Having adored Elatsoe, I knew I had to read Sheine Lende. This speculative fiction story is about family, love, and friendship. It’s a fantastic prequel, but can definitely be read before Elatsoe if you haven’t read it yet! Keep reading this book review of Sheine Lende for my full thoughts.
Summary
Shane works with her mother and their ghost dogs, tracking down missing persons even when their families can’t afford to pay. Their own family was displaced from their traditional home years ago following a devastating flood – and the loss of Shane’s father and her grandparents. They don’t think they’ll ever get their home back.
Then Shane’s mother and a local boy go missing, after a strange interaction with a fairy ring. Shane, her brother, her friends, and her lone, surviving grandparent – who isn’t to be trusted – set off on the road to find them. But they may not be anywhere in this world – or this place in time.
Nevertheless, Shane is going to find them.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
It’s been a while since Elatsoe for me, but I remember absolutely loving it. When I heard about Sheine Lende and Shane’s prequel story, I added it to my TBR immediately. I loved how immersive and more expansive the world felt here. Maybe it’s just my memory, but here in Sheine Lende I found myself falling in love with the world first. We have mushroom rings which help you travel and explores the ways the past still remains with us. Sheine Lende feels both focused on Shane’s mother being missing, while also subtly examining the wrongs of the past and what we can do today.
(Disclaimer: Some of the links below are affiliate links. For more information you can look at the Policy page. If you’re uncomfortable with that, know you can look up the book on any of the sites below to avoid the link)
The illustrations are just icing on the cake! Sheine Lende has magic running throughout. It’s a story that brings up the ways our family can hurt us. And it also explores new friends and what it can be like to give people a second chance. Sheine Lende explores the intergenerational stories, the family webs, and injustices as foundations for our trees. I would highly recommend to everyone who loves a speculative fiction young adult story and one that feels multi-faceted. Find Sheine Lende on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop.org, Blackwells, & Libro. fm.