Item: Elysium Girls
Rating: 5.00
Author: layawaydragon

by Kate Pentecost

From a lush, dazzlingly original new voice in young adult fantasy comes an epic clash of witches, gods, and demons as the fate of humanity hangs in the balance.

Elysium, Oklahoma, is a town like any other. Respectable. God-fearing. Praying for an end to the Dust Bowl. Until the day the people of Elysium are chosen by two sisters: Life and Death. And the Sisters like to gamble against each other with things like time, and space, and human lives. Elysium is to become the gameboard in a ruthless competition between the goddesses. The Dust Soldiers will return in ten years' time, and if the people of Elysium have not proved themselves worthy, all will be slain.

Nearly ten years later, seventeen-year-old Sal Wilkinson is called upon to lead Elysium as it prepares for the end of the game. But then an outsider named Asa arrives at Elysium's gates with nothing more than a sharp smile and a bag of magic tricks, and they trigger a terrible accident that gets both Sal and Asa exiled into the brutal Desert of Dust and Steel. There Sal and Asa stumble upon a gang of girls headed by another exile: a young witch everyone in Elysium believes to be dead. As the apocalypse looms, they must do more than simply tip the scales in Elysium's favor — only by reinventing the rules can they beat Life and Death at their own game in this exciting fantasy debut.

I’m so happy to finally gush about Elysium Girls! It’s a truly unique YA historical fantasy set during The Dust Bowl in Oklahoma about a gang of girls trying to save their corner of the world in a game between Life and Death.

I don’t even know where to start with Elysium Girls. I LOVED IT. From the very beginning, to the very end and gladly read the acknowledgements. It’s the best kind of thing I’m always looking for and like nothing I’ve ever read before.

Engrossing
Atmospheric
Girls liking girls!
TWO couples of girls liking girls.
Witches being witchy and spells
Bullying
Found family
One of our main squad is Comanche Indian, indigenous in the area of Oklahoma. There are mentions of the residential schools
Mechanical horses!
Daemon who quickly became my second favorite.
Love the all girl gang! Kicking butt and taking names
There were moments of “OMG PPL I KNOW SOMETHING YOU DON’T” But it hyped up the tension and suspense and it wasn’t something they missed.
Totally bought the red herring right up before the reveal
Great for all YA lovers and the younger teens as well.

five-stars

5 Stars all the way. There’s nothing about this I didn’t like. I can’t think of comp titles but it’s girl power, queer, and fantastical. I’ll def be following Pentecost for more releases!

Elysium Girls

by Kate Pentecost

Reviewed by layawaydragon on Apr 1, 2020

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