Elysium Girls [Book Review]

Soooo, as mentioned above, I am going to be reviewing the book Elysium Girls. I'm betting not many of you have heard of it, since it just came out in April.
Anyway, here's some quick information about this book.

Author: Kate Pentecost
Genres: YA/fantasy/adventure/western
Page Count: 400
Summary: Elysium, Oklahoma, is a town like any other. Respectable, and praying for an end to the Dust Bowl. Until the day the people of Elysium are chosen by two sisters: Life and Death. And the Sisters like to gamble with each other with things like time and space and human lives.
Elysium is to become a gameboard in a ruthless competition between the sisters. The Dust Soldiers will return in ten years' time and if the people of Elysium have not proved themselves worthy, all will be slain. 
Nearly ten years later, seventeen-year-old Sal Wilkinson is called upon to lead Elysium as it prepares for the end of the game. But then an outsider named Asa arrives at the gates, and they trigger a terrible accident that gets both Sal and Asa exiled to the brutal desert. There Sal and Asa stumble upon a group of girls, headed by another exile:  a young witch thought to be dead.
As they apocalypse looms. The only way they can win is to reinvent the rules, and beat Life and Death at their own game.
My Thoughts
Elysium Girls is one of those books that just stands out. While I don't know if it would be regarded a classic, it's better than most YA books.
The idea of making a fantasy adventure book, during the time of the Dust Bowl was genius, and I applaud the author's creativity.
One thing that particularly stood out was the characters. They were all very well done.
The pacing [something that often sadly lacks in YA books] was great.
Another thing that stands out is the diversity without it feeling forced.
8 out of 9 if the main characters are female, and many of them are black, or Native American. There were quite a few lesbian characters [one of the romances is pretty adorable, and I'm not into romance], but it didn't feel forced, which, again, lots of YA books do.
The fantasy part was great as always. I like how it's not uncommon for characters to have a magic ability, and it's not just the main character.
There wasn't much I disliked about it. It's a solid book.
Again, I can't recommend this book enough.
I rate things higher than they deserve.....but, please, check it out. Especially since this is Kate Pentecost's first book. I hope she does more. She really has a lot of talent.
Charcters

Sallie 'Sal' Wilkerson

The main character. Sal is self-described as a shy, bookish tomboy. She's the successor, but was basically chosen at random. While she's quiet, Sal is very determined, and loyal. When she decides something she sticks to it. That's probably what I like most about her. Sal grows a lot of confidence in this book, and grows a lot as a character. She kinda stands out in the realm of YA main characters, and I like that about her. 

Asa

Asa is Life's wildcard, but all he really wants is to be human. He disguises himself as a magician, and he felt well-developed as well. The chapters that aren't from Sal's point of view are from his.
One thing I loved about him is that he doesn't end up being the MC's love interest [too many YA books have the main guy and the main girl end up dating, so it was nice to see a change]. Asa had his own story. He's not my favorite, but is a pretty cool guy.

Olivia Rosales

Olivia is an outcast from Elysium, actually. Same as Sal. She was the Successor several years before Sal, but that all ended when she murdered a man for abusing her mentally ill sister. She's the leader of the band of outcasts. Olivia is rather brash, and hotheaded, and thinks things through logically, but she's a good person at heart. She serves justice when it's needed, and isn't afraid to make people mad. That's the part of Olivia that I can relate to. She's a great supporting character, and very well-written.

Zo

Zo is the sharpshooter in the outcasts, and is a pretty good one. She and Judith have a friendly rivalry. Zo tends to be more serious then the others, but knows when to lighten up. She's even more logical than Olivia, and because of that [and maybe because of her name, too] she reminds me of Zoe Washburne from Firefly. Anyway, Zo wasn't my favorite, but I liked her. She's also a lesbian, which doesn't come up much, but it was a nice seeing it, since in the books I've read there tend to be more gay men, as opposed to gay women.

Judith

Judith is the muscle of the team. She's a bit girlier than the other members, and more of a goofball, but don't make her mad. She can hold her own in a fight, and is as strong as most men. She also seems to enjoy beating people up. Due to having to slaughter animals for a living before running away, Judith is a vegetarian, and sticking to that when there's limited food sure shows determination. I admire her for that. Like I said, her friendship with Zo is great, and there needed to be more of it.

Susannah

Susannah is the mechanic. She's also the oldest, and wants to be an inventor. Susannah is Native American, and wants to know more about her history. Overall, she's probably my favorite side character. She's the closest thing Mowse has to an older sister, and she's very kind and friendly. And, I mean, she almost died, and was getting back to work the next day. That shows determination.

Mowse

Mowse is a cute ten-year-old who was abandoned as a baby, before Susannah took her in. She has magic that can control other people, and often has to be reminded not to use it for her own benefits. She's yet another well-done character [though slightly underdeveloped].

Cassandra

Cassandra used to work at a circus. Her magic involves using illusions, and she enjoys putting on a good show. Aside from that, Cassandra's rather quiet, so I don't know much about her. Only that she's talented, and wears a lot of jewelry. I felt like she could've gotten more development, but for a YA supporting character? She's pretty great.

Lucy Arbor
Lucy is another lesbian, and Sal's best friend. Some of the chapters are from her point of view, as she tries to help Elysium, while Sal is outcast. She's very pretty and fashionable, and sells her own makeup [though they're not allowed to use it]. She's much bolder, and willing to fight than Sal is, and is a bit more headstrong. She has quiet strength the way Sal does, too, She's a smaller part, but I had to include her anyway.
So, that's all for today.
Have you read Elysium Girls? Do you plan to? Favorite YA book?