A Snake Falls to Earth

Darcie Little Badger's Newbery Honor-winning novel, A Snake Falls to Earth, is a breathtaking work of Indigenous futurism for young adults aged 12-18. It masterfully weaves together the stories of Nina, a Lipan Apache girl in our world, and Oli, a cottonmouth spirit from the Reflecting World. As a strange illness and a looming threat force their worlds to collide, Nina and Oli embark on a quest that explores themes of cultural identity, environmentalism, family bonds, and the power of storytelling. The narrative skillfully blends traditional Lipan Apache oral storytelling structures with modern dialogue, offering a deeply immersive and lyrical reading experience.

Newbery Honor Winner National Indie Bestseller National Book Award Longlist Minneapolis Star Tribune Best of the Year Publishers Weekly Best of the Year Kirkus Best the Year Apple Best of the Year Chicago Public Library's Best of the Best New York Public Library's Best of the Year Autostraddle's Best Queer Books of the Year A spellbinding tale.--Texas Monthly Genre-bending.--TIME Undeniably charming.--Tor.com ★ Evokes the timeless feeling of listening to traditional oral storytelling.--Kirkus (starred) ★ Fun, imaginative, and deeply immersive, this story will be long in the minds of readers.--Publishers Weekly (starred) ★ Magical, stunning, and wholly original.--Booklist (starred) A highly descriptive story which absorbs the audience into its world, readers will become invested in reading until the very end.--School Library Connection A Snake Falls to Earth is a breathtaking work of Indigenous futurism. Darcie Little Badger draws on traditional Lipan Apache storytelling structure to weave another unforgettable tale of monsters, magic, and family. It is not to be missed. Nina is a Lipan girl in our world. She's always felt there was something more out there. She still believes in the old stories. Oli is a cottonmouth kid, from the land of spirits and monsters. Like all cottonmouths, he's been cast from home. He's found a new one on the banks of the bottomless lake. Nina and Oli have no idea the other exists. But a catastrophic event on Earth, and a strange sickness that befalls Oli's best friend, will drive their worlds together in ways they haven't been in centuries. And there are some who will kill to keep them apart.