I adored everything about this novel. The plot line was unexpected in the best way and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. The inclusion of the Ojibwe culture in such a holistic way was educational and enjoyable, as I related to a few aspects of the community. Boulley created three dimensional characters that I kept close to my heart, and continued to shock me with their shifting personalities and secrets. Daunis and Jamie’s fake dating, will they/won’t they relationship messed with my heart in the best way possible! Honestly, I spent so long reading this solely because I never wanted it to end. I rarely read mysteries and very rarely enjoy them but I’d recommend this one to everyone.

First off… I need to tell you: I was emotionally invested in Firekeeper’s Daughter on the first page. I read half of this novel on a Sunday and I was so excited to go to work on Monday to tell my classes all about it!

Daunis Fountaine is a young Native woman who has had setbacks in her life… From her father’s death to her grandmother’s illness, it seems there has always been grief in her life. She’s even decided to study at the local state school instead of U of Michigan where she might have had a chance to play hockey, if not for an old injury. She does have her loyal brother who is a star in his own right playing on the local high school All Star team called the Supes. It is at this moment that two things happen that will change her world. A new hockey player moves to town and there is an instant attraction. And soon after, Daunis witnesses the murder of her close friend by Lily’s drug-addict boyfriend.

There is so much depth and complexity to Boulley’s narrative. A quick list of the highlights: traditional Native medicine, hockey tactics, the language of the Ojibwe, the chemistry of meth, filial obligation… These are just a few of the topics explored in the book, and I could write pages and pages about how it aided the character development and moved the plot forward and helped to foreshadow the continued growth of Daunis as a young person. And I really want you to read this to find out for yourself!

I was continually blown away by the strength of all facets of Firekeeper’s Daughter. And my librarian at school knew about it on Monday, Ha! Two years ago I read another book that affected me in a similar way. Sadie by Courtney Summers is a book I have recommended over and over to people. And I will be doing the same with Firekeeper’s Daughter.

5 out of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Publishing, and the author for an advanced copy for review.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I couldn't put this one down! The writing was strong and clear, and the story kept turning in ways I didn't expect. I love the way the author wove the main character's culture and sense of place throughout the book, and I feel like I learned a lot while also enjoying a thrilling story. I was completely satisfied with this book, start to finish.

Firekeepers Daughter by Angeline Boulley was so incredibly beautiful, I could cry. It by far was the most impactful and powerful book I’ve read this year (and in general) but written in a way that was so easy to consumed, I just couldn’t put it down.

Firstly, I learned so much about the beautiful Anishinaabe tribe that I just felt like I was there taking it all in. The traditions and community in this story was just so utterly real and I couldn’t help but love everyone and everything about it. These characters were some of the most flushed out characters I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting and reading about. I cried so many times while reading Firekeepers Daughter because I felt like everyone was a part of my family and community.

Not only is this a YA thriller masterfully written with so many twists and turns and hints that I didn’t pick up until the end but it also shines a light on very important and very real problems that the Indigenous still face to this day.

Firekeepers Daughter was so much more then a young adult thriller. It was a nail biting, emotional rollercoaster that had me sad, happy and left with hope. I highly suggest this to anyone and everyone but maybe a more mature YA since there are a few trigger warnings.

Angelina Boulley is a debut author and I hope she never stops writing, I will most definitely pick up anything she ever releases!

CW: assault, drug abuse, grief, overdose and murder

Thank you Netgalley and McMillan Children's Publishing Group. I really enjoyed this book. For some reason it was giving me some Veronica Mars vibes in a way. I love the mystery and romance that was in this book.

On the outside, Firekeeper's Daughter is a thriller/crime drama. On that front, it delivers big time. You're constantly wondering who to trust and not trust and throwing theories around in your own head left and right. And once those first two puzzle pieces truly fit together, the adrenaline rush is non stop, the pit forming in your stomach is real, and you start to wonder if your eyes will actually pop out as revelation after revelation bowls you over.

Daunis is an 18 year old biracial, unenrolled tribal member who has lived her entire life trying to balance the two communities she comes from. After witnessing a shocking murder, she finds herself in the last position she ever expected - a confidential informant for an FBI investigation. The more she investigates, the more everything she learns threatens her community and the life she knows. But at the same time, Daunis learns more about herself, the woman she wants to be, and the people that truly always have her back.

Is this book a thriller? Yes. Is it also far more than that? Absolutely.

There is a line in the book where Daunis says, "...you haven't earned their stories." And the more I read, the more I felt that statement in my heart. For so many of us reading this book, we haven't earned this story. Because this isn't just a thriller meant to keep you on your toes. This is a story full of truth, pain, joy, sorrow, hope, the past, the present, and the future. There are histories here that are both beautiful and sad. There are traditions that remember and push forward with happiness. I cried in the midst of Daunis' joy and grief and strength. I cried realizing that a story, unearned and freely given, is a gift unlike any other.

Don't just read this book. Listen to the Firekeeper's Daughter's story.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Children's Publishing, and Henry Holt for providing copies of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Daunis Fontaine lives on the cusp of two worlds: the Anishinaabe world of her father and the other world occupied by her mother. She finds a home in both, though seems closer to the Native side. She has family there, and friends. She is invested in them and their culture. Her culture. She is as white as her mother, however, and sometimes finds it difficult to to fit in because of her skin color.

Jamie Johnson is new to town and falls in easily with the hockey crowd, becoming friends with Daunis’s brother, Levi. Daunis falls for him, quickly, but he’s acting suspiciously. After witnessing a murder, Daunis is drawn into an FBI investigation into the selling of meth among the different Native populations in the Upper Peninsula and into Canada. Her uncle, David, was also involved in the investigation and he died in suspicious circumstances a few months earlier. She is very smart and observant, and knows all the stories and secrets of the town.

The sense of community is wonderful and warm. Daunis finds family and friends in everyone, it’s so interconnected. She has support everywhere, for whatever she needs. And goodness, she’s going through a lot. First, the death of her uncle, which left her mother shattered and her grandmother in an assisted living facility because she had a stroke in the aftermath. Then, another death of someone close to her. She’s floundering, her Normal changing to the New Normal, and then to the Newer New Normal, as life does sometimes.

Between school and her new obligations, as well as grief and general stress over life, Daunis has trouble balancing everything. Her mind is constantly on the investigation and discovering new secrets about her tribe and her people. She is written out so intelligently and every other character has such a personality. I admire Daunis so much. She’s so strong and smart, throughout the story. She makes mistakes and she’s beautiful. Her connection with her community is something I admire and am deeply jealous of. I’ve never had a community, hardly even a family I could rely on. For her to have so many people on her side is enviable.

I was so intrigued by everything. I couldn’t think of where the story was going to go. It has so many possibilities and so much heartbreak. It’s full of angst and I love it. It’s also full of joy and community and healing and more hurting, too. About halfway through the book, I started to pick up on who was involved in the meth operation. I had my suspicions before then but they were confirmed at about that time.

I loved all the facts and stories Daunis shared about her people and the intersection between her mother’s family. It really helped to draw me in and entrench me in her thought process and motivations regarding the meth investigation, especially, and her feelings for Jamie, as well as her loyalty to her family, particularly her brother.

I didn’t mind the fake dating trope, though found the result too predictable. Also, it felt like Daunis just shrugged off her trauma, especially towards the end. This could be because of the large time jump at the end, where we fast forward into the aftermath and her future, skipping past much of the emotional recovery. I also would like a pronunciation guide to the language. Some of the words had this guide, as explained by Daunis to Jamie or someone else, but an intro or some extra bits after would be helpful, in addition to a glossary page. I was able to figure things out by context clues but having the information on hand would have been nice. The copy I received was an e-galley so I don’t know if, in its final printing, this was included.

There were also a few story lines that could have been fleshed out further. For something that I considered a big deal, we didn’t get to see any of the process behind the decision, only the result. Except not really the result, just the news on the decision made, not how it would impact Daunis’s life. And though Daunis was motivated by grief and the deaths of those closest to her, I felt her reactions could have been deeper, full of more feelings. Maybe her determination to help with the investigation tamped down on her grief a bit and made her more distant to her feelings. Or maybe her way of thinking and her cultural upbringing changed how she processed grief and loss.

Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt and Co. for the ARC!

I am honored to be a part of the Fierce Reads tour team for this truly groundbreaking novel by Angeline Boulley. There are not enough young adult books that capture the authentic and culturally significant issues of Native communities. Especially ones that take poignant current events and weave them into a gripping plot with well thought out themes for readers to stay immersed in. I am a bit on the fence on whether I would classify this as young adult simply due to the ages of the characters and certain scenarios, but I would still recommend this read to young adults and adults on either spectrum.

Boulley brought the heart of the Anishinaabe people into stunning perspective. Working through characters like Daunis who straddles the line of biracial acceptance in her community. I loved the strength and fire Boulley wrote into her character. Daunis is thrown into personally hard-hitting situations that not only solidified her connection to her culture as an Ojibwe woman, but steeled her resolve to be true to herself …her truth. I don’t think I’ve ever mentally cheered more for a character’s actions than I have for her.

I would not describe this an action-packed thriller with twists and turns at every chapter. It’s a slow build into the heart of Daunis’ world that is being uprooted by drugs. I highly recommend going in blind and taking your time. The writing style is easy to follow but richly steeped in Anishinaabe traditions and heritage. I loved learning about the customs, stories and aspects of their way of life and appreciated the raw reality of community issues. I sat on my review until today to really take in what I read. Even chatting with other reviewers on their thoughts and feelings. To me, this is so much more than just a YA thriller. This novel is unapologetic and often not easy to read, but more importantly it holds a present-day truth of what Native people struggle with within their communities and against government rules.

Though my great-grandparents were Cherokee, I did not have the privilege of growing up with beautiful traditions and culture and I find myself continually seeking out books with Native American influence to learn from. I hope Boulley writes more novels like this one and I highly recommend seeking out reviews from Own Voice readers to get a better understanding of the reality behind this storyline.

Thank you to Angeline Boulley and Fierce Reads for the stunning gifted copy and the ability to tour with such a great team. I also want to thank Libro.fm and Macmillan Audio for the advanced listener copy. The audio narrative is the perfect way to dive deep into the language and atmosphere of this novel. True rating 4.5/5.

Content mention: addiction, drugs, murder, rape, kidnapping

I was interested in this one as soon as I saw the gorgeous cover, but the title and the description also added to my intrigue. My first reaction was, “This book has everything!” It’s YA, and from an own voices/BIPOC perspective. It has romance, sports, crime, and other very relevant issues.

Our main character is Daunis Fontaine, who is half Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) and half white. She lives in the Upper Peninsula area of Michigan – which is significant, as people in her town cross the Canadian border with ease.

There is quite a bit of the usual teen drama here, including hating on exes and contemplating jobs/colleges. But Daunis has some extra weight hanging around such decisions, as her mom is currently taking care of her own mom after the loss of her brother. She has a complicated family history, in which her white side hasn’t always been kind to (or even accepting of) her Ojibwe side. She is close to her half-brother, who is a local hockey star. Daunis herself played, until an injury cut her hockey career short. She is still close to the players, though, both past and present.

She is also close to her father’s sister, who plays a prominent role in the story. Aunt Teddie is one of Daunis’ closest ties to her Indigenous side’s histories and traditions. Her best friend Lily, and Lily’s grandma, are also great windows into this culture.

The action really picks up after Daunis witnesses a murder. She hadn’t realized that the FBI had been running an undercover investigation in her area already, and gets roped into being an informant. The investigation is concerned with drugs being made and distributed in the area. The effects that drugs are having on her friends and former teammates is the primary reason Daunis agrees to get involved. She questions her involvement often – especially as it involves not being honest with her family at times – but keeps coming back to the idea of helping her community.

There are some hard truths presented at the end that are very frustrating, but realistic. Not every strand in this story gets wrapped up in a positive or convenient fashion. That’s not to say there isn’t sufficient wrap-up here, because I think the author leaves Daunis in a good place, ultimately. But you will be angry at some of the injustices left bare.

I loved this book, even when I wanted to yell at it. There is a whole community of interesting characters, which feels a lot like the reality of growing up in a tight-knit community. The females are mostly fierce, which I’m all for. While the main characters are in their late teens, there are good representations of people of all ages.

This book comes out on March 16th, through MacMillan. I was able to read an advanced digital copy through Netgalley. Also, it is already slated to be adapted for the screen on Netflix.

Maybe I've just lucked out with my advanced reader copies from #netgalley, but I really haven't had a bad book yet. But this book, THIS BOOK, was incredible.

✨ B O O K R E V I E W✨

Daunis Fontaine is 18 years old, a half white-half Ojibwe former hockey player, future college student dealing with a boatload of family trauma.

Then her best friend is murdered in front of her.

Despite the fear of government interference in her community, Daunis becomes a confidential informant for the FBI, putting herself in danger to save her community.

This book reminded me of the Nancy Drew novels that I loved in high school, but definitely a new and improved version. The character development is spot on and the interplay between her community and the larger society was incredible.

Daunis is logical, devoted, kind, tenacious. She's become one of my favorite protagonists, and I know this book will be one of my top reads of the year. It came out today, and my class copy AND home copy are pre-ordered already. I want everyone I know to read this. It's that good!

Thanks to #netgalley for an advanced copy!

I truly do not have the words to do this incredible book justice. Frankly, you probably don’t even need me to. It’s a Reese Witherspoon Spring YA Pick, soon to be adapted at Netflix with Barack and Michelle Obama’s production company Higher Ground, and pretty much every person who’s read it is screaming from the rooftops. Because it truly is that good.

But on the off chance you’re still somehow not convinced, I’ll do my damnedest here. I am going to list the myriad of things that made me fall in love with this book:

•It defies typical genre categorization. It’s not one genre, it’s every genre. (Fine not “every”, but you get my point.) No matter what sort of story you’re drawn to, I promise it’s contained in this book. There is truly something for everyone here.

•The emotions, I have them all. This story made me laugh, cry, squeal with glee, and have basically every other possible emotion under the sun. To say I fell hard for Daunis and her story would be an obscene understatement- I was so invested that I could hardly tear myself away from the pages. You know how they say that authors pour their souls into their books? I could feel the soul-pouring that the author did here. It radiates through every page, and is translated in a stunningly emotional experience for the reader.

•Daunis is just an incredible character. Don’t get me wrong, I fell in love with many of the side characters as well. But Daunis shines. I could feel her internal struggles, understand her decisions and her thoughts, and was completely connected to her as a character. And, like I said, I was also quite invested in the characters in Daunis’s life, as well. The relationship building was just as strong as the character development, and I loved reading about Daunis building new relationships, as well as tending to her current ones.

•I was all in for the mystery element! There were some incredible twists that I plain old did not see coming! One or two earlier on I did, and thought I was smart, only to have the rug pulled out from me later, which frankly is my favorite.

•The Native cultural representation was phenomenal and immersive. Learning about other cultures is absolutely a highlight of reading, but the immersion I felt in this book was next level. I learned a lot, and it was so wonderful to be able to read Daunis’s experiences from her point of view, and also to read about some of the experiences of her whole community.

•A big part of Daunis’s story is her figuring out who she is and who she wants to be, and making some very difficult choices. Daunis has always felt like a bit of an outsider because her mother is white and her father is Native. Because her mother’s family isn’t Native, Daunis isn’t a full tribe member, but nor does she feel like she fits with her mother’s rich French family. Add to it that she’s trying to figure out her next step in life, and is dealing with some pretty serious stuff throughout the book, clearly Daunis is going through it. And in the midst of all of these elements which would be hard on their own, Daunis has to make some truly life changing decisions that will affect not just her, but her whole community.

•There are a lot of serious issues here, but handled in a really appropriate way. This is a beautiful story, but it has some very dark moments. I do think that the author handled them beautifully, though. Some of what you read will infuriate you. I hope it does, because it should. You’ll see some vile mistreatment of women, of Native people in general, and especially of Native women. It’s so hard to read, but equally necessary.

•It’s just a damn good story. Any of the above items listed would be enough to make it a new favorite, but the book was also just plain entertaining. I couldn’t put it down, and stayed up until after 2am to finish it. So objectively it’s awesome, but also from my own completely subjective opinion, I really, really loved it.
Bottom Line: Every so often, a novel comes around that turns the book world upside down and changes everything. This is that novel.

This was such a beautiful story. On the surface, it's a thrilling YA murder mystery with shocking twists that will keep you guessing until the very end. At its heart, this is a story of family, community, strength, love, and tradition filled with the richness and celebration of Ojibwe culture.

Boulley weaves an elegant tale of a biracial, Native teen and hockey star, Daunis, who doesn't quite fit in, both in her hometown of Sault Ste. Marie and on the nearby Ojibwe reservation. When she bears witness to a shocking murder, Daunis becomes determined to root out the corruption in her community and ensure the safety of its members. Along the way, she also meets Jamie, a newcomer to town who is definitely hiding something, and together they begin to piece things together and fall in love.

"I sought to write about identity, loss, and injustice... and also of love, joy, connection, friendship, hope, laughter, and the beauty and strength in my Ojibwe community." // "With Daunis, I wanted to give Native teens a hero who looks like them, whose greatest strength is her Ojibwe culture and community." - Angeline Boulley, Author's Note

I was moved by so many things and tiny moments in this story. Angeline just has a way with words. I would encourage everyone to pick up this book!

Steamometer: ❤️- Beautiful and heartwarming with stolen kisses, secret rendezvous, and the promise of Someday.

CW: murder/suicide, drug use, assault/sexual assault, addiction

Thank you Fierce Reads, MacMillian, and Angeline Boulley for my advanced copy.

Thank you Fierce Reads/Henry Holt/Macmillan for my eARC of FIREKEEPER'S DAUGHTER by Angeline Boulley, and to LibroFM for the advanced listening copy of the audiobook narrated by Isabelle Star LaBlanc

I started the book cold, as in I didn't know the synopsis. I actually didn't know much beyond that it was a YA thriller/mystery, and a debut novel. For me, that made my experience all the better.

Not sure where to start with my review, so I'm just going to hit the highlights -
- Daunis's character growth over the course of the novel. She goes from seeing things as an either/or scenario to realizing that there is room for ambiguity.
- Daunis's scientific mind, and thinking process.
- Community, and the respect for the elders
- Daunis teaching Jamie about the Ojibwe tribe, allowed me to learn so much.

As a person of color, I know that it is not the author's job to teach me, the reader, about their culture. I very much appreciate the time Boulley took to teach us about the culture of the Ojibwe, the struggles, the politics, the racism.

There were some parts of the book that were difficult for me as a reader (there's a reason that I don't read/watch suspense/thrillers/mysteries regularly), for those parts, I'm glad that I had a copy of the audiobook to get me through. I really enjoyed Isabelle's take on Daunis. How Daunis always maintained a calm and cool headedness in situations where most people would panic, or otherwise lose their cool. Bonus, by listening to the audio, I did not need to struggle with pronouncing the Nish words in my head.

The conclusion of the book comes at you rapidly, and I love that it is not tied up in a bow. It's both satisfactory, at the same time it leaves you wanting more. I do hope that Daunis and Jamie get their "someday"

Content Warning: drugs, sexual abuse, death, grief, guns, murder-suicide

I just want to start this review by saying THIS BOOK IS EVERYTHING!!!!! What a phenomenal debut novel. The writing is beautiful and lyrical and the suspense is thrilling. I could not put this book down once I got to the halfway point, it was so addictive. This book more than lives up to and deserves all the hype. Angeline Boulley is a fresh voice and I cannot wait to see what else she gifts us with as her career grows.

There were so many aspects that I loved about this book. I loved learning more about Native American culture, specifically related to the Ojibwe tribe. I am not the target audience for this book, but there were so many aspects of Daunis that I could relate to and I truly believe that everybody that reads this book will find some way to be able to relate to the characters and/or events in this book. Specifically, I related to Daunis' reason for not playing hockey anymore because it was the same thing that happened to me in my life. I understood the pain of having to make that decision to give up a sport you love and the difficulty of having to move forward in a life that hasn't quite gone according to plan. I also loved the setting of this book. The Upper Peninsula (UP) is a gorgeous area and Sault St. Marie is a beautiful city. Having grown up in the Midwest where it's common to head up to the UP for trips in the Winter and I loved being able to be immersed in a book that created a bit of a nostalgia factor when I was reading it. The fact that hockey, my favorite sport, was a huge part of the story was so exciting for me to read.

This book does not shy away from dark and emotional topics and Boulley does go into detail about many difficult issues that have had and continue to have a profound effect on Native Americans here in the US. Racism, injustice, sexual assault, violence against women, and drug use are all topics that are addressed in this book that ends up being both an emotional gut punch and also a celebration of Native American joy and being proud of one's culture. I honestly believe that this is a book that everyone should read and it's one that should be taught in schools. It is that profound.

Thank you MacMillan Children's Publishing Group and Netgally for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a fantastic book! FIREKEEPER'S DAUGHTER is a young adult mystery novel set in a present-day indigenous community in Michigan's upper peninsula. While it gets off to a slow start, the pacing picks up suddenly and doesn't let go. Our hero, Daunis, has her hands full with her personal life even before she stumbles into a murder mystery. Her history is shrouded in scandal, and being biracial, she grapples with a sense of belonging in her community. Plus, she's dealing with a recent death in her family, a sick grandmother, her athletic regimen, and preparing for college. To top it all off, she's feeling the spark of romance with the mysterious new boy who has a long-distance girlfriend.

The plot is full of twists and reveals and a good amount of trauma, so please check trigger warnings if you think you might need them. It's just as emotionally intense as it is dark and suspenseful. A huge bonus is that we get a glimpse of the community's culture, both in the religion and traditions of the Ojibwe people and in the ways they've been harmed and continue to be harmed by colonialism.

My only complaint is related to the slow start, and it's that I think the book is trying to do a bit too much. The plot has so many threads and requires quite a bit of introduction before the main action happens, and thus it's also a lot to keep straight throughout the reading experience. I can only assume the author wanted to give a well-rounded impression of this community, and while I certainly do appreciate it, reader beware that this might not be breezy mystery read. That being said, it's massively impressive, and I enjoyed it quite a bit!

There is little way this book will be topped in 2021 reads. This was a great read. The first portion of the book was entertaining and sets the stage. However, it comes across as a lighter hearted hockey read. Then boom. The rest of the book is a race to the end. Pure crazy, unpredictable, engaging, fun, interesting read. One of the best books I've read in a very long time.

I came into this expecting some sort of fantasy angle and I'm walking away with my mind blown at how real and hard this story hits. Not only does Boulley give a painfully realistic glimpse at the sad truth of drug use in reservations, but she also holds nothing back with how awfully the tribes are treated by everyone from law enforcement to supposed friends.
At its heart, this is a story about relationships, loss, and learning to let go. Daunis is a great character to lead the reader through the story because her biracial origins mean that she's not really seen as part of either group and it helps highlight the prejudice and ignorance in a way that I'd never seen before. She is at a point where life just keeps hitting her with loss and she has to learn to navigate that while facing hard truths. As she puts herself at risk to help find out who is spreading drugs on the reservation, she also starts to learn that love can also blind you to the truth.
I also loved how the love story ends and I think it's a great example of how to approach a relationship in a healthy way. I would give this five stars just for that detail.
Overall, this is a great story with phenomenal writing and a very human and emotional angle to a couple of hard topics. I highly recommend it.

Many happy thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) for the early read!

This cover is absolutely gorgeous! This was one of my most anticipated reads and I am so glad I was able to pick it up to read it! It is a stunning young adult novel that kept me captivated from the beginning to the very end.

Daunis is a half white, half Ojibwe teen living in Sault Ste Marie. She straddles two communities - her mother's wealthy, white French family who lives in town and her deceased father's Ojibwe family who lives on the nearby reservation. When Daunis witnesses a drug-fueled murder, she is drawn into an undercover FBI operation as a confidential informant. As she begins investigating her friends and community, she finds herself in more danger than she could have anticipated. Tackling romance, drug abuse, sexual assault, family, social justice issues, and coming of age, this hard-hitting - and at times gut-wrenching - thriller is unlike anything else I've ever read. Watching Daunis come into her own - and come to terms with the issues facing her community while also celebrating and owning her heritage and traditions - is beautiful. An absolute must read.

"Everything has strings attached. Unintended consequences. The shove from behind that you never saw coming."

This book is YA but it didn't feel YA to me. It was dealing with so many adult issues from the viewpoint of a high school student.

Daunis Fontaine is part of the Ojibwe community in Michigan where hockey is life. When one of her friends is tragically murdered in front of her she gets pulled into something she wasn't aware was right under her nose. An insidious disease that was eating her community from the inside out. She slowly uncovers more clues as more people are found dead. Who is dealing to her community? Also, are there really criptids involved or are there hallucinogenics? 

The spiritual journey that they described that the soul takes, the four day journey was so beautiful. I will tell you when I laid on my Dad and felt his last breath I walked up and down the hallways of the hospital smiling and telling him how much I loved him hoping he was lingering. I was also an emotional 6 month pregnant mess and needed my Daddy. 

I love the way Daunis thinks, problem solves. She doesn't want to quick fix but to fix this problem into the next seven generations. The way we should all try to think when acting for our community and world, not only for the immediate but the future impact. Her hopeful outlook is inspiring and I loved the degree path she chose.

There was also a fake relationship with an undercover agent which got a little blurred the closer they got.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Miigwetch Net Galley and Henry Holt Books for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review. 

I loved reading their language and cultural traditions, daily rituals, family structures, her memories. It was all so beautiful. 

Mixed in with the horribly tragic events. Women should be defended when men violate their bodies. Full stop. There shouldn't be protections for him to be a predator. 

TW: drug abuse, suicide, rape