Member Reviews
This was such a delightful and thought provoking story. I loved our main characters (Risk, Rain and Brightness being my particular favourites, but I was also quite partial to the bounty hunting bear) and thought that the narrative was really well constructed. The first half of the book is told in dual perspectives with alternating chapters as both Oli and Nina are finding their places in their respective worlds. When disaster strikes, the narratives join and the latter part of the book is a race against time story that was really compelling. Overall, this was a great read and I would definitely recommend it.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.
It took me quite a while to get into the book and, when I did, sadly I did not really connect with the characters as much as I would have liked to. Both the storylines were very interesting and I would like to read more by the author. though.
Unfortunately, whilst I liked one of the voices in this audiobook, the other grated on me a little. Add to that the fact that I didn't like both storylines, and I kind of just didn't want to keep going. Unfortunate, but I'll definitely give this author another go.
It's difficult for me to review the audiobook A Snake Falls to Earth. This is, in essence, a very lovely tale. Also quite strange. It tells the tale of two very dissimilar worlds. We have Oli, the cottonmouth child, and his animal companions on one side. They are all capable of assuming their fake, human-like forms. Nina, a Lipan Apache girl, is on the other side. She is a teen who finds her family's old tales fascinating and records them so they won't be lost. She uses a lot of technology and is rather tech-savvy. So we have a conflict of two worlds here: our modern world of technology with Nina and the world of spirits where Oli strives to save his companion from extinction. Two very distinct universes, but their tales soon overlap. The pace of the book is rather slow in the first half. The pacing picks up in the second half. I, therefore, took a while to become immersed in the plot. I'm not sure, but if I read this one myself, I would probably like it. Not that narrative is inherently flawed. I enjoy both of the two narrators—a male for Oli and a female for Nina. I'll check out some of the author's other writings in the future. The optimum audience for this tale would be (perhaps younger) teens or adults that enjoy a good fairytale along the route as well as ancient tales about spirits. This kind of fiction probably wouldn't appeal to all teenagers because its target audience is somewhat specific. I appreciate the ARC and the chance to listen to these, Recorded Books! I just hold my own views.
*received for free from netgalley for honest review* This was different and i had to keep taking breaks in the beginning (not because of the book, life was just busy!) so it took me awhile to really get into it and understand it but it was really cool. will reread this for sure in the future!
This is the year in which I try to read books that are kind, that wrap me up in a big old hug and introduce me to characters that I will have a hard time forgetting. And boy, does Darcie Little Badger deliver on that!
A Snake Falls to Earth follows Nina, an indigenous girl trying to help her Grandma, and Olí, a snake boy, in dual POV and two different worlds. I am immeasurably fond of Olí in particular, who loves napping in the sunshine and making friends with other animal-kids around. This story unfolds as climate change impacts both of the kids’ worlds, and sees them come together.
While it starts slowly, and quietly introduces you to both characters, I couldn’t stop reading once I hit the second half. It gave me warm fuzzies, which was only accentuated by the excellent audiobook narration. I listened to Elatsoe as well and found that the storytelling and Lipan structured tale lends itself well to the verbal format. Little Badger seamlessly infuses magic and whimsy into a tale that at the same time feels contemporary and grounded in our world.
I recommend this for anyone that loved Elatsoe, enjoys the characters of Becky Chambers’ books, and who need something comforting in these challenging times. Thanks to NetGalley for an early review copy, all opinions are my own.
How can I even begin to talk about this book? I knew little about it going in, and I think that was the best way! Nina's chapters were real and grounded, and I loved her family and her growth. The reflecting world chapters were so good though, I definitely had a favourite POV. I would have been happy if this book had gone on forever. More slice of life adventures about Cottonmouth, the coyote sisters, and Ami-toads please! There's so much more I want to know!
A Snake Falls to Earth by Darcie Little Badger is absolutely lovely. I adored their debut, Elatsoe, last year and so I was thrilled to be approved for the audiobook for their sophomore novel. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from the blurb, and ended up positively surprised by a story that was nothing like any book I’ve read before and full of magic. Nina is Lipan, a teen in our world, trying to decode and translate a story she recorded before her great great great grandmother’s death, while Oli is a cottonmouth (yes, the snake) from the land of spirits and monsters. For much of the book, their stories are told in parallel, but then events happen in both their worlds to bring them together – and they find out that they are far more connected than they ever realised. My two favourite things about this – and Darcie Little Badger’s work in general – are the amazing character work – they really come to life – and the lack of adherence to western storytelling conventions. I love learning more about the Lipan Apache that the author is from just through how they tell their stories, through what is important to focus on.
A Snake Falls to Earth is a story like I had never read before, it was deeply original emotional and interesting.
It tells the story of Oli and Lila. Oli is an animal person, a snake to be exact living in the land of spirits and monsters. He has been thrown out of the nest as is snake tradition because he became of age and has to survive on his own, which is no small feat. Lila is a Lipan girl living in our world and who wants before everything to protect her grandma.
I listened to this one on audio and was a little scared to get into it but I shouldn't have. It was beautifully written and both povs were so compelling. It wasn't exactly filled with twists and turns and yet, everything about this made you want to know more, to keep on reading.
I feel like it was also about climate change and everything we're not paying attention to. The main character was also ace, as she just mentions once in the story, and while it wasn't exactly part of the story, the representation is always great. I look for a day when I don't have to explain what it means, and representation should help with that.
Honestly, I will without a doubt read this again, and it made me want to read Elatsoe, the author's first book, even more.
Thank you so much to net galley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this book! This book was super interesting and I really fell in love with the characters!
This book is wonderful! Magical realism meets Lipan Apache folklore to create something truly special. I especially enjoyed Nina's use of technology and Oli's sheer determination and how they intermingled to make something new. Usually books speak poorly of technology so it was nice to see one utilizing it (mostly) for the better. Please do the audio version! Oli and Nina each have their own narrators. In related news, Kinsale Hueston (Nina's voice) is one of the best newer talents in the business. Seeing that she was a narrator is what sold me on this book.
Thank you to NetGalley for a preview copy of the ebook and eaudio in exchange for an honest review.
I *almost* don’t have words to express my love for Darcie Little Badger’s newest novel. Anyone who was enraptured by Elatsoe will NOT be disappointed in A Snake Falls to Earth. The characters are rich and nuanced and have stuck with me deeply just like those in Elatsoe have. I think at this point I’ll be blown away by anything that Little Badger creates. The plot, without giving anything away, is full of twists and turns and the most full representation you could dream of, but all of it flows so genuinely that it never feels like you get taken out of the story for the sake of some plot point.
I read both the print book and the audiobook thanks to the publisher (and NetGalley for the audio), and wow - the narrators for the audio are stunning. Definitely give this a listen if you enjoy audiobooks!
Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and listen to A Snake Falls to Earth. What a treat.
I first discovered this authors writing in their previous title Elatsoe and fell in love - and that love is totally furthered here. Just gorgeous!
First of all I LOVE this cover. So simple, yet so beautiful. I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, and even a bit into the book I wasn't sure how it was all going to tie together, but once I figured it out I really loved it! The two stories converging was so interesting and the plot pacing was great. I really liked the two main characters, but as this is a review of the audiobook as well I have to say that the male narrator was not my favorite. I found myself confused often who was saying the dialog because so many of the voices were similar. With that said I still thoroughly enjoyed the story and felt really immersed in the story the whole time. Can;t wait to read more from this author!
Format: audiobook
Author: Darcie Little Badger ~ Title: Snake Falls To Earth ~ Narrator: Shaun Taylor-Corbett and Kinsale Hueston
Content: 3.5 stars ~ Narration: 4 stars
A Snake Falls to Earth is an audiobook that is tough for me to review. In its essence, this is a very beautiful story. Also quite odd.
It’s a story of two very different worlds. On one side, we have this cottonmouth kid Oli and his animal friends. They can all change into their false forms—humanlike forms. And on the other side, there’s a Lipan Apache girl, Nina. She’s a teen, and she is fascinated by her family’s old stories and writes them down so that they wouldn’t be forgotten. She is pretty tech-savvy and uses quite some technology. So here we have a clash of two worlds: a world of spirits where Oli tries to save his friend from extinction and our modern world of technology with Nina. Two very different worlds, but soon their stories connect.
The first half of the book is quite slow-paced. In the second half, the pacing is a bit faster. So, I needed quite some time to get into the story.
I’m not sure, but I would probably enjoy this one if I read it myself. Not that there’s something wrong with narration. There are two narrators, male for Oli and female for Nina, and I like both. In the future, I will read some of the author’s other works. Before I saw this, I was especially interested in Elatsoe.
This story would be best for (maybe younger) teens or adults interested in ancient stories about spirits and like some nice fable along the way. I guess not all teens would be interested in this kind of story because it needs quite a distinctive reader.
Thanks to Recorded Books for the ARC and the opportunity to listen to this! All opinions are my own.
Nina, a Lipan girl, lives in the real world and loves the stories passed down through generations and told to her by her grandmother. Oli is a cottonmouth snake person who lives in the reflective world. When tragedy befalls Oli’s best friend, he and a group of reflective world animal people travel from their world to Nina’s world for help. Nina, Oli, coyote people, Rain and Risk and a nonbinary eagle person team up to help a friend and save Nina’s community from devastating natural disasters. And, when the real world meets the magic of the reflective world, anything can happen!
Author Darcie Little Badger and narrators, Shaun Taylor-Corbett and Kinsale Hueston , bring Lipan mythology to life in A Snake Falls to Earth. Part narrative about conservation, part adventure story, readers will enjoy listening to this story. The narration is spot on with characters being easily distinguishable by voice, which adds to the enjoyment of this book. The plot flows slowly and easily along like a meandering river interrupted now and then by waterfalls. This story relies heavily on strong characterization enhanced by the narrators pitch and volume and each character feels like a friend. The audiobook version of A Snake Falls to Earth pulls the reader into a new world and is worth the listen. Listen. Enjoy. Share.
I really liked the characters, the story and the writing style. If you like fairytale-esque stories, then I recommend you read this.
3.5 stars. This is my second book from Darcie Little Badger - I love her storytelling style and her books have been good! I think it comes across on the younger side of young adult (but always, this is for all ages!)
This starts with two story lines - one starting on Earth with Nina and the other in the Reflecting World with Oli, the snake boy. It takes about 50% of the book for the stories to connect and originally I just wanted to listen to the parts about the reflecting world because it was just sooo good! Then I loved how the stories connected and it did feel like there was quite a bit going on, but I enjoyed it all!
Also, the audio book narrators were great and I thought their voices and pacing were great. Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the e-audio arc!
Darcie Little Badger's newest book is an interesting blend of Native American mythology and a commentary on climate change. The book is well crafted but I'm not sure who the intended audience is, the book is in the teen section but I'm not sure if they will be interested.
Thank you to Levine Querido and Recorded Books for an ALC of this book.
Told from two viewpoints: Nina, in our world, and Oli, an animal-person in the reflecting world, this tells the story of Nina learning about her history and Oli learning about himself.
I absolutely loved this book! Darcie Little Badger is such a fantastic writer and I felt so immersed in the story as soon as I started reading. I couldn't decide which point of view I liked better. I really just loved it a lot the entire time. The narration is really excellent and the storyline was great!