Young Adult

Firekeeper's Daughter

Firekeeper's Daughter

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  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-03-10 04:15:43
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Angeline Boulley
  • ISBN：1250766567
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle

Reviews

Rebecca ，

Thanks to LibroFM and Macmillan Audio for an ALC for honest review。There are good books， and then there are books that you are lucky enough to have an audio book version of so that you can find yourself propping up the phone so that you don't even have to stop listening while you shower。 Firekeeper's Daughter is the latter。 Goodreads has several excellent Own Voices reviews for this book that are more important to consider than my own。 My own experience with this book was that I was completely s Thanks to LibroFM and Macmillan Audio for an ALC for honest review。There are good books， and then there are books that you are lucky enough to have an audio book version of so that you can find yourself propping up the phone so that you don't even have to stop listening while you shower。 Firekeeper's Daughter is the latter。 Goodreads has several excellent Own Voices reviews for this book that are more important to consider than my own。 My own experience with this book was that I was completely sucked in to the story of Daunis Fontaine， whose life and plans have been rocked by a series of events and tragedies that lead to her eventually agreeing to work as a confidential informant in hopes of finding out the truth of what is happening in her community。 Truthfully， I found myself breathless at points in this story in which events turned and Daunis found herself at the center of more than she could possibly have imagined。 While this is YA， I think it will have broad appeal for adults as well （Daunis is an older teen in this story， and the plot holds a lot of commentary that I think will strike adult readers just as thoroughly as teen readers）。 。。。more

Kris Mauna ，

This book may be the most important one that I’ve read in a long time。 It’s a tough read and deals with triggering topics but it’s worth the emotional investment。 "When someone dies， everything about them becomes past tense。 Except for the grief。 Grief stays in the present。"Firekeeper’s Daughter asks， how do you seek rightful justice after the world takes all that you love away from you？Daunis Fontaine lives her life balancing two worlds: her life with her white mother where she has a hefty t This book may be the most important one that I’ve read in a long time。 It’s a tough read and deals with triggering topics but it’s worth the emotional investment。 "When someone dies， everything about them becomes past tense。 Except for the grief。 Grief stays in the present。"Firekeeper’s Daughter asks， how do you seek rightful justice after the world takes all that you love away from you？Daunis Fontaine lives her life balancing two worlds: her life with her white mother where she has a hefty trust fund and her life where she carries on her strong family traditions as an Ojibwe woman。 Being the product of a huge scandal between her mother and father， Daunis has spent her entire life feeling as though she doesn’t belong anywhere。This book begins like any other YA and readers can expect a nicely paced backstory of Daunis。 My favorite part was reading about life on the Ojibwe reservation。 Daunis carries the love of her family close to her heart and continuing the Ojibwe traditions means a lot to her。 Through her character， I can tell how much care Angeline Boulley poured into this story。Just as I felt like I finally knew this intelligent and brave girl， the plot took a turn。Daunis finds herself in the middle of a huge police investigation after witnessing a murder。 Her grief makes her decide to work with the undercover officers and everything becomes more complicated。 She quickly realizes not everyone is who they seem to be and she can’t trust anyone。 There are painful secrets inside both of her worlds。 "What if it's a strength to love and care for someone you don't always like？"I went into this book knowing very little of what this story was actually about and I’m glad that I did。 Personally， I would suggest others do the same。 There are heavy topics discussed， though， and a few of the big trigger warnings are murder， drugs， violence， sexual assault and grief。For a debut novel， I think Angeline Boulley did an outstanding job。 Outside of the love she put into Daunis and her Ojibwe traditions， she brought light to topics that need to be discussed more。 Her writing is beautiful and there were several times I cried while reading。 Firekeeper’s Daughter is gut-wrenching， but in a good way。The most intriguing aspect of this story is the characters。 I know I’ve only mentioned Daunis in this review， but that’s because there are secrets these characters hold that make it hard to properly introduce them。 There are characters who are good but have dark secrets。 Some are evil but there’s an understandable reason behind their actions。 The bottom line is that no one in this story is completely good or evil， including Daunis。 This made the story much more interesting to read。 "To know truth is to accept what cannot be known。"Overall， I really enjoyed this book。 It was shocking and heartfelt。 The story kept me on the edge of my seat and it had one of the best endings。 I highly recommend all readers to check out Angeline Boulley’s debut。 These characters will teach you a few things about yourself and how you handle the painful moments in your life。 Firekeeper’s Daughter will release on March 16th so make sure to pick up a copy！ | review originally posted on Bookstacked | 。。。more

Christine ，

NetGalley ARC | A fast-paced and beautiful novel across generations with powerful Native representation， I appreciated learning more about the issues that affect Native communities。 I also gained more knowledge about the Ojibwe community， culture， heritage， and traditions。 You can find the complete review on The Uncorked Librarian here: https://www。theuncorkedlibrarian。com/。。。Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a free advanced copy in exchange for a fair and honest rev NetGalley ARC | A fast-paced and beautiful novel across generations with powerful Native representation， I appreciated learning more about the issues that affect Native communities。 I also gained more knowledge about the Ojibwe community， culture， heritage， and traditions。 You can find the complete review on The Uncorked Librarian here: https://www。theuncorkedlibrarian。com/。。。Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a free advanced copy in exchange for a fair and honest review。 。。。more

Kristy ，

This book wrecked me。 Daunis Fontaine is an 18 year old woman who was born from a scandal。 Being biracial she never felt like she completely belonged in both her white family or her Ojibwe family。 Although she sometimes feels out of place， she still treasures and yearns to learn from both sides of her family。 In the first part of the book author Angeline Boulley does a phenomenal job educating the reader about the traditions， language， and daily life of the Ojibwe people in Michigan。 Prior to re This book wrecked me。 Daunis Fontaine is an 18 year old woman who was born from a scandal。 Being biracial she never felt like she completely belonged in both her white family or her Ojibwe family。 Although she sometimes feels out of place， she still treasures and yearns to learn from both sides of her family。 In the first part of the book author Angeline Boulley does a phenomenal job educating the reader about the traditions， language， and daily life of the Ojibwe people in Michigan。 Prior to reading this book I had almost no knowledge about the Ojibwe people and I am ashamed to admit that I did not know that there reservations in Michigan。 So I really appreciated all the detail the author put in for readers， after finishing the book it made me want to learn more about the Anishinaabe people。 What wrecked me about this book was the relationships and Daunis's journey from child to woman。 She had to overcome so much during the course of the novel; betrayal， deception， and tragedy; and yet she still was able to rise above it all and come out stronger on the other side。Thank you to Netgalley and Libro。fm for providing me with a free copy to enjoy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Heather Salter-Purves ，

I enjoyed the sneak peek of the fire Keepers daughter。 It was nice to see a different #ownvoices as I am yet to read many indigenous books。 Angeline Boulley has a beautifully written debut of young adult Thrillers weaving and aspects of the Native American experience and issues and corruption within their community。 I appreciate the author's insight without feeling like I was being lectured at or spoken down to about the problems and traditional practices。 I enjoyed the sneak peek of the fire Keepers daughter。 It was nice to see a different #ownvoices as I am yet to read many indigenous books。 Angeline Boulley has a beautifully written debut of young adult Thrillers weaving and aspects of the Native American experience and issues and corruption within their community。 I appreciate the author's insight without feeling like I was being lectured at or spoken down to about the problems and traditional practices。 。。。more

Amanda ，

As someone who loves Indigenous People's culture and language I absolutely adored this book。 Such an important story to tell and such an amazing balance between interesting those not of indigenous heritage and those who are。 I wish I could add this to my school's library but I think it may be a little too advanced for my 6th through 8th graders。 But I hope to read a lot more from Boulley。 As someone who loves Indigenous People's culture and language I absolutely adored this book。 Such an important story to tell and such an amazing balance between interesting those not of indigenous heritage and those who are。 I wish I could add this to my school's library but I think it may be a little too advanced for my 6th through 8th graders。 But I hope to read a lot more from Boulley。 。。。more

Krysta ，

This book has stuck with me long after putting it down。 I learned so much about Native American culture and customs as well as the difficulties someone like Daunis can be caught between。 This mixed in a beautiful blend of mystery and romance and drama。 It gripped me and held on and by the end I was shook。 I'm still thinking that ending and how everyone is doing since then。 The twists just kept coming coming and as the reader I felt them just as emotionally impactful as the characters did。 These This book has stuck with me long after putting it down。 I learned so much about Native American culture and customs as well as the difficulties someone like Daunis can be caught between。 This mixed in a beautiful blend of mystery and romance and drama。 It gripped me and held on and by the end I was shook。 I'm still thinking that ending and how everyone is doing since then。 The twists just kept coming coming and as the reader I felt them just as emotionally impactful as the characters did。 These characters crept into my heart。 I laughed， I cried。 I stayed up late to see what happened next。 I look forward to this being adapted for TV and I hope I love it just as much。 I hope to read more from this author and learn more through her stories too。Soon to be adapted at Netflix for TV with President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama's production company， Higher Ground。 。。。more

Melissa （LifeFullyBooked） ，

This is a powerfully affecting YA novel steeped in indigenous culture。 The language and the ceremonies and traditions are featured throughout and helped me to learn about and to respect the culture even more。This is partially a suspenseful mystery， coupled with action and drama， but it's also a story about family， love， and friendship。 This is all told within the full perspective of the Ojibwe community by an OwnVoices author who lovingly relates even the most difficult traumatic situations。 I d This is a powerfully affecting YA novel steeped in indigenous culture。 The language and the ceremonies and traditions are featured throughout and helped me to learn about and to respect the culture even more。This is partially a suspenseful mystery， coupled with action and drama， but it's also a story about family， love， and friendship。 This is all told within the full perspective of the Ojibwe community by an OwnVoices author who lovingly relates even the most difficult traumatic situations。 I don't want to give away too much about the plot because the novel is filled with surprises at every turn。 I admire the author for tackling some tough subjects involving racism and just how much authority the federal government has on tribal lands vs。 the limits of the Tribal government。 I highly recommend this book for both teens and adults looking for an intriguing and gripping novel。 Even though Daunis is 18， the things that have happened to her make her seem older and wiser than her years。 There's something to be learned and appreciated for any age， I hope that adults don't shy away from reading this just because it's labeled as YA。 This is one that's going to stay with me for a long time。I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book， all opinions are my own。 。。。more

Doreen ，

3/7/2021 The hype is real！ I was up till 5:30a。m。 ugly crying over the ending of this book！ Full review tk at CriminalElement。com。 3/7/2021 The hype is real！ I was up till 5:30a。m。 ugly crying over the ending of this book！ Full review tk at CriminalElement。com。 。。。more

Kelsey （Kelseylovesbooks） ，

Firekeeper’s Daughter manages to be a lot of books at once。 The main story- the mystery of who is cooking and distributing meth on a Native American reservation- exists alongside deep stories of love， friendship， and traditional Ojibwe culture。 I was very engrossed in the stories， and once I hit near 65%， I didn’t want to put the book down because I needed to know how everything would come together。 Thanks to Netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review。 CW: drug use， drug overdose， phy Firekeeper’s Daughter manages to be a lot of books at once。 The main story- the mystery of who is cooking and distributing meth on a Native American reservation- exists alongside deep stories of love， friendship， and traditional Ojibwe culture。 I was very engrossed in the stories， and once I hit near 65%， I didn’t want to put the book down because I needed to know how everything would come together。 Thanks to Netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review。 CW: drug use， drug overdose， physical abuse， sexual abuse 。。。more

Nolly Rnc ，

Many thanks for this arc which was provided in exchange for unbiased review。Actual rating : 3，5 "We faced worse than you and we are still here。" This is an excellent debut novel。， so great-plotted。 Although I did not like it as much as I thought I would， I believe it is a must-read。 I genuinely enjoy the representation of a native community : their customs， their traditions， their beliefs and their languages， Even though it can be overwhelming at the beginning， this kind of representation and d Many thanks for this arc which was provided in exchange for unbiased review。Actual rating : 3，5 "We faced worse than you and we are still here。" This is an excellent debut novel。， so great-plotted。 Although I did not like it as much as I thought I would， I believe it is a must-read。 I genuinely enjoy the representation of a native community : their customs， their traditions， their beliefs and their languages， Even though it can be overwhelming at the beginning， this kind of representation and diversity is important and urgent。 Own voices are essentials。 We can feel that everything is authentic。 I loved Daunis， she is a rather interesting character with layers。 She felt real to me， I felt for her and with her。 Every member of the community seemed weel depicted and helped make this book vivid。 I would highly recommend reading this cultural， informative， beautiful and impactful book ！ 。。。more

Bonnye Reed ，

I received a free electronic ARC copy of this excellent young adult novel featuring high schoolers of the Ojibwe tribe of First Americans in Michigan's Upper Peninsula。 This book features a lot of ice hockey and teenage angst but is an excellent look at life in small Michigan towns and the influence of weather on the lifestyle of the community。 There is a wide net of family support not often seen in large American cities， and a sense of comradery similar to that experienced in the western towns I received a free electronic ARC copy of this excellent young adult novel featuring high schoolers of the Ojibwe tribe of First Americans in Michigan's Upper Peninsula。 This book features a lot of ice hockey and teenage angst but is an excellent look at life in small Michigan towns and the influence of weather on the lifestyle of the community。 There is a wide net of family support not often seen in large American cities， and a sense of comradery similar to that experienced in the western towns I am familiar with。 But of course， down here we have football。。。I enjoyed this dip into winter - and have stopped whining about our low of 23 degrees one-night last week - and thoroughly enjoyed a look into the lives of these families。 It was good to see examples of support and compassion expressed well during this pandemic that has us all isolated and feeling our own angst against the world。 And it is soon to be adapted at Netflix for TV with President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama's production company， Higher Ground！ How exciting！ Netgalleypub date March 16， 2021Macmillan Children's Publishing GroupHenry Holt and Co。 （BYR）Reviewed Goodreads and Netgalley on March 7， 2021。 。。。more

Hana （linh_hermione） ，

I absolutely could not put this book down; I flew through the entire thing in a day and I have SO MANY feelings。 Do not be surprised when you see this on my ‘favourites of 2021’ list！We follow Daunis， whom we meet as she’s struggling to come to terms with the recent death of her uncle， and her grandmother’s subsequent stroke。 Daunis is definitely a new favourite character: her character is so well-developed and I loved being inside her head！ She’s so intelligent and has so many dreams， but she a I absolutely could not put this book down; I flew through the entire thing in a day and I have SO MANY feelings。 Do not be surprised when you see this on my ‘favourites of 2021’ list！We follow Daunis， whom we meet as she’s struggling to come to terms with the recent death of her uncle， and her grandmother’s subsequent stroke。 Daunis is definitely a new favourite character: her character is so well-developed and I loved being inside her head！ She’s so intelligent and has so many dreams， but she also loves her family and community， and takes her responsibilities towards them so seriously。I can’t speak on the accuracy of the Ojibwe representation （though ownvoices reviews suggest it’s done well） but I certainly learned a lot， and I will say that I loved the community dynamic！ The cast of side characters is absolutely huge， which served to really flesh out the community and present so many different kinds of people and families and ways of being Ojibwe – which is really the kind of representation I want all marginalised groups to have！ There were a couple of characters whom I got mixed up on occasion， but for the most part every character is so vibrant and unique， especially all the Elders （I don’t want to spoil anything， but several of the scenes which made me cry the hardest were ones involving the Elders！）， and also Daunis’ Aunt Teddie， who takes no shit from anyone and whom I adored。The book deals with so many different issues that Indigenous communities face – most notably addiction， and violence at state， community， and interpersonal levels – as well as themes like grief and identity: underpinning Daunis’ entire arc is the thread of her wrestling with her place between her white and Ojibwe heritages。 It’s absolutely heartbreaking， and painful to read at times （the content warnings are extensive so please be safe！）， but every issue is dealt with sensitively and in way that gives each of them the appropriate space and consideration。I don’t want to say much about the plot or the rest of the characters， to avoid spoiling the mystery – though I will say that I didn’t see the reveals coming at all！ （Guessing the plots of books isn’t something I’m particularly good at in general， but I do think this will be a satisfying one if that’s the aspect you’re looking for！）。 As a final point， I will say that the audiobook is wonderful – there’s a lot of Ojibwe language scattered through the book， so it was great to be able to hear it！ （The downside is that I now can’t spell any of it… but that’s why I’ve also ordered a physical copy！）Overall， I absolutely adored this book。 I cannot wait for it to be a breakout star， and I’m so excited for whatever Angeline Boulley writes next！This book contains content warnings for: gun violence; suicide; drug abuse & mentions of overdose; racism & cultural insensitivity; rape; grief & bereavement; loved one in hospital; references to domestic abuse; references to residential schools。 。。。more

Trisha Perry ，

Daunis is a 18 year old who feels she doesn't belong in either world， the Ojibwe world and the rest of the world。 Her one set of grandparents would not allow her Ojibwe fathers name on her birth certificate but she still has learned the way of her people so not quite fully in either other world。 When a new kid comes to town， plays hockey and manages to get on Daunis' brother Levi's team， she starts to fall for this new guy， until at a party one night she sees her best friend get shot and killed Daunis is a 18 year old who feels she doesn't belong in either world， the Ojibwe world and the rest of the world。 Her one set of grandparents would not allow her Ojibwe fathers name on her birth certificate but she still has learned the way of her people so not quite fully in either other world。 When a new kid comes to town， plays hockey and manages to get on Daunis' brother Levi's team， she starts to fall for this new guy， until at a party one night she sees her best friend get shot and killed， by her meth head ex。 Now Daunis finds herself undercover and looking for a new meth。This is a exciting full of action， and suspense book with a awesome behind the scenes look of the Ojibwe way of things。 Isabella Star LaBlanc is a great narrator of this book， she keeps it going and makes you feel like you are there helping Daunis get through all of the negative to help show her there are positives things to look forward too as well。 This is a book you just can't put down so I hope you all will like it as much as I did。 。。。more

Kelly ，

I loved the setting and loved Daunis as the main character， sharing her world as an unenrolled Native in Sault St Marie。 Everything about the character development was outstanding and immersive， and I really feel like I got to know her and her world。 But the time frame here made little sense （2004 -- why？） and I think there was too much plot and time spent on character development for the mystery aspect to work。 It's certainly not the thriller that it's being angled as， though there IS a mystery I loved the setting and loved Daunis as the main character， sharing her world as an unenrolled Native in Sault St Marie。 Everything about the character development was outstanding and immersive， and I really feel like I got to know her and her world。 But the time frame here made little sense （2004 -- why？） and I think there was too much plot and time spent on character development for the mystery aspect to work。 It's certainly not the thriller that it's being angled as， though there IS a mystery embedded in the story。 It feels a little like one too many pieces of jewelry were put on to make this more than what it needed to be （which is that character-driven story that absolutely works but is a slower， more immersive pace than what the angling of the mystery does for it）。 The editor could have taken this from a good read to a great read with more cutting and tightening and focus， as Boulley had no problem with the writing and development。 I'd read another one of her books in a heartbeat， but this one unfortunately lacked the ability to hook me in and keep me completely involved because it was trying to do too much at once。 Go for the characters and setting。 Skip for the "thriller" marketing because that's not there。 。。。more

Jessica Woodbury ，

I am so torn about this one。 There is a good book in here， but there's a lot of other stuff piled on that， for me， detracted from what made it good。 I think it needed a stronger edit to remove a plot thread or two， and take down the page count， to get it to really shine and be what it could be。 I'll be following Boulley after this， hoping that's what comes next。 It has been optioned for a series and I think that is where all these extra plots could work really well！ It's just a bit much for a st I am so torn about this one。 There is a good book in here， but there's a lot of other stuff piled on that， for me， detracted from what made it good。 I think it needed a stronger edit to remove a plot thread or two， and take down the page count， to get it to really shine and be what it could be。 I'll be following Boulley after this， hoping that's what comes next。 It has been optioned for a series and I think that is where all these extra plots could work really well！ It's just a bit much for a standalone novel。This book wants very much to present you a full picture of Indigenous life in Michigan's Upper Peninusla， specifically around the Ojibwe tribe and Sugar Island。 It does a great job of capturing culture and setting， of showing the tensions within the tribal community and the tensions coming from outside of it。 Daunis has a deep respect for her tribe's religion， and I particularly liked how her belief is given so much weight， it's unusual for any religious character in any novel， but particularly around Native religions， which are often treated more like myths and fantasy。 On the crime novel side， I have some notes。 （And things will get mildly spoiler-y here， although they're the same spoilers as the jacket copy。） Having a CI as a protagonist is a great approach。 Lets you have the point of view of an amateur， where it also makes sense that they're investigating and poking around and potentially putting themselves in dangerous situations。 Having the CI fake-date her handler is okay I guess， but because it's obvious from the beginning that Daunis and Jamie really like each other， this puts us in a constant back and forth that never moves the plot forward and often pulls away from what's actually interesting。 Lately I am also approaching crime novels paying attention at how they manage violence and trauma。 This is an even bigger question when we consider the violence and trauma towards marginalized communities。 There are a lot of Native women who die in this book。 And yes， this is the reality of the world， but also it's something I think readers should know going in。 For better or worse， Daunis is deeply traumatized， so we get to see how trauma can play out， but also Daunis's trauma isn't the center of the book really， it's a subplot， and that feels weird a lot of the time。 There is also a sexual assault that occurs in the book， which I was not expecting， and which happens right as the plot picks up。 It is， obviously， a tightrope walk to want to bring attention to the ongoing violence against Native women， and the way the justice system overlooks and devalues them。 But it's tricky to do those things in a crime novel， where they can seem like plot devices。 Boulley doesn't get it totally wrong here， but there were some parts that felt like missteps to me。 For all Daunis's worries about her community， we don't actually get a good look at how the broader community problems play out。I think if Boulley had slowed down her plot it could have made these elements gel better。 The thing is， this is a LOT of plot。 So much！ I can't remember a crime novel I've read recently that had this much going on。 Daunis is being pulled in like 50 different directions。 Boulley is trying to do so much with this one person， and in the end it's spread rather thin。 There is Daunis's biracial identity， her sick grandmother， her recently overdosed uncle， her troubled mother， her dead father， her charismatic brother， her efforts to find info at the senior center， her college transfer， her suddenly ended hockey career， her best friend， her best friend's addict boyfriend， her aunt's part in a "blanket party"， her struggle with her fake boyfriend's lies about his identity， her interest in science and botany， her infiltrating of the hockey club， a teammate's creepy dad， her conflicted feelings about not being an enrolled member of the tribe， and the list goes on。 It's a lot！ To her credit， Boulley keeps you feeling up to speed， I was mostly able to keep track of the many characters。 But not only do we have all these issues， but Daunis can get rather stuck on them， repeating the same things over and over again。 There is a lot of explaining that happens here， early chapters are almost eye-rolling as Daunis explains everything about how the local community runs to new-guy Jamie， and things are better when Daunis doesn't explain things。 But when she does explain， we often get the same thing explained to us again a few chapters later when it circles back in the plot。 Less explaining could have made this more efficient， and now that I look over everything I think inefficiency is the chief issue。As always， when I nitpick this heavily it is because there's a lot to like here and that makes the things that held it back more obvious。 。。。more

Meg ，

In Firekeeper’s Daughter， by Angeline Boulley， teenage Daunis Fontaine is an unenrolled Ojibwe tribe member， which means learning the ceremonies， attending dances， remembering the prayers， and speaking the Ojibwe language， but not having a vote on tribal matters or receiving the per-cap money from the tribal casino。 This is her dual identity in general， since she is Ojibwe Firekeeper from her father and wealthy French Catholic Fontaine from her mother。 Her family is complicated in other ways， to In Firekeeper’s Daughter， by Angeline Boulley， teenage Daunis Fontaine is an unenrolled Ojibwe tribe member， which means learning the ceremonies， attending dances， remembering the prayers， and speaking the Ojibwe language， but not having a vote on tribal matters or receiving the per-cap money from the tribal casino。 This is her dual identity in general， since she is Ojibwe Firekeeper from her father and wealthy French Catholic Fontaine from her mother。 Her family is complicated in other ways， too: her half-brother Levi is just a few months younger than she is， born to their father’s wife。Daunis witnesses an awful attack， and discovers that this is just a tiny part in a wider criminal network， blending drugs and corruption at all different levels。 A chance to work as an undercover informant could help her get justice for her friend and safety for others in the community， but it’ll also mean keeping secrets from those closest to her and maybe revealing community information to outsiders。 There is a very real sense of danger， and an awareness that the cops are not the good guys。 I liked how complicated this investigation was， and how Daunis handled her conflicts。 There was less about Bad Guys vs Good Guys， although the villains really are evil。 They’re not just breaking the law， they’re exploiting the powerless and hurting the whole community。 But Daunis has to question if law enforcement is actually 100% on her side here and which local secrets she should share with outsiders。 Firekeeper’s Daughter is a solid mystery， with sleuthing and science combining with respect for the community。 This desire to find out more and answer the questions along with Daunis pulls readers in。 （This is one of the things that worked for me in Lightseekers， too。）I liked how complex the characters were， even the minor ones， which helped to develop the community and Daunis’ reactions。 For example， one of the boys has parents who love him very much and are desperately unreliable caretakers due to their addiction struggles， and these things are both true at the same time。Firekeeper’s Daughter was an engrossing coming-of-age and mystery story， in modern Native life。 If you don’t know very much about Ojibwe customs or life when you start reading， you can still understand the plot of this book and you’ll get to discover and learn more about the culture as you follow Daunis’ choices。 。。。more

BreeAnn （She Just Loves Books） ，

Angeline Boulley has created an absolutely amazing #ownvoices YA thriller that you don't want to miss！ The MC is a biracial， unenrolled Ojibwe tribal member who gets caught up in a criminal investigation into her tribe。I was absolutely sucked into this story from the very beginning。 I loved the details about the tribe and the way we view the tribe from the outside looking in because Daunis is part of a tribe， but also isn't。 The mystery is great and provides some heartracing moments！ This is per Angeline Boulley has created an absolutely amazing #ownvoices YA thriller that you don't want to miss！ The MC is a biracial， unenrolled Ojibwe tribal member who gets caught up in a criminal investigation into her tribe。I was absolutely sucked into this story from the very beginning。 I loved the details about the tribe and the way we view the tribe from the outside looking in because Daunis is part of a tribe， but also isn't。 The mystery is great and provides some heartracing moments！ This is perfect for readers that enjoy a YA mystery！I was provided a gifted audio copy of this book for free。 I am leaving my review voluntarily。 。。。more

Katie ，

Thank you to Rock the Boat for sending me an arc of this book。 I am so grateful for the opportunity。 This book took me by surprise， it was not what I thought it was going to be。 However it was a pleasant surprise。 I really liked the writing style within Firekeeper's Daughter， it made for an easy but interesting read。 One that you can fly through pretty quickly。 I read this book in two sittings between also being at work for both days that I read it。 Whilst probably quite predictable， I did find Thank you to Rock the Boat for sending me an arc of this book。 I am so grateful for the opportunity。 This book took me by surprise， it was not what I thought it was going to be。 However it was a pleasant surprise。 I really liked the writing style within Firekeeper's Daughter， it made for an easy but interesting read。 One that you can fly through pretty quickly。 I read this book in two sittings between also being at work for both days that I read it。 Whilst probably quite predictable， I did find it difficult to put down， I definitely found myself wanting more and more。 I really liked the idea of the tribes， I liked getting to know the dynamics and how the characters fit in around them。 I do feel like a bit more background of said characters and tribes would have been nice because I did find myself confused at times and trying to go back to previous parts of the book to see whether things have ever been explained。 TW: （view spoiler）[ sexual assault （hide spoiler）] now this part of the book isn't described in depth， however it is very sudden and took me by surprise。 I wouldn't say it was too much of a spoiler however I have hidden it for those that want to see before readying。 I think that the middle of this book dragged and whilst I wanted more background I do think that it could have been a little shorter as I found myself trying to skim read parts of the middle so we could get to a bit more action。 I would definitely read more from this author and I look forward to seeing what she does next。 。。。more

Celeste Miller ，

Absolutely loved it。 I'm not a regular YA reader but this I recommend to YA and all adults。 Daneis is one of my favorite characters ever now。 She goes through so much and stays strong and true to herself， even when she is facing discrimination for both sides of her heritage - her mother is white and her father is Anishinaabe。 She is a very complex character who I could read about forever。 Please do a series！ The story involves an investigation into drug manufacturing and selling near and around Absolutely loved it。 I'm not a regular YA reader but this I recommend to YA and all adults。 Daneis is one of my favorite characters ever now。 She goes through so much and stays strong and true to herself， even when she is facing discrimination for both sides of her heritage - her mother is white and her father is Anishinaabe。 She is a very complex character who I could read about forever。 Please do a series！ The story involves an investigation into drug manufacturing and selling near and around reservations， including Sugar Island by Sault Ste。 Marie in Michigan where Daneis' father was from。 I loved how much Daneis used her traditional knowledge to guide her through tough times and how she never failed to help her Elders， learn from them， and fight for her community。 I can't stress enough how great Daneis and her story is。 Some content warnings include substance use， murder， kidnapping， rape， racism。 。。。more

Jordan Stivers ，

I know it's early to be calling it but The Firekeeper's Daughter is absolutely one of the best books I'll read in 2021。 Everything in this novel is done to perfection: the characters are real humans with real foibles， the pacing is right on point， the mystery element is surprising， the setting is interesting， the ending was spot-on， and the writing itself is beautiful。 Daunis is one of those fictional characters that I feel will live inside of me for a long time to come。 I connected with her ins I know it's early to be calling it but The Firekeeper's Daughter is absolutely one of the best books I'll read in 2021。 Everything in this novel is done to perfection: the characters are real humans with real foibles， the pacing is right on point， the mystery element is surprising， the setting is interesting， the ending was spot-on， and the writing itself is beautiful。 Daunis is one of those fictional characters that I feel will live inside of me for a long time to come。 I connected with her instantly。 I felt her wonder and joy in equal measure to her heartbreak and anger。 I rooted so hard for this girl。 She made me laugh aloud and cry。 I'm not a crier but this book made me sob my heart out at what Daunis and the other characters go through in this story， and how they are all just pieces of a larger community struggling and suffering while also managing to hold onto such a beautiful culture and traditions。 I learned a lot from her and from this book。 Honestly， this review does not do The Firekeeper's Daughter justice at all， I can't put into words what this book has done to my heart， so I'll end with this: read this book and pass it to a friend。 No one can be disappointed with this gem。 Note: I received a free electronic edition of this book via NetGalley in exchange for the honest review above。 I would like to thank them， the publisher， and the author for the opportunity to do so。 。。。more

Ceallaigh ，

“My girl， some boats are made for the river and some for the ocean。 And there are some who can go anywhere because they always know the way home。” TITLE—Firekeeper’s DaughterAUTHOR—Angeline BoulleyPUBLISHED—2021 （read as an eARC from NetGalley）GENRE—YA contemporarySETTING—early 21st c。 Michigan， the Lake Superior areaMAIN THEMES/SUBJECTS—family， indigenous heritage， tribal politics & corruption， drug trafficking and addiction， grief， crime mystery， love， Girls-in-STEM， hockeyWRITING STYLE—⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐ “My girl， some boats are made for the river and some for the ocean。 And there are some who can go anywhere because they always know the way home。” TITLE—Firekeeper’s DaughterAUTHOR—Angeline BoulleyPUBLISHED—2021 （read as an eARC from NetGalley）GENRE—YA contemporarySETTING—early 21st c。 Michigan， the Lake Superior areaMAIN THEMES/SUBJECTS—family， indigenous heritage， tribal politics & corruption， drug trafficking and addiction， grief， crime mystery， love， Girls-in-STEM， hockeyWRITING STYLE—⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️CHARACTERS—⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️PLOT—⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️BONUS ELEMENT/S— Anishinaabe rep; and hockey！ ❤️PHILOSOPHY—⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️This book is *so* many things。 It’s a work of contemporary fiction intermixing Anishinaabe wisdom， cultural history， and traditional stories， with a strong biracial MC who is marvelously developed over the course of the story。 It is also a romance and a crime story。 It focuses on powerful themes such as drug addiction， sexual violence， corruption， discrimination， injustice， grief， and identity。But it doesn’t stop there。 The book also has its lighthearted moments， its warm and precious moments， a great depiction of the importance of hockey to the MC’s community， as well as a strong Girls-in-STEM vibe （I mean， the writing gets *nerdy* and I *loved* it 😂） which gave the novel so much more depth and made it feel like such a powerful， and real depiction of the complexities of modern American life。“Wisdom is not bestowed。 In its raw state， it is the heartbreak of knowing things you wish you didn’t。” But the best part of this book in my opinion was the plethora of Indigenous Anishinaabe cultural wisdom， folklore， language， and information—so many valuable elements of a worldview and life philosophy that is so compelling and powerful in its sagacity and hope for a better future。 I read this book as an eARC from NetGalley but am definitely preordering a hardcopy to add to my shelves and to reference for all the amazing quotes and passages on all of the various themes the author explores。“When the song ends， I stand at the eastern door。 Where all journeys begin。 AHO （THAT IS ALL）。” ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️。75TW // grief， death of family member， racism， colorism， drug addiction， drug abuse， alcoholism， murder， suicide， meth， drug trafficking， rape， kidnapping， abductionFurther Reading—- There， There， by Tommy Orange- Elatsoe， by Darcie Little Badger- Custer Died for Your Sins， by Vine Deloria， Jr。—mentioned in the book as an important one from the MC’s life。- An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States， by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz- The Ways of my Grandmothers， by Beverly Hungry Wolf 。。。more

Monet ，

THIS IS AN ARC REVIEW FOR NETGALLEY。"Curiosity killed the cat。 But satisfaction revived her，" ~ Firekeeper's DaughterTrigger Warning: Sexual AssaultI'm so glad there are more and more novels being published with strong， powerful Indigenous heroines！ Daunis is not only a brilliant botanist-in-training but she's so quick on her feet， clever， and brave。 I loved how complex and surprising her journey was - with twists and turns I never saw coming。 Her character arc was extraordinary for a standalone THIS IS AN ARC REVIEW FOR NETGALLEY。"Curiosity killed the cat。 But satisfaction revived her，" ~ Firekeeper's DaughterTrigger Warning: Sexual AssaultI'm so glad there are more and more novels being published with strong， powerful Indigenous heroines！ Daunis is not only a brilliant botanist-in-training but she's so quick on her feet， clever， and brave。 I loved how complex and surprising her journey was - with twists and turns I never saw coming。 Her character arc was extraordinary for a standalone novel。 This book is like nothing else out there， but if you enjoyed "Nancy Drew" books as a kid， this is the diverse， adult version of those stories。 I was rooting for Daunis the whole time and I was satisfied with her ending - just what she deserved。 This whole story was so well-thought-out and incredibly detailed with all the characters， folklore， and familial relationships。 。。。more

Karis Rogerson ，

（Thank you to the publisher for the eARC of this book which I received in exchange for my honest review。）5/5 starsWow。 This book has left me blown away。 Angeline Boulley pulls no punches and THAT ENDING， wow。 I'm going to be thinking about this book for。。。a while to come， I can tell。Back to the beginning — the book starts out and you think it's going to be just like a fun story about science and a girl meeting a new boy and then BAM。 Things start to HAPPEN。 Shit hits the FAN。 Boulley hit the gro （Thank you to the publisher for the eARC of this book which I received in exchange for my honest review。）5/5 starsWow。 This book has left me blown away。 Angeline Boulley pulls no punches and THAT ENDING， wow。 I'm going to be thinking about this book for。。。a while to come， I can tell。Back to the beginning — the book starts out and you think it's going to be just like a fun story about science and a girl meeting a new boy and then BAM。 Things start to HAPPEN。 Shit hits the FAN。 Boulley hit the ground running and kept putting her characters， especially Daunis， in increasingly bad situations， ones where she's forced to use her cleverness and wit but also tap into her community and their knowledge。 Daunis is a biracial， yet unenrolled， tribal member， and her connection to her community， as well as her knowledge of tribal traditions， play a key role in her ability to unravel the mystery that unfolds throughout the novel。I am at a loss for how to write a proper review for this book just because it's。。。so good？ It's been stuck in my head since I started reading it， much like a song I adore， and I know I'll be contemplating all the plot points， character reveals， and the harsh truths Boulley presents for months if not years to come。I cannot recommend the book highly enough。 。。。more

Ashley Hubbard ，

I’d like to thank Henry Holt & Co and Netgalley for so generously providing me a copy of Firekeeper’s Daughter。 All opinions are， of course， my own。Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley is a thrilling and stunning debut novel that is part crime fiction and part coming of age。Daunis Fontaine is 18 years old born to a Native father and a white mother。 Daunis balances these two worlds better than I could ever expect to balance anything。 She’s already seen a lot of heartbreak in her life with th I’d like to thank Henry Holt & Co and Netgalley for so generously providing me a copy of Firekeeper’s Daughter。 All opinions are， of course， my own。Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley is a thrilling and stunning debut novel that is part crime fiction and part coming of age。Daunis Fontaine is 18 years old born to a Native father and a white mother。 Daunis balances these two worlds better than I could ever expect to balance anything。 She’s already seen a lot of heartbreak in her life with the recent passing of her uncle and her grandmother having a stroke， but she’s really handling it quite well。Despite the heartbreak， Daunis has a half-brother （through their father） who she is very close to， her best friend Lily， and her family and friends。 Until one day when she’s the witness to a murder and through a series of events， becomes a CI （confidential informant） in order to bring justice and safety to her community。Boulley also grew up with a Native father and a non-Native mother on/near Sugar Island so she’s able to paint an authentic picture of not only the location but Daunis。 And， possibly more importantly – the ongoing issues that Native communities face including Indigenous women。I love how beautiful Boulley’s writing was while still bringing very real， very serious issues to the limelight。I received an eArc of this novel and when I finished the last page， I immediately went and pre-ordered a physical copy。 That is how much I loved it。 。。。more

Andee ，

Thank you， NetGalley， for the ARC in exchange for review。 In what other book will you find STRONG female characters， Ojibwe traditions and tribal life， problems of living on a reservation， sexual assault and redemption， love， drug use， and mystery？There are few books where I wish I could meet the author immediately after reading。 But I want to know how Boulley found the passion and the language for so many stories within one。 Since the pandemic， we've been hooked on short binge-worthy series lik Thank you， NetGalley， for the ARC in exchange for review。 In what other book will you find STRONG female characters， Ojibwe traditions and tribal life， problems of living on a reservation， sexual assault and redemption， love， drug use， and mystery？There are few books where I wish I could meet the author immediately after reading。 But I want to know how Boulley found the passion and the language for so many stories within one。 Since the pandemic， we've been hooked on short binge-worthy series like Queen's Gambit and WandaVision - complete stories where one episode leaves you hungering for the next。 This is how the chapters of Firekeeper's Daughter read。 How do the people we love get mixed up in so much turmoil？ Life。 At 18， about to be 19， Daunis is the daughter of an Ojibwe hockey star and a white， French heritage mother。 The drama starts before Daunis is born and continues。 Some she is aware of。 Some she isn't。 Get to know Daunis and the rest of the French family and Ojibwe community。 Find out why her best friend died and why the people closest to her aren't whom they seem。 。。。more

Hannah ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 3。5A strong YA debut。 What shined in the book: The insight into Ojibwe tradition/history/community， the UP Michigan setting， the Ojibwa peppered throughout the book， the main character Daunis' strength and love of nature and hockey， the Ojibwe elders。 I listened to this on audio （thanks to Libro。fm）， so I'm not sure if it was the narration that felt stilted or if it was the written dialogue that was awkward and too "this is what dialogue sounds like" in many places。 I doubted the questionable ch 3。5A strong YA debut。 What shined in the book: The insight into Ojibwe tradition/history/community， the UP Michigan setting， the Ojibwa peppered throughout the book， the main character Daunis' strength and love of nature and hockey， the Ojibwe elders。 I listened to this on audio （thanks to Libro。fm）， so I'm not sure if it was the narration that felt stilted or if it was the written dialogue that was awkward and too "this is what dialogue sounds like" in many places。 I doubted the questionable choices of the FBI agents， their actions， and the whole undercover operation。 What a mess。 Their fumblings were necessary to move the plot forward and thrust Daunis in the middle of the operation， but wholly unbelievable。 Did they need Daunis， a recent high school graduate， to pull together the pieces of their investigation？ No。。。Triggers: rape， meth addiction， gun violence 。。。more

Megan ，

This was outstanding， 4。5 stars。 I really enjoyed the setting and characters。 I loved how the Indigenous culture and language weaved throughout the story， making it integral to the plot in a compelling and natural way。

Chandni ，

When I first heard about this book， I knew I wanted to pick it up。 Since I'm Canadian， I'm very aware of the plight of First Nations people in Canada and this book revolves around an Anishinaabe young woman coming to terms with her dual identity， which sounded fascinating。 I also loved how this book would be a blend of a coming of age story and a mystery/thriller。 While this book delivers exactly what it promises， I had some mixed feelings about it。 Firstly， I loved the character of Daunis。 She When I first heard about this book， I knew I wanted to pick it up。 Since I'm Canadian， I'm very aware of the plight of First Nations people in Canada and this book revolves around an Anishinaabe young woman coming to terms with her dual identity， which sounded fascinating。 I also loved how this book would be a blend of a coming of age story and a mystery/thriller。 While this book delivers exactly what it promises， I had some mixed feelings about it。 Firstly， I loved the character of Daunis。 She was so dynamic and she felt like a real person instead of just a bland protagonist with a few interesting quirks thrown in。 I also really enjoyed learning so much about the Anishinaabe culture and the nuances of being part of two worlds。 I actually ended up learning a lot， though I already knew about the crimes against Native women that go unpunished or uninvestigated。 It's a bleak story， but learning about the history of Daunis's community was probably my favourite part of the book。I think where the book faltered was the actual plot。 It had so much potential because I love mystery novels and the idea of the main character being forced to be part of a criminal investigation was really intriguing， but it was extremely slow at times。 I think the pacing of the novel was really weak and it could have used some tighter editing。 Also， I wasn't a huge fan of the romance in this novel since to me， it just felt like it crossed a lot of boundaries。I am interested in reading Angeline Boulley's future novels because her writing is strong and I really like how her mind works， but this book didn't quite meet the mark for me。 。。。more

Caro | sanjariti ，

ALC provided by libro。fmThis is an incredible， stellar debut and Daunis might just be my favorite heroine of all time。 I learned so much while listening to this story， and I felt broken and mended with every chapter。 Angeline has such a way with words， and she is just absolutely incredible。 This YA thriller / crime fiction was extremely well done， and I am so excited for the adaptation！ Definitely preorder this; you won’t regret it。