I love Native American fiction and was ecstatic to get a chance to read this book, especially as it came so highly praised -- and even had praise from Tommy Orange who I adore. I don't tend to read a ton of YA so the young adult nature of the book through me off as parts of it seemed too unbelievable and the dialogue was hard to believe (just a bit too cheesy for me at times)... you know the saying "tell the story without TELLING the story". It just felt like the dialogue was trying to tell what could have otherwise been told. All that being said, I enjoyed this book and was happy to get to read it. Native American literature will always be a favorite of mine and I'm happy to have extended my reading repertoire with this novel.

it was good to learn about the diverse culture and tribes but i am a reader, i see the story from the point of view of a plot/story mainly. there were many plot holes and the story did not satisfy the reader in me. i support minorities but the story as a point of view from the book and a reader lacked a lot of things.

Honestly this was a fantastic debut. It was so rooted in a sincere love of culture that I don't think it needed the FBI angle at all? I'm so interested in what Boulley does next. Just great.

Stunning! An absolute masterpiece, I feel so privileged to have read something so magnificent! Daunis is one of my favorite native characters, Boulley is an amazing writer!

Book Reflection
"Firekeeper's Daughter" by Angeline Boulley is something I feel every teenager should have the chance to read. Many, many others have reviewed and reflected on the positive things about this YA novel, and there takes are far more eloquent than my own. What follows are my own reflections and thoughts (always remembering the inherent white, west coast lense I initially see things through.

@thunderbirdwomanreads mentioned awhile ago how she hated when reviewers and critics described Native literature as "magical realism", in effect erasing traditional practices as realities and instead relegating them to some mythical world. Since reading that post, I have approached Indigenous literature with that echoing in my head. And rightfully so. Native medicine, beliefs, and practices aren't "magic". They are a belief system, and to speak of them otherwise is flat out rude.

"Firekeeper's Daughter"does a beautiful job of displaying how integral practices of the Ojibwe Nation can be. As someone who has never been taught traditional practices, I appreciated learning of the many things certain Nations do. Daunis's recounting of her regular offerings and participation in Tribal matters portrayed a young woman deeply rooted in her community, but also facing the challenge of being half-French (white). In addition to her own individual identity struggles, Daunis's community is being ransacked by meth, and she is recruited by the FBI in an attempt to track down the supplier.

One thing I felt very deeply while reading this, was jealousy. I was so jealous of how interwoven Daunis and her extended family were, including the Elders within her community. Friends WERE family. That is an experience I haven't ever had. Most of my family and friends operate on a distance, no-news-is-good-news, type of relationship. I was surprised by how strongly I desired to be a part of that community.

I'm not a huge fan of crime-thrillers, or romances- which are some of the driving themes of this YA novel- but even within those rather formulaic genres, "Firekeeper's Daughter"manages to shine and surprise. I will definitely be recommending this book to my students, and I would like to figure out a way to incorporate it into my classroom.

Interesting story with LOTs of Native American words. So much so that it detracts from the storyline. This was just okay for me.

Daunis uses her intelligence and scientific mind, her knowledge and understanding of her Ojibwe traditions and community, and her strength and determination to help the FBI investigate a drug ring after she sees her best friend murdered. This is an exciting and touching story of family, friendship, and community. It provides a glimpse into a modern Ojibwe community through an on-the-edge-of-my seat mystery/thriller story. Daunis is a unique and wonderful character. Although there is heartache and pain, there is so much to enjoy in this story!

This was amazing!

I did receive an ARC from Netgalley, but I ended up listening to the final production version of the audiobook. All opinions are my own. I highly recommend the audiobook! The narrator is excellent. She does a wonderful job bringing Daunis and the rest of the characters to life. I've read several reviews that indicated that this book was paced too slowly or too long. I didn't feel that way at all with the audiobook. I found it hard to put down, it is just over 14 hours and I got through it in about 3 days. If you do pick this up and find that the pacing is a bit slow for you or you have trouble with the language on the page, there is quite a bit of Anishinaabemowin spoken in the book, I'd give the audio a try before giving up on it.

This is marketed as a YA thriller, but I never got that heart racing suspense vibe. There is a criminal investigation happening, but it lacked the suspenseful feeling I want from thrillers and mysteries. It does have a crime procedural feel as the investigation goes through its paces and uncovers who is at the heart of the murders and drug ring in the community. That being said, the story was still wonderful and I'm so glad I read it. This book discusses several different issues that Native Americans struggle with and it isn't the first book I've read this year that talks about these issues. The author discusses racism, acceptance, drug use, corruption especially in the justice system, and the importance of cultural heritage.

There is a lot going on in this book, which will not work for some readers. There are several different plot lines going on all at once, and some of them do not end with a happy ending and are not wrapped up neatly with a shiny bow. I think this is done purposefully to shed light on real problems in the indigenous community that most readers know nothing about. I think the author did a great job bringing awareness of Ojibwe customs and beliefs to the reader through Daunis. Despite being biracial and not always accepted by her community, she is very deeply connected to the Firekeeper side of her family and their customs. She loves her family and wants to protect her community and preserve the things that are important.

Overall, I loved this! It is one of the best books I've read this year so far.

When her uncle dies unexpectedly and her grandmother suffers a stroke, eighteen-year-old Daunis Fontaine opts to attend the local community college rather than the University of Michigan in order to be closer to her family. This means more time with her mother and grandmother as well as her half-brother Levi, her best friend Lily, and the mysterious new hockey player Jamie. But bad things come in threes, and when tragedy strikes yet again, Daunis decides to take action. Drawn into an undercover FBI investigation, she will do whatever it takes to stop the spread of the dangerous new meth that is destroying her community and those she loves.

Read by Isabella Star LaBlanc, the audiobook gave an authentic voice to Daunis. It was also beneficial to hear the pronunciation of Native terms and language. Daunis is a strong, intelligent character who has to deal with unspeakable tragedy, something not uncommon for Native women. This compelling YA thriller shines an important light on Native issues throughout, and you won't want to put it down or look away.

This was so good. This packed a lot into a young adult novel. I felt like the topics were relevant and heavy but wonderful. I also felt like once the story started moving I couldn’t put this down because I wanted to see where the story was going.

Where do I even begin with Firekeeper’s Daughter? This was such an incredible read. The writing was amazing, the characters so multi-dimensional and believable. At times, it felt as if I was reading a biography rather than a piece of fiction, and I believe that this is due, both, to Angeline Boulley’s skill as a writer, but also because the story is saturated with the injustices faced by Indigenous communities in the past and in the present day.

Firekeeper’s Daughter was both incredibly heart-breaking, powerful, empowering, and (at least for me) very informative. I learned a lot through the way that Boulley integrated information about the different tribes and customs and language. And the fact that I have not encountered this sort of knowledge proves that either we need to uplift more Indigenous voices in publishing, or I need to broaden my search for books to read and review.

But back to the story itself. The way in which the mystery is portrayed had me sitting on the edge of my seat, needing to find out more–who’s involved, who’s doing what, why they’re doing what they’re doing. I remember thinking that I was visualizing things so vividly, but that I would love for this book to be turned into a TV series. (Imagine my joy when I found out that Firekeeper’s Daughter had been optioned for a Netflix series! I really hope they make it and that they do it justice.)

The mystery, the character development, the way Boulley set the stage and described the characters’ surroundings, the emotions. I also highly recommend the audiobook! Whenever I couldn’t sit. down to read Firekeeper’s Daughter, I would turn on the audiobook, and let me say…the narrator does an incredible job and as far as I know, she pronounces the words correctly and also did an incredible job at identifying which characters she was speaking as throughout the book.

I could continue raving about Firekeeper’s Daughter for days, but I’ll stop myself here and just tell you that this is one of my top reads of the year, I wish that I could forget everything in the book just so I could read it again (which is not something that happens often to me with YA contemporary titles). And lastly, I just want to say that I will be keeping a close eye on what Angeline Boulley will write next!

I received an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was super interesting. I really loved that it taught me a lot about native culture, traditions, ceremonies, and life. It was very interesting to me to learn about everything from funerals to medicine to daily prayers.

The story itself was very good as well. I really enjoyed Daunis and Jamie’s arc. I felt their connection was a bit insta-love but I can ignore that because of other things that happened between them (not saying what because spoilers lol)

Overall, it was a great read that hooked me right from the start.

4.5 stars. Firekeeper's Daughter is part coming-of-age story, part thriller, part exploration/education on Native issues. Although written for older teens, this book is a great crossover book that will appeal to adults as well. There were a few things that stretched credulity and a few areas that could have been tightened up but overall a great book. I'm excited to see how this gets adapted into a Netflix series and to see what Boulley has in store for us in the future!

Wow. This was such an incredible read. The writing was beautiful, the story immersive and profound, and the characters real and complex. Boulley tackled so much with such proficiency that I know I’m going to miss something. Our heroine, Daunis, must navigate grief, loss, heartache, identity issues, racism, and more, all while she finds herself thrust into a world of crime, drugs, and deception. The reader is brought face to face with the treatment of indigenous women, in everyday life, and how their cases are handled when indigenous girls and women are missing and killed. I’m still processing what I read and I already know Daunis’s story will stay with me for a very long time. I’m overwhelmed with how incredible this book was. It should be taught in classrooms decades from now as a classic piece of literature.

What a phenomenal #ownvoices debut novel by Angeline Boulley!

I honestly don't think any review can really do this book any justice. Firekeeper's Daughter is an amazing YA novel that follows Daunis Fontaine, a biracial Native American high schooler trying to find her place in her hometown and within the Ojibwe tribe. Daunis dreams of going to college but family obligation and tragedy suddenly strike and abruptly put her plans on hold. In the middle of the craziness, she finds herself falling for the charming new guy, Jamie. As teenagers in her community begin to overdose from a new unknown drug, Daunis finds herself agreeing to go undercover for an FBI investigation. Will she survive all of the secrets and betrayals?

I truly enjoyed learning about the Ojibwe culture and language. I love strong female protagonists and Daunis was such a badass! The storyline was so intricate and action packed. I am still so impressed that this is Angeline Boulley's debut novel! The sense of community was so heartwarming towards the end of the book. The author did an excellent job addressing tough topics such as discrimination, bias, loss, issues with self identity, rape, and drugs. There were so many unexpected twists throughout the story and I was completely hooked! I can't wait to read more from Angeline Boulley!

Thank you (miigwetch) to author Angeline Boulley and Netgalley for my digital copy of this amazing novel and Libro.fm and Macmillan Audio for the wonderful ALC! I highly recommend the audiobook. Isabella LaBlanc does such a wonderful job narrating.

FIREKEEPER'S DAUGHTER centers around a biracial Anishinaabe girl who joins a FBI investigation about drug trade in her community.

I had high expectations for this one - the premise seemed very original and I was initially intrigued. I appreciated learning about Anishinaabe culture and traditions; the community, their customs and daily lives. It was interesting to dive into Daunis' internal struggles - as a biracial girl - around identity and responsibilities. While I usually enjoy a coming of age story, this YA thriller missed the mark for me.

The author tackles relevant and powerful themes of racism, impacts of colonization, dispute and politics between indigenous communities and corruption.

I think the overall enjoyment of the story was dragged down by the lack of climax as the pacing was too slow for me. The book could be have shortened by 100-200 pages and I would be more emotionally engaged. It was too much information without a clear execution of the plot and I felt the narrative disjointed at times. I understand that this book would be a great fit for many readers but unfortunately it just didn't work for me.

DNF @50%

Firekeeper’s Daughter is phenomenal, I read this book in March and I’m already convinced it will be my favourite novel of 2021! The story of Daunis and her attempts to unravel the crimes being committed within her community is beautifully and heartbreakingly written. This is one of the most complex stories I have ever read, it isn’t simply a thriller novel, it is an unflinching tale of gendered violence, rape, race and drugs interwoven with the beauty of Ojibwe traditions and culture. The author kept me hooked on Daunis’s story from the first page to the last, I devoured this entire book within a couple of days in my desperation to discover the truth.
As well as writing a fast paced and action packed story, Angeline Boulley also included a surprising yet sweet romance in this book. The character development, the plot, the setting, everything within this book is perfection! I listened to the audiobook of Firekeeper’s Daughter alongside reading the novel, and I would highly recommend listening to all or parts of this book to fully appreciate the story. By listening to the audio I was able to fully immerse myself in Daunis’s story and hear the correct pronunciation of her beautiful language.
Angeline Boulley has crafted one of the best debuts I have ever read, the story is perfectly paced to keep the reader engaged while taking the time to educate us on Ojibwe traditions and culture. I was drawn to Firekeeper’s Daughter from my own desire to read more books by Indigenous authors, please remember that we should all strive to diversify our reading as much as possible, if you have yet to read a book by an indigenous author I highly recommend ordering a copy of this debut. Firekeeper’s Daughter is a detailed, powerful and thrilling novel that I will reread countless times.

What a beautiful book cover! I think this is one of the most striking book covers I’ve ever seen.

Man, I so wanted to like this book. I keep picking it up and I keep just stopping. There’s too much. This book could benefit from a good trim. I totally get what this author is trying to do.. modern Native American culture is not something that I have ANY knowledge of. But it’s too much. Every time a character says a word in the Native language I get completely taken out of the story because it’s hard to tell from context. I may skim to finish this one.. the story is good. Too bad it’s bogged down with so many details. It had a lot of potential but I’m moving on. DNF at 63 percent.

One of the many, many gems of this novel is that this is a contemporary book about Indigenous people, mainly the Ojibwe people. It centers them in the current world and focuses more on their future than their past - though the past is reflected in the experiences and circumstances of the present. Well round and complex, the characters are incredible and nuanced. The setting is so visceral and I appreciated how natural and powerful the Anishinaabe culture is within the pages. Incredible.

5 stars absolute perfection. I would read and recommend this book to every single person i know and love. This should be mandatory reading material for students during "thanksgiving"