Along the Indigo

by Elsie Chapman

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.

Genres: Young Adult, Mystery, Contemporary, Fiction, Romance, Young Adult Contemporary, Mystery Thriller

392 pages, Hardcover

First published March 20, 2018

About the author

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Elsie Chapman grew up in Prince George, Canada, and has a degree in English literature from the University of British Columbia. She is the author of the YA novels Dualed, Divided, Along the Indigo, and Caster as well as the MG novel All the Ways Home, and co-editor of A Thousand Beginnings and Endings and Hungry Hearts. She currently lives in Tokyo, Japan, with her family.

Reviews

[JenacideByBibliophile · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

Genre: YA/Teen, Fiction

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”.



To see more reviews, head over to my blog: Jenacidebybibliophile.wordpress.com

[Shannon Miz · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight

This is another book with some elements that were definitely hits, and some that weren't. This one also deals with a young woman who is searching to uncover some answers about her town's past (and her family's past!) all while trying to protect her little sister and not become a "working girl".

Some Things I Liked:

Marsden and her sister Wynn have such a lovely bond. Seriously, I am a sucker for a close sibling relationship, and I adored these two. But Marsden was honest about the toll that caring for Wynn sometimes took, and I liked that just as much. Plus, Wynn is adorable, and an uplifting character in an otherwise dark book.

The ship is really great. It's no surprise that Marsden starts to get feelings for Jude, but I liked Jude a lot. Maybe more than Marsden actually. He just seemed like such a good dude, and he was missing his brother so much, and dealing with his own personal hell. I was just rooting for these two because frankly, they earned some happiness.

The mystery element worked well. While I wasn't surprised at all the twists, there were definitely some things I didn't see coming, and it was fun to play detective with Marsden!

Some Things That are Neutral That Are Worth Mentioning:

So, I didn't like or dislike this, it is just part of the story that I felt the need to address.  The adults, especially Marsden's mom, are kind of messes. Marsden's mom is a prostitute, which fine, it's her life. But when she tries to lure Mars into the business... yuck. It's vile, honestly, because whose parents are trying to recruit them to whoredom? Plus, this girl is only sixteen and the brothel owner lady wanted her to start "working" too, which... wrong on so many levels.

Okay, this bugged me even though maybe it shouldn't, but... the book is called Along the Indigo, but it talks basically non-stop about this "covert" that Marsden's family owns and apparently makes people kill themselves. And the Indigo really only has one thing to do with the story so... maybe it should have been called something about "The Covert"? Again, this is just me. And it didn't really have any bearing on my enjoyment of the book, but I must have questioned it 20 times while reading, so there you have it.

Some Things I Didn't Love:

I didn't realize this was set in the past until about halfway through. And that isn't good- if a book is going to be set in the 1980s, I should feel and know it's in the 80s, right? I was suspicious about why Mars didn't have a cell phone and such, but she was quite poor and I figured she just didn't have access. Later, there is the mention of a year and I finally knew. Later there is talk of looking up articles in the library microfiche, but had that stuff not been included, I might never have known.

It started out rather slowly. To the point where I was pretty bored, and contemplated DNFing for a minute or two, before I remembered how terrible I am at DNFing.


Bottom Line: Not without flaws, but definitely enjoyable- especially the second half!

**Copy provided for review

[K.S. Marsden · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 to 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 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.

[Nikole Clow · Rating 2 out of 5]

Technically 2.5 stars.

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).

[Farhina ↯↯ The Wanderer Of Inked Adventures · Rating 3 out of 5]

"I think we forget for a reason. If you remembered every single bad thing that ever happened to you, you'd never stop being sad"

This book has some dark and mature themes. Brothels, prostitute and suicide being the most dominant ones. It also talks about racism. So you will have to be a little beware going into this one.

The story is about Marsden, who is sixteen and lives in a town called Glory. The town is a whole lot of shady. With several illegal business and also questionable police officers and town witches. It has a brothel which fronts as a b&b and a covert which is deemed sacred ground where people come to commit suicide. Marsden family is the owner of the covert and it's right beside the front b&b where her mother works as a prostitute.

Marsden, for growing up in the environment she grew up in is very mature, determined and fiercely protective of her little sister Wynn. She looks in the covert for bodies daily so she could find them before her sister does, and reports them to the police. She also skims some money from them so she could have enough funds so she could escape the life they are living, with her sister.


This whole story has a whole lot of bleak and bleary darkness surrounding it with constant suicides happening and all the on going of a brothel. It also has a little dash of magical realism in the form of talking to the dead shindig.

I liked the character of Marsden. She was so headstrong and fierce. And her love and protectiveness for Wynn knew no bound. She has this whole bubble to protect herself, her own little world where she hid from all the stares and pointing of the world. I wasn't bothered by her skimming because she did in the end do it for self protection and a bigger goal.

Jude, was interesting. He was kind and nice. His friendship with his friends and boss was refreshing to see. And how they all kept him on the ground all the while when so many demons were chasing him.


The relationship in this book was the most fun for me. I loved how they were kinda opposite of each other but also the same. How they came together and were fighting kinda the same demons. Their dynamic, thoughts and conversations together were the best part for me to read. They were the things that kept me invested in the story.


The writing of this book had a little problems for me. Although I like all the themes and topics it discusses.... the pacing and dialogues were problem for me.
There would go two or three page and their would be no dialogues just a lot of inner thoughts and descriptions... They were kinda exasperating and made u loose interest in the story and started dragging it around.


You cannot tell the time period this story is set in. The lack of technology and all the lack of mention of gizmos makes me thing some where in the mid 90's? I don't know for sure.

This book tackles topics like forgiveness, racism, moving on, and also just basic human behavior and mental questions and why people do something's. It also deals with guilt. And fate and why things just happen.

Over all, Did I enjoy the book? YES!! Did it makes me uncomfortable sometimes? YES. Was it super weird? YES.



I would say it's a contemporary, set somewhere in the 90's with dark questioning themes but also has lot of light hearted fullness. It has this whole persona of dark seedy shady 90's town. And you kinda do end up enjoying it.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy!

[K.A. Wiggins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: Reviewing pre-publication proof via NetGalley

I loved this. Vivid, strong character writing and a fully fleshed-out sense of place from the first page made this an engaging story, and the dark fantasy/paranormal elements, while light, tinted the story with a deliciously creepy atmosphere.

Marsden is saving up to skip town with her 8-year-old little sister before one or both of them get roped into joining Nina's girls like their mom. Their dad died (or killed himself) when she was her sister's age, and their mom started working the not-so-secret nightshift in the boarding house they live in/brothel.

Being pressured toward sex work isn't the only source of Marsden's misery. She's half Chinese in a white, rural American town. Her mother's job - and her likely future - are an open secret, and the predatory, bullying behaviour of her peers and neighbours has her self-isolating to survive. And she can't hear the voices of the dead - despite regularly visiting the covert behind the boardinghouse to strip the bodies of the dead for cash. It's the last remaining piece of family property, a sort of suicide forest, tainted by the murder spree of a mad ancestor.

So there's a lot going on here. The visible minority/POC/mixed ancestry thing is handled well and comes up in Mars & her sister's experience, as well as another boy in town's story. The absent/abusive parent thing is troubling but very well handled, as is the dysfunctional community. And the suicides. There's heaps upon heaps of messed up in this book, but the author doesn't bury you in it. It's an engaging read, atmospheric and challenging without feeling hopeless. It reminds me of Brenna Yovanoff's books, and Kendare Blake's Anna Dressed In Blood just a touch. I think it's set in eastern Oregon or Washington maybe, or one of the prairie/desert states further east of there, but it has more in common with Southern Gothic paranormals. Creepy, foreign and familiar at the same time, unsettling and entrancing. Will circle back to this author's earlier works and follow her future books with great interest. Highly recommended read.

[Shenwei · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

atmospheric and gut wrenching but also a bit slow

I have issues with the unnuanced way sex workers were portrayed tbh.

[Pavitra (For The Love of Fictional Worlds) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: An ARC was provided via Abrams YA Books and the Author as part of the Blog Tour. The Thoughts, opinions & feelings expressed in the review are however my own.

“We forget for a reason. If you remembered every single bad thing that ever happened to you, you’d never stop being sad.”

The blurb of this book gave a kick to the gut when I first heard about the book – and as I have come to experience; my gut is never wrong. And reading this book was nothing short of a bigger kick to the gut; which if taken rightly is one of the best things ever to happen in reading!

Marsden Eldridge aka Mars is a girl whose family’s past is a great big shadow on her and sister’s present. All she wants to do is save money and take her younger sister far away from the Covrt, the swamp that has taken the lives of so many!

Jude Ambrose is a boy who loves his elder brother, and is trying to understand why the brother, who has always protected him, would leave him by taking his own life. This trying to understand; makes him cross paths with Mars, a girl everyone in town talks about, but nobody actually knows about.

AND THAT’S ALL THAT YOU WOULD GET ABOUT THE PLOT FROM ME ANYWAYS.  

The writing style of the author is slow; yet ironically moves at a steady pace – every single chapter gives new tidbit for the reader to find – like a layers being peeled away from the onion to find its invigorating!

The whole story is told in Mars POV; which is honestly great; but you know me; I love me some dual POVs – and I think it would have been made perfect if I had gotten Jude’s POV as well (especially that one single part which had me literally wanting to punch Jude!).

The ending though is left a bit open ended; I would LOVE to read an epilogue of where the characters are few years down the line; especially considering that they are in their teens in this book!

It was the gothic and haunted feel of the environment is beautifully captured by the author and it is the exact reason I will be keeping an eye on what she will be producing next! 



For more reviews visit For The Love of Fictional Worlds :)
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[Angel Lederhause · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book it has a young adult mystery feel to it. theres quite a bit going on but it all comes together very well.

[BookWormYami · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story was good enough to make me want to keep on reading to see what will happen but at the same time, nothing was happening. Also, I really did not like Marsden's mother or Nina.

[Brittany Landrum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent plot twist! I wanted more!

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sadly, one-note characters and a predictable plot meant this book wasn't as wonderful as it could have been. There was promise in the setting - a town in a bend in the river, with a haunted plot where people commit suicide - but somehow it just never blooms the way it could. Marsden's life held no surprises, nor did her friendship with Jude or their discovering what Jude's brother buried in the "covert" (shades of Billie Joe McAllister?). Sigh. More atmosphere and fewer surprises would have worked far better.

ARC provided by publisher.

[Katie Carroll · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 3 out of 5]

Along the Indigo by Elsie Chapman, 383 pages. Amulet Books, 2018. $18

Language: PG-13(27 swears, 0 “f”); Content: PG (sexual innuendo); Violence: PG-13 (Suicides, murder, and talk of how each murder/suicide was done)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Marsden's family inherited the covert (a piece of land by the Indigo River that is cursed) a place where many towns people go to commit suicide. Marsden scans the covert daily for bodies so she can steal the money off of the bodies and then report the suicide to the police. Marsden, her mom, and her little sister, Wynn, live in the small town of Glory, in the towns boardinghouse where her mom is a housekeeper by day and a prostitute by night. Marsden is coming of age and Nina wants Marsden to work for her;, but Marsden wants to take Wynn and leave the boardinghouse. Jude's brother committed suicide in the covert and Marsden befriends him. They begin to fall in love but can Marsden keep all her secrets from Jude?

This is a story about healing and how each character overcomes death and trials in their life. I did enjoy the romance between Marsden and Jude. It is sweet and simple but also helps each other heal with drastic life altering events. Glory is such a small town it was hard for me wrap my head around all suicides, the brothel being ran, and all the evil doings the cops seemed to turn a blind eye to. However, the innocence of Jude and of Wynn make you still believe in humanity in the world.

Reviewer: T.S. Library Teacher
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2019...

[Teenreadsdotcom · Rating 5 out of 5]

ALONG THE INDIGO by Elsie Chapman looks into the life of Marsden, the daughter of a prostitute living in a bleak town famous for suicides and criminal activity. Faced with the nonexistent prospects for a bright future in the ironically named town of Glory, the novel opens with Marsden in the process of saving up funds for her and her younger sister, Wynn, to move away. Marsden’s carefully measured life begins to fall apart when her mom’s boss, Nina, begins pressuring Marsden to become a prostitute to compensate for her mother’s declining looks. Faced with an accelerated timeline on her plans to move away, Marsden’s already spinning world is further complicated when she runs into brooding classmate Jude and their relationship opens up a series of questions as well as a romance for the usually careful and driven teenage girl.

Jude pulls Marsden into his search for the truth of what happened to his older brother who died by suicide, an event Marsden has insider information on. Through her assistance on Jude’s quest, Marsden begins to question the notions she possesses about her town --- all the way down to questioning what really happened to her father who presumably killed himself when she was a young girl. Marsden and Jude’s quest takes them on a journey that exposes Glory’s hidden secrets and threatens to expose powerful members of the community, putting them both in danger. At once a romance and a mystery, ALONG THE INDIGO explores a town’s hidden secrets along with the lengths people will go to keep the truth concealed.

ALONG THE INDIGO was really good. It was well balanced between dark and taboo subjects along with normal teenage issues. It had romance, humor and sadness, and was compelling through the entire book. But where Chapman really excelled was in her characters.

Marsden is an incredible character. Her ability to behave maturely and take care of her younger sister is a unique depiction of a teenage girl who has to deal with a difficult situation. Her relationship with Wynn was adorable. Wynn’s bubbly and carefree personality serves as a contrast against the strict and responsible persona that Marsden brings, and as a duo they are heartwarming. Chapman’s writing conveys their deep love and trust for each other, and even when Marsden’s love interest Jude comes into her life, she does not sacrifice any of her relationship with Wynn to accommodate him. I hope that other authors look towards the sisterhood that Chapman was able to create while writing their novels in order to portray sisterhood in a realistic and important way, not allowing it to take a backseat to romance.

Another area where Chapman excelled was her female supporting cast of prostitutes. I loved that she did not dismiss the prostitutes as washed-up town whores, but instead she gave them all backstories and friendships and romances that made them incredibly empathetic. Literary women in their situations aren’t often represented well, so Chapman’s choice to spend time developing them was unique and appreciated.

A slight critique is that while the main characters are highly dimensional and layered, many of the minor characters fall flat, particularly the adults. Nina, the brothel director, is unnecessarily cruel with no explanation as to why she acts like she does. Shine, Marsden’s mother, is awful and completely detached from her children, again with no explanation or suggestion of a reason. The same goes for Jude’s father. While these one dimensional characters did not necessarily take away from the novel, it would have been refreshing to see an adult villain more thoroughly explained to make a more dynamic character.

The composition and thematic elements that Chapman chooses make the book a beautiful piece of literature. The prose in this book is gorgeous. I found myself rereading sentences just to enjoy the word choice and structure. The writing style is carefully flowery, but still communicates the story efficiently and does not get caught up being too wordy. Chapman strikes a balance of plot without sacrificing her beautiful style of writing, something extremely rare in books.

Though it doesn’t contain much explicit adult material, the general themes of the novel were more mature than is suitable for younger readers. Perfect for fans of OUT OF THE EASY by Ruta Sepetys, this book is for those who can deal with the adult undertones of the novel. Readers will find a gem in the lyrical prose that Chapman develops into a dimensional and enthralling novel. Equal parts a heart-warming tale of familial protection, love story and mystery, ALONG THE INDIGO begs readers to search for the beauty that can be found in even the drabbest of places.

Reviewed by Anna Kate L., Teen Board Member

[Shanti · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was not what I expectd. I guess I vaguely skimmed the synopsis when it came out, then placed a hold on it and got it some weeks later, then didn't read it, then waited weeks more for my hold to come through and finaaaaaallly read it a few weeks ago. Anyway, it turns out that it is not a high fantasy about an innkeepers daughter (which is good because I'm going to write that book) but instead an urban not-quite-fantasy about a girl living in a small town that shw wants to leave.
And maybe you’re thinking that you’ve heard that story before, and you probably have. Along the Indigo still felt fresh and new to me, though. Firstly, there are the paranormal vibes. Marsden’s family can supposedly hear the dead, and one thread of the story is her wondering if that’s really true. There’s also the covert: an old legend says that if you commit suicide there, if you have the soil in your hands, you will not go to hell. So there are bodies all over the place in the covert, and to aid her escape, Marsden is a ‘skimmer’—she combs through the bodies for money. Elsie Chapman uses these pieces of this to question all kinds of moral questions in a really elegant way. Is it right to profit from the dead? Should we try to hear their stories? I liked how the superstitions also played with the continuing awareness of salvations and morality in the US—I read an article about how, even though fewer Americans would say they go to church, Christian values still permeate their culture.
Marsden’s mother is a prostitute, and Marsden is being pressured to do that work herself. This gave the story and edgy, uncomfortable undertone about bodies. Living bodies can be manipulated for money just as Marsden makes profit from dead ones, and to exploit your own body is something profoundly uncomfortable and strange, but also something that can be chosen. I don’t quite know my own thoughts on this topic, but Chapman dealt splendidly with the exquisite irony of Marsden’s aversion to selling her own body, even as she took from other’s out of necessity.
Marsden is trying to make a story of her life, and she cannot see that she is the story. Even if “not tale had ever covered being rescued from the shore of a river that was the colour of mud. Or a covert stained with old blood. Or a town that was pitted with greed.” Her story aches with all kinds of longing, and yet she still builds meaningful relationships and is able to examine shards of her own greasy history. I loved the generational vibe of the story.
I read this several weeks ago, and it’s now hard for me to remember if Along The Indigo had a plot. It had a gradual coalescing of characters in situations that made them care in painful ways. It had a bit of kissing. It had sweaty nights and promises from sisters and long tragedy. It had people who counted money, and delicious meals and relationships that grew like wild ginger—not wanted, but decidedly there, permanent and staining and spicy. It was gorgeously written. “There were no words by she heard them still. They washed over like water, like the wind, and she read them the way she might read the weather, a fever, a face.” The writing is endlessly evocative. And it cocoons you in the story, so you are the story, even as the plot unwinds.
One thing I particularly appreciated about Along the Indigo was the visceral setting. I have not been to rural California (or, like, the US). It is winter here. But read this “Dawn was still edging over into day—the sky for navy to lavender to the shade of robins’ eggs, the air from cool to an inferno” and tell me that it does not feel like you are there. Read this “The sky, sooty with clouds, shot through with white lightning like the beings on the back of a grizzled hand” and tell me that you soul doesn’t fill with the icy anticipation of a storm. Storms and dawns are things I have seen described a thousand times, and yet Chapman still makes them feel fresh. Ou experience the clammy air of the covert with Marsden. You feel the soil beneath your feet, the wind in your hair as she fervently cycles to an emergency, you wonder about psychics and parents deaths as she does. That’s what makes this novel so lovely and tragic and curious—it is an utterly embodied experience.
This novel is an absolute experience, and felt quite unique. I really appreciated the eloqnence and brightness that renders this story, and I’m very glad I read it.

[J O H N N Y · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

'Along The Indigo' by Elsie Chapman is a thought provoking beauty.

Synopsis: Marsden lives in a town called Glory. She lives with her younger sister in a whore house that fronts as a B&B. With their mother being one of the girls, Marsden has learnt to keep them away from the darkness of the future. To add to that bleak reality, the covert on their land is a place people go to die. To keep her sisters innocence, Marsden patrols the area everyday for bodies and any cash they carry. The money goes into their escape fund. But when a boy comes over with the intent to search the covert, Marsden's life slowly turns on its head and her secrets threaten to spill.

Marsden was young, but extremely mature for her age. Not once did I actually think of her as a sixteen year old. I think her having to bring up/look after her younger sister was partly due to this as well as the covert itself. I liked her strength and her loyalty to family. I didn't care that she was a skimmer. In my opinion, if someone wants to die on your property, they forfeit what they have on them. And if the money they leave behind goes towards the freedom of two people, why not take it? I felt strongly for Marsden. Her luck in life is poor but she doesn't let it stop her from her goal. I was glad she got a happy ending.

Jude was sweet. His friends, his boss, and Rigby were the reason he didn't have a completely sour outlook on life. I understood his anger and his guilt. I found their relationship completely real. At no point did I view it as forced or unbelievable. Wynn was a picture of pure innocence. Her one liners were hilarious sometimes but also deeply upsetting. Old enough to notice things but young enough not to understand. It was that awkward balance that gave me many feels. I found Shine a pathetic excuse for a mother. I could (sometimes) understand the reasons behind her choices but ultimately she made bad decisions and it didn't look like she was ready to make up for them at all.

The book contains some mature themes. Prostitution and suicide being the main components. Both are spoken of in a way that implies regularity. Marsden has lived with both for the majority of her life but she understands that her level of indifference is perhaps not normal and she tries her best to protect Wynn from them. The prostitution aspect isn't delved into very much, only mentioned in passing. As the book is from Marsden's POV, she doesn't actually see any sex and so I believe this is why there is no graphic content of this sort. The suicide aspect is a different matter. Marsden has never seen anyone take their own life but because she usually finds the bodies, she sees the 'after'. As readers, so do we and this can be shocking. It's not described in great detail but I think this makes it more chilling. Your imagination will always be worse.

Marsden's story was written beautifully. It asked many questions about fate, what lies beyond death, forgiveness and what lengths you would go to for freedom. It tackles not only the themes mentioned above but also racism. At times I felt uncomfortable whilst reading but with many themes present and the amount of content, it was difficult to pinpoint exactly what was making me feel that way. It would be easier to say that the majority of the book was an unsettling read.

I can't say I enjoyed the book; was I captivated? YES. Would I read it again? YES. Did I love it? YES. There were parts to the story that I enjoyed, I laughed and smiled at. The characters get a somewhat happy ending but I feel the book has a dark cloud over it. The cover for it is entirely fitting and adds to the atmosphere and aesthetic to the story. Read it yourself, come back here, and lets discuss.

"We speak now only in echoes, in traces of what once was - ash and dust and salt, from blood and bone and tears. And you hear us now because you've let us go."

[American Mensa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Along the Indigo by Elsie Chapman is a haunting standalone story of about 400 pages/47 chapters. The book is for a more mature audience, with prostitution being a large part of the story. The book’s main character is Marsden Eldridge, a sixteen year old girl with too much to hide and too much to lose.

In the town of Glory, seedy businesses thrive—gambling houses, pharmacies that sell illegal drugs, and the Boardinghouse, the town’s inn that doubled as a brothel. Marsden has lived at the Boardinghouse ever since her dad died in an accident—though the gossipy town believes it to be a suicide—and her mother no longer had the little money he earned from gambling away even larger amounts. Nina, the Boardinghouse’s shrewd owner, offered to let Shine, Marsden’s mother, work at her inn—as a prostitute—in order to pay off her debt. And so, eight years later, Marsden stays at the Boardinghouse, desperately trying to shield her little sister Wynn from what their mother and Nina’s other girls really did for a living. But not only did Marsden have to keep their mother’s ugly job from her sister, she also had to keep her away from the covert outside of the Boardinghouse. Bodies showed up in the covert every day, and, though the methods differed, it was always suicide. But while gruesome, the bodies had a use. Marsden checked everyday for a body, and skimmed them, stealing any cash she could find. The theft was the only way she could try to earn enough money to get herself and Wynn out of Glory—before Wynn could be forced to undertake the same job as her mother, the same one that Marsden was trying desperately and failing to escape.

Things begin to change after Marsden finds the body of Rigby Ambrose out in the covert. She skims him and takes his money, but finds a suicide note that made very little sense. A little while after, Rigby’s brother Jude shows up in the covert—alive. He begs Marsden to allow him to search the covert for a time capsule that Jude had buried as a child. Against her better judgement, Marsden agreed and even began to fall for Jude. But as Marsden’s secrets about skimming, what her mother did for a living, and Rigby’s suicide note all begin to come out, secrets about really happened to her father do too. Marsden risks losing not only her freedom, but her sister and the boy she has come to love.
Stephanie M, 14, Cleveland Area Mensa

[Leonie Hinch · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Price Girls · Rating 5 out of 5]

Along the Indigo is not a thrilling read, nor is it heart pounding, rather its a novel that slowly builds like the heat of a lazy summer day until you are wrapped in it, and once it is finished you are left with the impression of satisfaction and the warmth that comes of knowing you just read a really great book. Like the ginger that the people of Glory just came to associate with the covert, Mars harsh reality filled with prostitution and suicide became something she associated with normalcy, and by creating this type of reality the sensitive subject matter of suicide and prostitution was not romanticized. Instead, it was presented to the reader as just another cold, harsh reality of life in a place where there is not much of one to be found. Emphasizing the limited options there are of ever leaving a place like Glory and the desperation that would lead any one to do loathsome acts. Making anybody wonder, how far would one go to get out of a place like Glory? Or the real question, how much of our sins can be forgiven?

The budding romance between Mars and Jude served as the real attention getter of this book for me as most of this book was built around the drama of Jude uncovering Mars secret. Also, for anyone who is of color, such as myself, it was nice to see a romance between a biracial couple. The only other book that I have read having done so was The Astonishing Color of After by X.R. Pan. But, unlike X.R. Pan's protagonist, Mars was not so uncomfortable of being biracial than she was by being easily recognized as the descendant of a mad man. To make this book even more relatable to me and more unlike others, Mars did not wish to embrace one side of her more than the other which most biracial characters are shown to struggle with, but instead her only wish was to shake the labels forced upon her by the town of Glory and the legacies of her ancestors so that she could become her own person. Even if one of those legacies may have included being able to more or less talk to the dead, which I mean, come on, is kind of cool.

[Katie B · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Marsden longs for the day when she finally has enough money to escape the town of Glory with her little sister, Wynn. She wants nothing more than to give her sister a better life than growing up at a "bed and breakfast" where her mother works as a prostitute. There is a high rate of suicide along the Indigo River , and Marsden resorts to skimming money off the dead bodies in order to leave Glory before her sister finally realizes what their mother does for a living. Jude is a classmate of Marsden and asks for her help locating something that belonged to his recently deceased brother. As the two work together and learn more about one another, they discover uncovering the past may or may not help them move forward.

By far the best part of this book is the relationship between Marsden and Jude. At times when the book seemed to drag on and on, the two of them were what motivated me to keep reading. I preferred the second half of the book to the first because it seemed like there was more action and less talk about the covert. There were a few times when I questioned how likely certain events would occur in real life, but at the end of the day it's a fictional book so I just went with it. Overall, this did feel like a unique story but the book did have some flaws.

I won a free copy of this book in a giveaway but was under no obligation to post a review. All views expressed are my honest opinion.

[teacupsandunicorns · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book!!!!

Really pretty and gripping prose. I would describe this as Southern Gothic or Mid-West Gothic—a dark YA gothic mystery. These people are dealing with traumas and trying to find their way in their town, in society, and in life.

This is also a story about challenging stereotypes and what a society or town or what people in general have already decided about you and others. Getting to know the people behind the gossip and reputations—even if it’s all true. We all have checkered pasts and mistakes and skeletons in the closet. No one is truly pristine or perfect. Even if all the “bad” things are true about a person—there is still more to them than just the bad things. You don’t have to like the person, but everyone has depth and vulnerabilities and weaknesses and loves and fears.

I loved this book. I loved all the characters even if I totally hated them lol. And I loved all the twists!!! Some things I saw coming and some I guessed completely wrong!!!! It was a dark and exciting and thought provoking story.

Also!!!! A half-white and half-Chinese lead girl and a half-White and half-Black lead boy!!!! And they fall in love!!!!! Biracial leads and interracial relationships!!!! Yes, yes, yes!!!! And they also discuss the isolation they feel as basically the only biracial people in the entire white middle-of-nowhere town. I loved it. I’ll def read more by this author.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an interesting story!

The plot of this book is what got me intrigued. I needed to know more about the suicides and why they happen and about our main character. She wants a better life, she knows her mother is just trying to provide for her and her little sister but, that isn't the life she wants. Mars needs money, she needs it fast to give her little sister the life she deserves, a life away from this town, it's shady business and the very high amount of dead bodies.

Mars had to grow up quick. She is such a big family person. She wants the best and will do what she can and take care of her little sister. She takes things from the dead bodies that wash up by her house to start saving for her and her little sister. I adore her little sister, so cute and I will do everything to protect her. Mars is a wonderful character, strong, loyal and will do whatever she can to help. She was really interesting to read about and I just wanted to give her big hugs at time.

But, there is more to this story. We meet Jude, whose brother died from suicide. Does it have something to do with Mars and her family? With the two getting to know each other, growing closer, secrets are kept, secrets are shared but, will they be able to handle the truth?

​A very interesting mystery story that has some twist you won't see coming.

[Danielle Hall · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I picked up this book because it seemed like an atmospheric mystery featuring a protagonist of color. It definitely fulfills both of those promises, and Elsie Chapman is an accomplished writer. Her control over the prose, plot, and characters is evident.

I liked Marsden as a determined, fiercely loyal protagonist. We have a Katniss-Rue dynamic between her and her little sister, with Marsden stepping in as her mother fails to be present or impressive in any way. I also liked Jude and pretty much all of his interactions with everyone. He’s basically awesome.

Along the Indigo manages to talk about race, identity, and fitting in in a very real way, even as the “real story” is about escaping the clutches of a small, rundown town.

If you’re looking for a gritty, introspective read, this one’s for you.

[Maura · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bleak. Bleak. Bleak. This book is SO bleak. Unrelentingly dark and gloomy and, ugh, just awful. Couldn't it be awful enough that your mother is a prostitute and you are forced to work in the brothel where she works? No, you have to be actively recruited and pressured by your own mother to prostitute yourself as well, and you have to fear every day that your little sister is next. Couldn't it be bad enough that your back yard is where every depressed person in a 300 mile radius comes to kill themselves? No, you should make it worse by carrying guilt because you skim their bodies for the only money that you have that might save your sister and you.

I'll give Chapman credit for drawing a vivid scene here, but OMG, there is no light in this story at all. It plunged me into a very low depression for days after reading it. Just. so. bleeaaaak.

[i_hype_romance · Rating 5 out of 5]

This YA book was so well written!
The prose is so lush at times it was like a harpoon to the chest or staring straight into a solar eclipse.
Marsden keeps secrets from everyone. Her mother. Her sister. The boy she should stay away from who turns her feet to clay when he’s around.

She keeps secrets about the boarding house… that it’s using the “B&B” label to cover up what happens when the lights go down.

She keeps secrets about the covert. What she finds there. What she takes.

Until she can no longer hold onto the secrets or the guilt.

Read this if you enjoy complex family dynamics, an unsolved mystery that will keep you guessing to the end, and a sweet love story about two kids with a lot of baggage and a ton of hurt who see the worth in each other… I see their story playing out in my head to the soundtrack of Two Sparrows in a Hurricane.

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing book. i'm surprised this doesn't have more reviews on it but i can see it gaining popularity once people realize it's a gem.
beautiful, atmospheric writing for a story that just sucks you in and characters you feel deeply about as it progresses
one of the reviews on the back says it's both heartwarming and heart-wrenching, which is really quite a feat and perfectly describes this book!!!!
i can't even put into words how much i loved it!!
marsden so strong and secretive, wynn so endearing and innocent, jude so angsty but the kind full of pain!!! ahhh even the side characters get to you, like jude's well-meaning friends abbot and karey and owen
it's a great book, i recommend to anyone

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Girl lives in a brothel with her younger sister and her mom. Her mom is a prostitute. The girl and her sister are not allowed to be in the dining area or anywhere where the customers are located. There is an area of woods called the covert where people go to commit suicide. The one girl is called a skimmer. She checks the woods every morning and if she finds a body she takes only their money. She leaves jewelry and anything else she may find. She meets a young boy whose brother recently took his life. He thinks his brother buried a blue tin and they search the woods for it. Her dad had supposedly drowned in the covert many years before but she comes to think that it was not an accident. They work together to find out what happened to her dad, and his brother.

[Stacie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is totally unlike any other I've read. It had amazing atmosphere and such descriptive prose. I could almost smell the wild ginger of the covert or the low tide muck of the Indigo river. Marden's feelings of being trapped in the boardinghouse and that life felt palpable. I found the characters to be enjoyable, especially Jude and Marsden. They both had baggage and trauma which they bonded over but not in an unhealthy way. The first half of the book was very slow paced but once things started to come together and questions started to get answered I couldn't put it down. Filled with diverse characters, while still commenting on the 'other' feeling of the diversity was very realistic. It was a perfect Halloween read with the curse and ghosts of the covert. A solid book, for sure!

[Margo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Along the Indigo balances a mixture of intrigue, suspense, and romance on a knife's-edge of a great story. Not an easy task for anyone, but especially a first-time author. The eastern Washington town of Glory comes alive under Chapman's vivid description. There are times you can feel the cool green respite of the covert, smell wild ginger, taste the hot riverbed dust inside your mouth. My only complaint is I'd have wished for a bit less book around the central story. At times I felt as if the extra storylines and minor characters pulled focus away from the main story and broke up the flow a bit.
Definitely worth reading, and I look forward to more books by the author.