Young Adult, Abrams/Amulet, March 20th, 2018
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.
(Cover art: Neil Swaab)
“The book is captivating and unearthly, with beautifully poignant writing and elegantly drawn characters.” – Kirkus Reviews
“In her prodigious Along the Indigo, Elsie Chapman leaves out nothing of their origins in grief, violence, ghostliness and loss… This superlative novel refuses to sugarcoat, does wonders with teenage relationships, and skillfully flips expectations to get at what it means to unbury the hidden. Secrets and mysteries send out tendrils everywhere. Engaging with them is a matter of salvation.” – The Center For Fiction
“…for teens in search of strange premises and moody, atmospheric narratives…” – Booklist
“Enticingly eerie…” – Publishers Weekly
“The resolution that emerges is cleverly managed, and it gives readers as well as Mars a hopeful reprieve.” – The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“There are twists and turns in the plot, and within the characters, that will surprise readers.” – School Library Connection
“Chapman’s darkly poetic narrative . . . takes a lyrical turn toward both love story and murder mystery, and leads readers to a satisfying and surprising conclusion.”
– School Library Journal
“Rarely is a book both heart-warming and heart-wrenching. Along The Indigo manages both.” – Mindy McGinnis, author of The Female of the Species and the Not a Drop to Drink series
“Atmosphere for ages and gorgeous, lyrical prose—I’m still haunted.” – Ellen Oh, author of The Dragon King Chronicles series
“You want Marsden to win from the very first page to the last. Her story digs beneath your skin, and you tumble and fall with her as she figures out who she is, first love, and how to get all the things she wants. Indigo grabs your heart immediately, and never lets go!” – Dhonielle Clayton, author of The Belles series and co-author of the Tiny Pretty Things series
elsie chapman 