Published: November 2021
Author: Darcie Little Badger
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction, Audiobook, Magical Realism, Indigenous, LGBT, Queer, Mythology, Middle Grade
Audience (Grade Levels): Grades 7 and up
Number of Stars: 5-Stars
Goodreads Link: [A Snake Falls to Earth]
Triggers: Sickness of a friend, extinction themes, environmental threats, peril
Review By: Alyssa Newton
Publisher’s Summary
Nina is a Lipan girl in our world. She’s always felt there was something more out there. She still believes in the old stories.
Oli is a cottonmouth kid, from the land of spirits and monsters. Like all cottonmouths, he’s been cast from home. He’s found a new one on the banks of the bottomless lake.
Nina and Oli have no idea the other exists. But a catastrophic event on Earth, and a strange sickness that befalls Oli’s best friend, will drive their worlds together in ways they haven’t been in centuries.
And there are some who will kill to keep them apart.
Darcie Little Badger introduced herself to the world with Elatsoe. In A Snake Falls to Earth, she draws on traditional Lipan Apache storytelling structure to weave another unforgettable tale of monsters, magic, and family. It is not to be missed.
Review
I must start my review with a confession – I am NOT a fantasy reader and hesitantly picked up this book because I wanted to understand the positive buzz surrounding this title. It is listed on TIME’s Best 100 Fantasy Books of All Time, ALA Rainbow Book List Top 10, National Book Award Longlist and a 2022 Newbery Honor Book. Reviews are glowing and I am always looking for diverse titles to improve the generified YA collections at my public library. Based on reviews, purchasing this book for my library’s YA Fantasy collection was a no-brainer. The author is an enrolled member of the Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas and her first book, Elatose, was a best-seller.
It is easy to list awards and positive reviews to “sell” a book to young readers, BUT I am so glad I decided to read the book. The reviews and awards are well deserved – I didn’t want the story to end. I loved EVERYTHING about this book, from the characters and the writing style, to the action-packed and beautiful storyline that kept the book moving forward. I will no longer judge a book by its genre!
After reading this book, I hesitate on cataloging it solely as fantasy – it has a strong realistic fiction storyline about friendship and environmental activism, with magical realism elements, that would appeal to many readers. It is appropriate for teens in grades 7 up. The story is told in alternating chapters between two characters. First, there is Nina, a 13-year old Lipan girl living in our world. She is a strong and smart character that many readers will relate to – she cares about her community and family and uses social media to share those values. The other main character is Oli, a cottonmouth snake/animal person, who shape shifts throughout the book and lives in the connected world. Oli is another amazing character that teens will relate to – he has a diverse group of friends and much of his story focuses on his survival/coming-of-age story.
The two characters meet when Oli and his animal people friends must visit our world to save one of their friends (a toad named Ami), who is going extinct. Nina helps Oli and the animal people save his friend, learns more about their world and how the two worlds are connected. I loved the traditional Lipan Apache storytelling that was highlighted throughout the book, told by Oli, Nina and her grandmother – it enhanced the overall story and was a treat for readers.
Pass along anyone who loves a good book about friendship and saving the world we love.
Classroom & Curricular Connections
- Science / Environmental Activism: This novel serves as an excellent curricular connection for studying ecosystem stability, species conservation, and the devastating impacts of extinction through the plight of the toad character, Ami.
- ELA / Narrative Structure: The text provides a strong mentor example of a coming-of-age narrative utilizing alternating perspectives and shape-shifting characters to drive a beautifully paced, action-packed plot.
- Social Studies / Lipan Apache Culture: Ideal for highlighting traditional Lipan Apache storytelling structures, values, and oral histories passed down through generations, as demonstrated by Nina and her grandmother.
Diversity & Representation Note
A Snake Falls to Earth provides outstanding, multi-layered representation by centering on a smart, strong Indigenous heroine and weaving authentic Lipan Apache cultural heritage and storytelling dynamics directly into the fabric of the plot. Furthermore, its recognition on the ALA Rainbow Book List highlights its meaningful, casual inclusivity of diverse, intersectional identities within an engaging, modern framework.
Readalikes
- Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger
- Race to the Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse
- The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline
