I wish I could say I enjoyed Along The Indigo by Elsie Chapman more than I actually did. Alas, this book just did not do it for me. However, there’s a couple factors that are behind it not being the book for me, and so maybe it will actually be the book for you. Readers who like books that are gritty and dark and seedy will certainly enjoy Along The Indigo.

Set in the 1980s, Along The Indigo is about a teenager girl named Marsden who is desperate to hear the dead and also to escape her stifling small town, Glory. The town where she lives is seedy personified. Every legit business is a front for something shady – including the bed and breakfast where Marsden, her sister Wynn and mother Shine live. You see, that B&B is actually a brothel. Next door is the covert, where legend has it that if you die while touching the dirt there you’ll go to heaven. So, Marsden comes across dead bodies from suicide all the time. She’s basically numb to it. Anyways, Marsden is socking away money anticipating running away to Seattle with her sister.

She keeps mainly to herself until one day when Jude finds her to help look for something his brother Rigby left behind in the covert. And so, a trust slowly develops between the two. As it turns out, they both have family secrets the end up being intertwined.

So, for me I just had a hard time getting through Along The Indigo. It is because the book I read previously had this excellent light hearted setting. I just felt weighed down while reading this book and actually kind of depressed. However, the ending is actually good. So, I think that if you’re in the mood for something deep, dark and unflinching, check this book out. If you want light and sweet, look elsewhere.

Wow. I just, I can't believe how heart-breaking, gut-wrenching, incredible this book was. This book needs to be devoured by everyone, contemplated for a week, then read again. Not only is the book and incredible read, this book will resonate with every reader because it is so real, so incredible, and so wonderful. This book needs to be talked about more, it needs to be read by everyone, and it just deserves the world. I devoured this book, I cried while reading it, and I want to read it again just to make sure I absorb every last iota of it. Wow.

This was an amazing book. I really really enjoyed it! It was sad but also heart warming. It definitely showed that the author knew how to make weird stories into something much more than that, but also seem natural. Like Marsden's mother is a prostitute because no one will hire anyone in her family. It was hard reading about her life because it's so hard for someone to deal with, whether in real life, or fictional. I wanted the best for Marsden and her sister, and it was sad seeing Marsden struggle to make that happen. Overall I thought Elsie wrote an amazing book with really great characters and while I thought this book bordered on weird at times, it worked. Highly recommend this book!

While I enjoyed this book, I am very careful which of my students I recommend it to. The subject matter is definitely not for any student who is not mature beyond their years. This book is tough, gritty, and in your face.

This was atmospheric and gut wrenching but a bit on the slow side. The relationships between family members were the most compelling to me, compared to the romance. I wish there had been greater exploration of the f/f couple and the relationship between Mars and Peaches.

Disclaimer: This book was sent to me by the publisher, ABRAMS Kids, via NetGalley for an honest review.

Genre: YA/Teen, Fiction

Plot: The town of Glory is famous for two things: businesses that front for seedy, if not illegal, enterprises and the suicides that happen along the Indigo River. Marsden is desperate to escape the “bed-and-breakfast” where her mother works as a prostitute—and where her own fate has been decided—and she wants to give her little sister a better life. But escape means money, which leads Mars to skimming the bodies that show up along the Indigo River. It’s there that she runs into Jude, who has secrets of his own and whose brother’s suicide may be linked to Mars’s own sordid family history. As they grow closer, the two unearth secrets that could allow them to move forward . . . or chain them to the Indigo forever.

Opinion:

Hookers, suicide, and skimming…oh my!

Along the Indigo: A tale so doused in grittiness, it almost feels lighthearted.

A book set in present times with a town that feels stuck in the 1800’s. There is romance, there is death, and you can bet your bottom dollar there is a whole lot of detail just DRIPPING in “oh yikes”. It might just be the most depressing book that will make you weirdly happy and overjoyed.

Emotionally confused? Perfect, you’ll fit right in here.

Sixteen-year-old Marsden wants nothing more than to leave her cursed town, Glory, and to start a new life with her little sister Wynn. Living in a boarding house that provides extra services to “Johns”, Marsden works as a cook in the kitchens while her mother serves as one of the prostitutes. Now that Marsden is getting older, the boarding house owner (Nina) is taking an interest in Marsden and trying to recruit her to become one of her “girls”. But Marsden only wants to get out of Glory, and the only way she can do that is by skimming. Down from the boarding house lies the covert, a piece of land that is believed to be cursed after her great-great-grandfather murdered his family before pulling the gun on himself. Now the covert is a place the locals go to commit suicide, and Marsden and her family are looked upon by the residents of Glory as lepers. Marsden walks the covert every morning in search of bodies, and upon finding one, she will take whatever money she can find before reporting the body. But the newest body she comes across is the brother of one of her classmates, who shows up at Marsden’s door one day with an interesting request.

Weirded out by that description? Good! I assure you, this is a strange story and I don’t blame you for thinking wtf. Maybe I’m just a creepy little woman-child, but I live for these abnormal stories. So when I saw this on Netgalley I thought this book looks like a winner, and low and behold, I was right as usual. Although I am seeing mixed reviews on it because some readers can’t get past that little ol’ “prostitute” thing, and I wrote prostitute as “prostitute” because come on guys…she’s just a prostitute. I am here to calm your sensitive nerves to tell you this, there is a YA/Teen story okay? You won’t be getting any graphic prostitute moments, I promise. These are nice prostitutes. Some of the best, I’m sure.

...anyways…

This story really isn’t as bizarre as it sounds. To be completely honest, it’s one of the best stand-alone stories I have read in a LONG TIME. It’s different, it’s dark, but it’s lined with a sunshiny innocence that makes it feel…normal? Yes, normal. Elsie Chapman has a gift, and that gift is that she can make weird ass s**t seem completely casual. My first impression about a chapter or two into Along the Indigo, was that it felt as if it as written YEARS ago. Though it is set in present times, I couldn’t help but imagine Marsden in a ratty white dress living in a house full of women in corsets and bustle skirts. I loved that I got this impression though because it made the grittiness of the events so much more sinful. I kept picturing an old ghost town with a crooked sheriff and handsy old drunk men stumbling out of the local saloon. If that’s too inconceivable, think To Kill A Mockingbird…that actually makes more sense.

Marsden Eldridge is the main character, and MY OH MY has that girl had a rough life. Not only does everyone (including her own family) think that the covert and the Eldridge family is cursed, but they are also treated like they don’t exist. Nobody in town will hire them, which is why Marsden’s mother works as a prostitute for Nina. Eight years prior, Marsden’s father was found in the Indigo and it was reported that he drowned on his way home from gambling one night. Now Marsden’s only goal is to save enough money to get her and her sister Wynn out of Glory, in hopes that they can start fresh. Skimming bodies is how Mars makes most of her money, and it is a task she has been doing for years. It is a truly dark and heartbreaking thing to witness through the eyes of Mars, and you can’t help but still love her…even though she’s stealing money from dead bodies.

One of the newest bodies that Mars comes across is a young man named Rigby, who is the older brother of one of her classmates, Jude. After his death, Jude shows up at the boarding house in search of Marsden with a strange request. He suspects that Rigby had buried something in the covert as a child, and he wants permission from Marsden to go into the covert to find it. Here begins a complicated friendship and romance. I adore Jude and Mars. Jude is incredibly sweet and caring towards her, and their relationship is very unique and special.

I don’t want to give too much away, so I’m going to stop right there. I have seen a lot of mixed feeling, on this story, but I personally loved it and couldn’t put it down. It is SUCH an interesting story with so many layers and emotions packed into it. Though so much of what happens feels crazy and abnormal, the author does a wonderful job of making sure the reader can relate to Mars and her family. If you guys have liked some of the weirder books that I have reviewed, you MUST read Along the Indigo. This story leaves you in a twisted dreamlike state that can only be described as “comparable to seeing your ex get lit on fire. Kind of sad and scary, but mostly pretty f*****g enjoyable”.

Sort of slow and contemplative. The slower pace means there's more space to develop characters. Marsden is fully fleshed, Jude largely so, everyone else sloping down from there. And it's bold, making your protagonist such an outsider.
The plot is a bit on the weird side. Vaguely mystical without ever really becoming magical. A bit scattered.

I apologize for going awol! I finished this book back on the 1st but have been in a bit of a funk when it comes to writing. I will have another Review for you in the next couple days too since i have finished yet another book since this one. It’s time for me to get back on track! ☺

golden-sunlight-0121-1024x768.jpg

Along the Indigo was kind of different but not in bad way. I really liked the book and found it pretty interesting yet sad. It could be a study of the human condition and is well written
old-wood-fence.jpg
Marsden is our main character who has a pretty awkward living situation and a sad depressing family history. Though her family owns a bit of land they are pretty poor because the land is worthless to them monetarily. It seems that the land is cursed and holy all at once. People pilgrimage there to commit suicide but hold the belief that if you hold the soil there as you die your soul will not be condemned.
wp-1522639253400.jpg
Enter Jude who also has a dark past and a need for closure given his brother’s recent death. Closure he believes he will find on Marsden’s family land. But it ends up that more than just that bit of property is linking these two together.
screenshot_2018-03-29-08-24-06_kindlephoto-29902980.png
This story is quite dark. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone looking for an upbeat happy go lucky story because that’s not what this is. Though the story doesn’t end badly I wouldn’t say it is a happily ever after kind of ending either. It’s just the right kind of ending for this book.
asarum_canadense.jpg
I did however try to find the place where this book is set given the clues in the story and came up with nothing. There is no Indigo River that I could find in the US, let alone in the area it would have been in given the reference to Idaho. But oh well, the realness of this place is not important really, I was just curious.
mississippi-the_river_speaks.jpg
I enjoyed the differentness of this book. Sometimes we get stuck in a genre or in a bubble of one type of story or ending and you just need something to kick your mind out of the rut, and this book did that for me.
2db2ba3d337c5e001bb66ed46dbbe911.jpg
Now I do have to warn you, though there isn’t much violence directly in the book there is instances where it is references or implied. Also suicide plays a very prominent role in this book so if you are bothered at all by those subjects I encourage you to avoid this book for now, though I suppose that would depend on your level of discomfort with those subjects. I hate to recommend anyone avoid this book because in reality it was a pretty good story.
d5f5b1e6ffbdc9f5213b71ab8cc4ac3e
Otherwise, my little booklings, dare to try something different, you may be pleasantly surprised!

I will give Along the Indigo 3.5 out of 5 stars mostly for it’s differentness. 😉
wp-1522639123251.jpg
I received a copy of Along the Indigo from NetGalley for a fair and honest review. Thank you!

I really liked this book and the characters although i did find that the ending tied everything together too neatly especially because the book had this sad tone to it.

This book was slow and a bit confusing. Just wasn’t for me.

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I hate leaving bad reviews, and this review is not necessarily bad, it’s just not good either. I loved Elsie Chapman’s previous novels, Dualed and Divided, so I was a little upset that I did not enjoy Along the Indigo. I tried, I really did, but it was just not working. And the thing is, I feel like it was not because the story was bad or there was no character development (because there was). I feel like it’s due to me not being the right audience for the novel. That may sound like I’m trying to avoid writing a bad review, which I’m not, but that’s the truth. Along the Indigo is a contemporary and if anyone knows me, they know I rarely like contemporary. I want action, romance, adventure, magic, etc. My go-to genre is fantasy, so I was honestly not surprised that I could not finish Along the Indigo. I should have known better than to read a contemporary, but I wanted to give this story a shot.

The overall plot was interesting. Dead bodies showing up along the Indigo river and the main character skimming those bodies for cash. Then a dead boy’s brother comes to the covert looking for answers about his brother’s death, which starts to unravel the mystery behind his death and the death behind Marsden’s father. It was overall interesting…except I was not really hooked. There were times where I had to force myself to get through a chapter because I did not feel any type of connection with the characters or the plot or the scenery. But then again, I may not have been the right audience.

From what I read in Along the Indigo, there was some character development. Marsden was learning to open up more and to not be afraid to make friends in a place you plan on leaving. Jude was learning to let go and to not hold on to the past. Unfortunately, my issue was that I had a hard time finding any connection with the characters. And when I can’t find a connection, it’s difficult for me to remember those characters.

Overall, this was not the book for me, but it definitely has potential. For those who want to read Along the Indigo, please be aware that there are mature themes (such as suicide and prostitution). Contemporary readers will likely enjoy this story, so if you love contemporary, check out Along the Indigo by Elsie Chapman, which hits bookstores tomorrow!

2.5 out of 5 stars.

Thanks so much to the publisher, the author, and NetGalley for providing me a copy of this beautiful book! I don't think any synopsis could have prepared me for what I found inside. Before going any further I want to state this review and this book might be a trigger for issues like suicide and abuse, so proceed with caution. 

This book hit me like a sucker punch, I really wasn't expecting to be so entranced. There were a lot of deep issues that came into play in this book; racism, discrimination, prostitution, child abuse, gambling, suicide, theft, and murder. Needless to say, there is a lot going on in this book.

I related to Marsden on so many levels; being an older sister and feeling responsible for the safety and happiness of your younger sibling is not an easy thing, especially when it seems you're the only one who really cares. Her mother isn't really a mother, her father is dead, her grandmother is dead, and the only person who really cares for her is her little sister. It can be hard to toe the line between a sister and a mother, and I related to Marsden's struggle with this.

Marsden's main focus is getting her and her little sister away from Glory and in order to do that she stalks the covert at night for dead bodies to steal from. Then she find the body of Rigby Ambrose and steals more than just money from his pockets, she also finds a note. It's addressed to his little brother, Jude, who shows up later and asks for Marsden's help with finding a time capsule Rigby hid in the covert when he was younger. Jude has no idea that Mars is a skimmer or that she has that note, but those aren't the only secrets they're hiding from one another. At the same time, Marsden is starting to feel convinced that her dad's death wasn't really a suicide, and begins silently investigating it. With all this going on, Jude and Marsden get closer and closer and realize they have a lot more in common than death. 

I was so interested in the dynamics of this book. The way Marsden and her mother were strained and the relationship seemed to be flipped. How Marsden tried so hard to hear the dead and get some answers for once in her life. How Marsden tried to hide herself so no one would ask too many questions. How she tried so hard to keep her little sister a carefree child for just a little longer. How she fell in love with Jude so naturally.

The romance that blossomed between the two was so sweet and heartfelt, it was more than just an attraction, it was something deeper. They were the two 'different' kids in school, the outsiders. Jude is half black while Marsden has Chinese heritage on her mother's side, they don't look like the other kids in town and Marsden feels that deeply and wonders if Jude feels it the same way. "So that she couldn't help but glance over and imagine what it was like for him, growing up in Glory half-black, while nearly everyone else was white, white, white. She wondered if he ever got paranoid over a lengthy stare, at a laugh that came from behind as soon as he moved past, whenever someone else got chosen for something with no real explanation. If he was sometimes confused about why the white half of him didn't make him belong." This was the most interesting dynamic of them all. It was refreshing to see how being different in a town like this makes your view of everything different, how this colors your every interaction. 

Let me say that the writing style for this book was beautiful. Like this was honestly just a beautifully written book, from the vivid way she describes the covert to how she can accurately portray feelings of loss, guilt, and shame. While the characters and plot of this book are wonderful, it's really the lush writing style that draws you in and makes you hungry for more. 

There were several smaller plot lines happening at the same time that all intersected at the end of the book, and boy was the ending good. There was a huge twist that I never saw coming, and a nice little happy ending that didn't leave anything more to be desired. Not that I wouldn't like more of these characters, but the ending was such that there weren't anymore questions that needed to be answered. I felt heartbroken, happy, satisfied, and relieved all at the same time. This book brought out so many emotions in me it's hard to pin down what one I felt the most, but let me say this; I loved this book. It deals with some really sensitive but important subject matter, and I think it was a perfect example of how deeply moving young adult literature can be.

Marsden wants nothing more than to escape the small town of Glory, with all its ghosts, and dead-end future. Until she meets the brother of a suicide victim, and starts to ask the right questions.

I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was initially drawn this because the main character is a girl called Marsden, something I've never come across before; and because it sounded intriguing.

I think I was expecting a mystery, with teenage kids solving murders, etc.
And... it did kinda involve that, but mainly it was a deeply moving coming-of-age story for Marsden, who works as a cook and cleaner in the brothel where her mother "works".
It's about her devotion to her innocent little sister, Wynn, and how far she will go to protect her.
It's about being shackled to the cursed land her family inherited, where it is rumoured that people can cleanse their souls by touching the dirt on the land, before committing suicide.

Mostly, it was weird. But the weird kinda worked.

It's set in the 80's, and it follows Marsden, and it follows Marsden as she turns sixteen, and the pressure is suddenly on. She needs to make enough money to get herself and her sister as far away as possible, before Nina (the brothel owner) forces her into prostitution.
Nina is a cold, conniving woman, and thinks nothing of selling the body of the girl she has practically been a surrogate mother to, and watched grow up.
When Marsden's father died, he left them with a lot of debt, which Nina has stepped in to shoulder. In return, Marsden and her mother work for her. Nina goes on to reduce Marsden's wages in the name of paying the debt off, trying to coax her into the more financially-rewarding job of being one of her "girls".
Fortunately, Marsden has a side job. The covert (the cursed family land) is a major lure for those that feel there is no other way, and people travel from all over the country to commit suicide on the land. Marsden has got into the habit of checking the covert every morning, so she can report the bodies to the local police. At the same time, she skims them for any money they might be carrying, taking it for her escape fund.

So yeah, not your conventional coming-of-age story.
It does focus a lot on prostitution and suicide, but they are written in a way that makes them feel normal and humdrum - for Marsden, at least. At no point does it trivialise these themes, I found the book very respectful throughout.

The story starts off slowly, and even after she meets Jude in the covert (he's looking for answers about why his brother committed suicide), and they become friends, it still keeps ticking along at the same pace.
It was only about two-thirds of the way in, I realised how connected I was to these characters, and how I wanted to find out the mysteries that have been discreetly building.

Marsden and her young sister are stuck living at the inn/brothel where their mother works. It's next to the infamous property owned by Mardsen's family, cursed by the evil actions of her ancestor and now a place where people come to commit suicide. And where Marsden skims the dead bodies for money. It's a shameful act, but one she does in hopes for a better life for her sister, because they need money if they ever want to get out of the town of Glory. Jude finds his way to Marsden's land to try and find answers over his brother's suicide. But Glory and the Indigo River don't give up their secrets so easily, and Marsden and Jude are so tangled up in their own that they may never get out their web of lies.

I didn't realize at first that Elsie Chapman's ALONG THE INDIGO is actually takes place in the 1980s. Glory has a timeless feel, but things made a little more sense (like the lack of cell phones) once I realized the time period. There was a great sense of atmosphere and quiet suspense throughout the whole novel that kept me turning the pages. I liked how it was gritty with the details but kept away from horror. I'm a sucker for books about sisters, and Marsden's little sister was a stand-out for me. A fast read with memorable characters.

I feel like this book took a while to get started. It seemed like the main character kept repeating how terrible their town was, that suicides happened frequently, and that she wanted to keep her sister innocent. It got old really fast and I just wanted something to happen else to take place in the book so that it would stop. This book was more of a slow burn so the things that I just mentioned do continue throughout the book. I did think that the premise of this book was really interesting. I don't think that there are any other books out now that have a main character that lives in a brothel. I thought that that element of story was fascinating. I actually wanted to know more about the women that worked there because I found that they were mysteries I wanted to solve. I wanted to know more about what brought each of them to the town and why they chose/needed to work there.


I found it hard to connect with the characters in this book. I found them to be bland which was surprising because each of their backstories were very interesting. I could appreciate their struggles that they were each dealing with and the sacrifices they each made but it wasn't enough to offset the lack of connection. Their emotions didn't leap out at me from the pages of this book and it may have been due to the writing. I think that the author focused more on the mystery of the suicides rather than the affects of them on the characters. It is easy to tell that Jude and Marsden are upset about the deaths but the book seems to glance over that.

Marsden works as a cook at the b&b while her mother works as a prostitute. Both try and protect Wynn, Mars' younger sister, from the harsher realities of life. The family property, a covert the size of two baseball fields, is a local spot, where people come to commit suicide. Jude, whose older brother committed suicide in the covert, is searching for a time capsule that he believes his brother has hidden.

Although the book had a good start, it quickly became tedious. It seemed that in each chapter the author went over and over the covert's history and description. The author also seemed to dwell on the same events over and over. Unfortunately, this one was a bust.

I have decided that I am going to DNF this novel. The writing honestly was not the problem, it was the lack of exciting content. I was 50% into the book and LITERALLY nothing happened. I just didn't want to pick it up, and I have other books that are higher on my TBR. Again, the writing was actually really good. The characters were very well described and developed. I loved the little sister Wynn because she was so innocent and pure. She was just the sassy little sister that was easily influenced by the ones around her.
Marsden was kind of annoying. She kept secrets from everyone. I couldn't tell if she had a crush on Jude or every other boy that was in Glory, the town they all lived in. She would describe every boy as beautiful and well put together.
I couldn't really connect with Jude, but I did feel bad for him because of his brother RIgby. Then Marsden sat there and lied to him the whole time. I just wanted to give him a big hug.
Overall I would give this book 1.5 stars out of 5. It just didn't do it for me.

Thank you Netgalley, Elsie Chapman and the publisher for my ARC of Along the Indigo. 
Marsden lives in a small town called Glory, in America. Her whole life has seen her ostracised from the rest of the town, thanks to her Asian heritage, her father's accidental death which everyone thinks was suicide, her family's ownership of a piece of land called the Covert where people go to die, and the fact her mother is a prostitute at Nina's Boarding House. Marsden is desperate to escape, taking her little sister Wynn with her and making a better life for them both.

Then she meets Jude, also standing on the fringes of society in Glory due to the fact he's mixed race, that his father is a drunk and his older brother killed himself in the covert. Together they unleash secrets which could either tear them apart or bring them closer together. Which will it be?

The story isn't set in any particular year, there's Eddie Murphy films on at the cinema and nobody mentions a cell phone, racism is clearly rife so I'm wanting to say it is set somewhere between the late 70s to mid 90s but I feel that not knowing kind of added to the mystery because there are no preconceptions about how anyone should behave.

The story is really engaging, at first it seems to purely be about Marsden's journey and her attempts to escape the life her selfish mother has laid out for her, but then it becomes about something else; secrets, lies, Kismet and the the threads that connect people to one another.
A wonderful, thought provoking YA novel.

Unfortunately, I just couldn’t get into this one... I kept reading and wondering when the interesting part was going to happen, and it just didn’t come quickly enough.