, fiery horses on the cover; surely they're a focal point. Instead I found they weren't explained well and didn't become important until way too late.
I was surprised by how well diversity was handled in this book. I've often seen books set in this time period maintain the racist and sexist tones of life at the time. Coloured-only spaces and the woman is only good in the kitchen and all that. This book said I see you, and I know you're wrong. In Elysium, the leader strives to create a town of equality. It is led by a woman, and racism and sexism are not present. Everyone is treated the same, given the circumstances, and it was such a treat. And, of course, who can say no to a gang of girls causing trouble out in the big, bad desert?
If you're coming into this expecting a spectacular sapphic read, I'd temper those expectations right this second. To call it wholly queer is a stretch. For one, there is very little romance that takes place. The most prominent love story is between one main and secondary character, and it's a peculiar straight one. Yes, there are a couple of characters who we know to be lesbian, but nothing comes of it. Even when the other main character begins to develop feelings toward a woman, it is never named or acknowledged, really.
As a debut and a standalone, this was a ridiculously unique and entertaining read that I would highly recommend if you're on the lookout for something new and different.
3.5/5 stars