Angeline Boulley's debut ownvoices novel, Firekeeper's Daughter is a riveting and fantastic read. The turbulent emotions I felt even after I finished reading last night. One thing I want to say that this novel exceeds my expectations and it's probably one of my favorite books published this year.

The story follows Daunis Fontaine, and 18-year old Ojibwe girl living with her white mother. In the midst of that, comes with a heart-wrenching dilemma that would impact her life and identity. Through Daunis' perspective, I'm glad I got to learn and shape my understanding about the Objiwe community.

Full review to come around release date.

Thank you so much to the publisher for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Firekeeper’s Daughter struck a place close to home that I didn’t expect. Daunis, the main character is biracial (half white and half indigenous). As a biracial reader, I really related to her experience of limbo between two cultures she cares deeply for, and struggling to belong to both. I’m not Indigenous, but I’m half Chinese and I think the biracial representation is pretty universal.

This book is heavier than I expected as it tackles some heavy subject matter including racism, sexual violence, violence against women, drug/alcohol addiction, and grief. It was hard for me to read at around the 70% mark because of the sexual violence and the off-page rape scene, so I think it’s important for reader to know about the content matter before diving into this book.

My only criticism was the pacing of the book, sometimes it felt like so much was happening that it was hard to keep up, and other times it dragged a bit. But overall, I think Firekeeper’s Daughter is an amazing crime thriller combined with a coming of age story that is filled with rich traditions and customs of the Ojibwe tribe.

Even though it is only March, I can say without a doubt that Firekeeper's Daughter will be one of my favorite books this year. Before I even finished the book, I ordered a hardcopy to have in my collection and reread.

Firekeeper's Daughter is a powerful and stunning debut novel about truth, family, and tribal community. It is a compulsive and emotional story that intertwines Ojibwe history, principles, and beliefs with current issues affecting tribal communities.

Firekeeper's Daughter wrecked me emotionally. From Daunis's coming to terms with her split identity as both Anishnaabe (Ojibwe) and Zhaaganaash (English/white person) to grappling with traumatic events, Boulley creates characters that are real and relatable. Her writing is propulsive and intoxicating. My heart was full with love, hate, disappointment, and pride as I read Daunis's journey. I think this book will touch everyone's soul as it did mine.

I loved learning about Ojibwe traditions, beliefs, and community. As I try to read more Indigenous/Native literature this year, I have found enjoyment in learning these things and wishing that more attention is paid to the atrocities and continued oppression Natives face in this country. I really appreciated how Boulley highlights pervasive occurrences, such as the murder of and violence against Native women, as well as legal issues that arise from tribal governments' limited reach.

My only piece of constructive criticism is that I wish that the book had a glossary to define Anishinaabemowin terms. I ended up Googling a lot for those that there was not enough context to make a solid guess at their meaning. Since this was an uncorrected galley, it is possible that this will be added to the final print.

Overall, I loved Firekeeper's Daughter so much. I will be recommending it to everyone I know. I am often hesitant to read YA or new adult fiction, but I think this is a story that is for all audiences.

I had really no idea what to expect from this novel. I picked it up because of the cover and it did not disappoint. The story and its descriptions kept me engaged and guessing until the very end. I also loved how steeped in Native American culture this story was and how the main character, Daunis, is stuck in this limbo because she comes from two different worlds (one white parent, one native parent). Daunis is such a strong, empowering character...even without meaning to. She stuck by her values and even in the face of conflict and danger, never wavered. I loved how smart and dedicated she was to embracing her indigenous side. I will be recommending this novel to every reader I know.

Firekeeper's Daughter felt so powerful, raw, and important. It immerses you in Native American culture, traditions, and community. As someone who does not know much about Native cultures, I loved this aspect of the book as it created such a rich world full of new (to me) language and ideas. This book also heavily focused on justice for missing and murdered Indigenous women and offered a powerful insight to the drug and addiction issues that Native communities face.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book but I knew I was intrigued. Although it's a YA novel, the topics covered are very heavy so please see the content warnings. I thought the book felt a bit slow in some areas in the beginning but after the 40% mark I could not put this down. If you're interested in crime or mystery, I think you'll like this.

Thank you to NetGalley, Henry Holt, and MacMillan's Children's Publishing Group for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Content Warnings: drug abuse, addiction, gun violence, sexual assault (on-page/brief), kidnapping, grief, mention of drug overdose

This book hooked me immediately and the integration of legend with stark reality kept me reading. Boulley created vivid characters who were flawed and so very human. I have already been recommending this book everywhere!

I would like to start out this review by thanking @EpicReads and @AngelineBoulley for sending me this stunning hardcover copy of Firekeeper's Daughter for review and allowing me to join the blog tour.

I will admit this was one of the hardest books to review. I struggle to say that I "enjoyed" this book because it is very dark and hard-hitting. That being said, I think that it is a very important story that the world needs. Going into this book I did not have very much knowledge of native culture and I felt like I learned so much within this book. We definitely need more #OwnVoices native stories. That being said I would encourage you to search for Own Voice reviews of Firekeeper's Daughter!

This was a HEAVY book and was one I needed to set down and walk away from a few times. It tackles some HUGE topics without holding back. At times this book made me angry and uncomfortable, but I think that was a good thing and made me really look at the issues this book is addressing within native communities. I will have content warnings down below in a separate comment for you to be aware of before diving head first into this book.

Overall I wouldn't say this was an unenjoyable reading experience though. The writing was absolutely beautiful, the culture was rich and interesting, and the second half of the book had me flying through the pages unable to stop. The last 100 pages I couldn't stop. I was on the edge of my seat and couldn't wait to see how things wrapped up.

I would warn that I personally think this book fits more into the "new adult" age range than "young adult". Our two main characters are 18 and 22 and as I previously stated there is some heavy themes explored throughout.

Overall I think if this book sounds like a plot you would like to pick up, then you absolutely should. I am so glad this is a story I read and have added to my collection.

I want to thank @netgalley and @henryholtbooks for the opportunity to review this #OwnVoices book. As someone who’s father grew up on a reservation but otherwise has very little to claim for that heritage (my middle name only I think). I have struggled with the Native American part of my identity for as long as I understood what that part of me means.

This is a YA novel about Daunis Firekeeper. Daunis’s father is Native and her mother is Zhaaganaash (non-native, an English person) and she struggles to fit in to each side of her family. When Daunis gets wrapped up in an FBI investigation she has to dig down deep for both of her roots. This story is filled with so many things, family, identity, Native American history and culture. I was so moved by so many profound parts, especially the injustices Native members face. Also for a YA thriller, I thought those parts were done great too. I never guessed what was going on (I did have a few wrong guesses in typical dyanna fashion).

“It’s your identity but it gets defined or controlled by other people.”

Y’all I related to this one more then anything I’ve ever read. For whatever complicated human reasons, I know absolutely no one one of my dad’s family. Which is likely one of the biggest reasons I struggled to hold on to that part of my identity. As I grew older I embraced more, knowing that you don’t LOSE your identity, not one with roots that deep anyway. My dad is a quiet, stoic man so it’s extremely difficult to pry some things out of him, especially his life on the reservation. That being said, I wondered constantly about his time there. Wishing I could go there and meet my relatives, meet my grandmother with the last name Two Feathers.

This is an amazing debut and I encourage everyone to read it!

I don't normally read thrillers or crime-solving novels, but I like watching them. With its focus on solving crimes, I was immediately reminded of Veronica Mars--which I loved. Daunis and Veronica are both smart and savvy teens trying to solve crimes associated with a murder in their community. Daunis's voice is reminiscent of Veronica's and is centered around the scientific method. While it was slow to start, I became fully immersed in the novel and Daunis's life. There was a lot to digest in the beginning and also a few instances when things were a bit confusing due to a lot of different things going on in Daunis's life. I enjoyed the richness of the culture, the respect in which it was presented, and the inclusion of so many stories, words, and phrases, all showcasing why it's crucial to publish more books by authors of color. Boulley deftly explored multiple themes through including culture, acceptance, grief, and trauma, leaving me with a range of feelings after finishing the novel. I enjoyed it and would recommend it.

First of all, thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing for providing me with an ARC.

When I first heard that Firekeeper's Daughter was a YA mystery/thriller I knew I wanted to read it as that's one of my favorite genres. However, this story is so much more than that.

The story follows 18-year-old Daunis, who is a half-white, half-Anishinaabe women. Throughout the book you observe Daunis' identity struggle with being biracial and wanting to connect more with her Ojibwe culture. Angeline Boulley herself is indigenous and I loved seeing the representation and culture within this book.

After witnessing a life changing accident Daunis is thrown into an FBI investigation. During this investigation she discovers things about herself and those close to her. I really liked that Daunis was a strong female protagonist and that she also underwent lots of character development. Boulley did not shy away from talking about difficult topics such as racism, substance abuse, etc. This book really opens up discussions about the struggles within Daunis' life.

The only thing I will say is that at times it felt like an info dump. I think the story really picked up in the second half.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants to immerse themselves within the culture, but be sure to look up trigger warnings as the book covers heavy topics.

Daunis doesn't fit into either life- not her white mother's life, nor her father's Native American life. Going away to college was supposed to give her a chance to start over, but after illness and tragedy hits her family, she decides to stay near home for college. After meeting Jamie, a new hockey player, her life seems to pick up a little, but this nice, cute boy has a girlfriend waiting for him back home. Daunis refuses to be "That Girl" and interfere in a relationship, but with how charming and nice Jamie is, it's hard to ignore him. When a murder occurs and Daunis is one of the only witnesses, she's thrown into an FBI murder investigation involving Ojibwe medicine and drugs.

This book was so, so good. I felt pain for Daunis as she navigated the reality of not belonging fully to either half of her heritage. She's alone, different, and misunderstood. I really enjoyed getting immersed in the culture and language, even though it was difficult to get into at first due to all the foreign words. After the first 20% of the book or so, we are really thrown into the mystery and action portion of this novel, which I absolutely adored. I fell in love with so many of the characters and I felt Daunis' love for her Elders, family, and friends. I could not recommend this book more to lovers of thrillers, mysteries, and OwnVoices fiction that have the perfect sprinkling of romance mixed in.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for giving me the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review. This review will also be posted on my Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/bookish.marissa/) on March 14, 2021.

Firekeeper's Daughter is a young adult thriller/coming of age story that undeniably lives up to the massively positive critical and audience reception. This story is centered around a Daunis, a teenage girl who feels like an outsider in the communities that she inhabits, as she navigates her world and winds up as a confidential informant in an FBI operation. Being able to learn about life in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and especially Ojibwe culture really made this book special. And there's lots of hockey stuff! The story goes to places that are in turns touching, unexpected, stomach-turning, and shocking.

There are a lot of dark subjects here (drug use, murder, death, rape) so that is just something to keep in mind before getting started. Would still very much recommend.

There is so much to absorb in Angeline Boulley’s debut novel. The storyline is excellent, that of a girl beginning her college education being recruited by the FBI as an informer helping to track down the meth that is targeting tribal members. The slow start to the book is most appreciated as you end the story. The early pages set the stage for the Ojibwe way of life as it meets the needs of current tribal members. Daunis Firekeeper is an excellent protagonist. For a young woman, she has an amazing respect for her culture. Her mother is white, her father was Ojibwe. Never marrying Daunis’s white mother, he married a native woman and is later killed. Daunis’s half-brother, Levi, plays a major role in the story, both in the meth issue and hocky. If you live right next to Canada, in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Ice hockey rules supreme. If it were just the story plot of capturing the bad meth distributers, the story would be still good, but when you add in Daunis’s observations about a native culture that works to make women self-confident leaders, her respect for elders and the look at science and traditional medicine it becomes almost required reading. There’s a lot of violence in the book, violence against women and violence toward each other. One of my favorite parts is the Women’s Circle, who at night take a man who has mistreated a woman to a secluded area and hand out their own form of justice. The book is aimed at audiences 14 years old and up. It would make an excellent mother-daughter bookclub selections. And as Daunis knows the value (literally keeping her from dying) of strong and worthy elders, a discussion from different points of view would add to the enjoyment of the story. While many would say this is a plot driven story, without the variety and strengths and weaknesses of the characters, the story would not have the depth it does.

I can’t stop thinking about this book, you guys. It’s an own voices YA thriller with indigenous representation and if that doesn’t pull you in, let me tell you what I loved about it:

•Daunis is a badass, fierce young woman who loves hard and appreciates the history of her tribe. Even though she’s an unenrolled tribal member, she is fully submerged in her culture.

•The romance aspect didn’t overshadow, but added to the main topic: investigating the meth ring that’s causing the deaths of young locals.

•I loved the parts where Daunis would teach Jamie about the Ojibwe tribe because it was such a fun learning experience for me. The author is a wonderful storyteller and she wove in so much history, stories, and traditions/customs of her people. I especially liked learning about the four day journey after death before they have a funeral.

•The mystery was intriguing and kept me turning the pages. I was shocked at the reveal!

I received a widget from @netgalley but I’m 100% preordering so I can have a physical copy of this amazing debut. This would be a perfect book club choice.

Really enjoyed this suspenseful story of family, lies, finding yourself, and trusting your elders.
Boulley captures Northern Michigan and the hockey culture perfectly.

"Grief is a cruel and sneaky bastard. You love a person and then they're gone. Past tense. You forget them for an hour, a day, a week. How is that even possible? It happens because memories are fickle; they can fade."
I went into this powerful story knowing nothing but it was as impactful as The Hate U Give. That's the perfect description because this entire book shook my soul to its core. I cried so much for Daunis and her loved ones. I'll never stop recommending this book for everyone to read. It forced me to acknowledge just how little I know about Indigenous people, and I will do better with my own education going forward.
"Lust doesn't last, but herpes is forever."
My all time favorite quote from this book! I HAD to include it to show that this book isn't solely about serious, painful things. It has humor and light amidst the darkness.
Now this story begins in 2004 in Michigan with Daunis toeing the line between her two worlds: her father's Indigenous side and her mother's white side. She's a biracial woman, who never knows how to truly satisfy both even into adulthood. Daunis is also suffering from her Uncle's recent death (believed overdose) and her grandmother's stroke.
All bad things come in three, and Daunis is certainly not wrong in this regard.
I think the reason this book hit me so intensely is partly because Daunis reminded me of myself. Now I'm not Indigenous, so I can never comprehend that or her mixed heritage, but her torn emotions (both good and bad) felt very akin to some of my own feelings in my personal life. Her wit, joy, sadness. Her rage for a better reality than what she's given. Her love for everyone even when they don't deserve it. And her pain for her Indigenous community. She's so visceral; it was unreal at times.
Angeline is definitely a powerful writer.
Moreover, I would consider this YA Mystery/ Crime fiction so, as such, please go into this blind. I think you'll enjoy it better because you'll be placed further into Daunis's feelings/ lack of knowledge to everything initially happening around her. It'll be more atmospheric for sure, and it's the path I chose.
Anyway, from Daunis's passion for hockey to her detective skills, I adored her. I hope all of you take a chance to learn her story because it will stay with you forevermore. The Anishinaabe are not the only Indigenous people to suffer with racism or substance abuse, so I think as a whole that's the most important note to learn from this book. In the U.S. we are hardly privy to their culture/ experiences in the media, and it's important to spread the knowledge for, hopefully, everyone to know.
Trigger Warnings: Meth addiction, murder, PTSD, kidnapping, rape, drug overdose, suicide

Firekeeper's Daughter is the rare piece of YA fiction that feels like its genre designation can't possibly encompass everything that this story is, and will likely mean to those who read it. A powerful and thoughtful tale of an 18-year-old Native American woman who confronts the dangerous impact of the drug trade within her community, this book is honestly like nothing else you will read this year..

Full review to come next week on Culturess.com.

Angeline Boulley is a former co-worker of mine, and though I don’t know her well, I was excited for her first novel to come out, and even more excited to receive an advanced review copy. I hoped I wouldn’t be disappointed, and I wasn’t. In fact, this book was everything I could ask for, with its rich cultural background, well-developed characters and a riveting story.

Daunis Fontaine is an 18-year-old living in the Sault Ste. Marie area of the Upper Michigan Peninsula, near the Canadian border. As a biracial teen, Daunis straddles two worlds and doesn’t quite fit in either. Her father, who she barely knew, is from the Ojibwe tribe. Daunis cares deeply about the tribe and its culture, but struggles to find her place as an unenrolled member with skin that is seen as too light.

She was getting ready to leave home for college when her uncle died and her grandmother had a stroke. Now she feels she needs to stay for her family. She also struggles with trust issues, especially where romantic relationships are concerned. Her best friend has a disastrous relationship with her ex, who’s a meth addict, and Daunis’ own first love ended badly. Into that mix comes Jamie, a new recruit on the hockey team and a friend of her half-brother Levi.

This book is considered YA, and at first I thought it might be a little young for me. As I got into it, I changed my mind. Daunis may think like an 18-year-old, but the world she’s living in is so complicated, there is nothing “young” about this story. Sadly, she’s forced to be much older than she should be. Daunis’ struggle to understand what it means to be a “strong Ojibwe woman” is impacted by the persistent racism around her and the effects of years of trauma inflicted on her people (such as the Boarding Schools).

In addition to the layers I’ve already described, Boulley also writes about gender inequities and abuse in a way that felt very real (for example, the idolization of sports figures and the pervasiveness of sexual assault).

The first half moves a bit slowly, as there’s a lot of background to explain, and quite a bit of detail about Ojibwe culture and traditions. Then the story develops into a mystery-thriller about drug use on the reservation, and I couldn’t put it down, reading the entire second half in one night and staying up much later than I meant to. I love a mystery where the author incorporates a lot of research, and it’s clear that Boulley did her research, from the making of meth, to the operations of an FBI investigation, to botany and the scientific method. Even hockey was written about in a level of detail that made feel I was right there. For some readers this might be a bit much, but I loved it.

I particularly loved the author’s use of tribal language throughout the book, and the idea that how we use words matter. At the same time, the way the young characters talked to each other, particularly through texts, felt natural and modern, and there are references to pop culture from the early 2000s (when the book is set) throughout. At one point early in the book there was a conversation that seemed really stilted and didn’t feel real – and then it turns out there’s a reason for that.

The title refers not only to Daunis’ paternal ancestry, but to a tribal myth about the Firekeeper’s daughter. She starts each day by singing and raises the sun – but to Daunis this feels like a burden, and she’s bothered by the fact that the daughter in the story never has her own identity, not even a name.

Boulley brings us a really thoughtful story, not just about romance but about family and finding one’s own identity. This is the kind of book where you’ll find much to identify with, and at the same time you’ll learn so much about a world you don’t know. I particularly appreciated that the characters had layers and flaws, particularly Daunis and Jamie, and none of the relationships were oversimplified (Daunis’ relationship with her mother is a good example).

I wish this book had given us an afterword as I would have liked to know more about Boulley’s influences and research. From interviews, I know that much of this book is based on her own upbringing and heritage, but I’d love to know more.

Congrats to Angeline Boulley on a fantastic first novel, and I look forward to reading her next one.

Note: I received an advance reading copy of this novel from NetGalley and publisher Henry Holt and Co. The book publishes March 16, 2021.

Words cannot express how much this book moved me. Daunis was an amazingly strong woman and the love she had for others was truly unmatched. I loved getting to learn more about the Ojibwe community and how so many aspects of Daunis's life as a Native woman were intertwined throughout the entire story. The characters were complex and the story, though immensely tragic at times, was so real. The story is light and funny at times while never shying away from addressing the important issues Native communities all around the country face, from drug problems to violence against women. Daunis's experience being biracial and the otherness that comes with it was really touching and it was hard to see how she faced backlash from both communities, making it hard for her to really feel like she had a place. The women in the story were strong and inspiring in their ability to withstand so much. The mystery was really exciting at times, despite the immense tragedy it left in its wake, and Jamie's character was immensely complex and interesting. The story in this book is captivating while still addressing important and sometimes hard to talk about topics all while taking place in one of many communities too often ignored in America.

TL;DR: I loved everything about this book--the gripping murder and drug crime mystery-thriller plotline; the incredibly well-crafted cast of characters; and the gorgeous and powerful Ojibwe community setting. My rating: 5 of 5 stars

CW: addiction, gun violence, sexual violence

One of my favorite things to do in late December and early January is google “most anticipated” book release lists for the upcoming year and making my own narrowed-down list of releases I’m most excited for. Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley was one of my most, most anticipated, even more so when I found out it will be adapted for a Netflix series.

Recently I’ve been studying for the Praxis exam that many aspiring English teachers must take for certification. My study guide included a list of canonical American literature texts to teach, which didn’t include a single indigenous author. Students need more stories centering Native perspectives, and I’m so, so excited for this debut, and whatever Boulley writes next.

Beyond its YA appeal, I wholeheartedly recommend this book to adult readers as well. Firekeeper’s Daughter is a page-turning mystery and a joy to read! Its depictions of grief, family, and community are beautiful and relatable. It also tackles some serious issues with the weight they deserve, including addiction, racism, sexual violence, and the failures of systems of governance and criminal justice. One of this book’s greatest strengths is its huge cast of well-developed characters. The most lovable were the Anishinaabe kwe (Ojibwe women)—recent high school grad Daunis, who discovers strength in her family, her culture, and her community; Daunis’s best friend Lily and Lily’s feisty grandmother Granny June, who shares a delightfully raunchy sense of humor with her granddaughter; and Daunis’s Aunt Teddie, known for her leadership in her tribal community despite an alluded to rebellious youth. A ton of other brilliantly written side-characters come to mind as well—Daunis’s frenemy Macy, who Daunis nonetheless acts to protect out of sisterly and Anishinaabe solidarity; smarmy Zhaaganaash (white) hockey dad, Grant Edwards; and a cast of colorful tribal elders, like Jonsy, who is obsessed with collecting vintage glass bottles at an abandoned landfill. Even Daunis’s Uncle David, who is deceased at the start of the novel, is brought to life through Daunis’s recollections and unraveling of the mystery of his death. The only exceptions were two of main male characters—Daunis’s brother Levi and her mysterious love interest Jamie—who were more reminiscent of YA tropes like “the popular jock” and “the mysterious bad boy.”

This book expertly explores the complexities of life as a biracial youth. When confronted with her white grandmother’s racism against her Native family, Daunis muses that “when you love someone, but don’t like parts of them, it complicates your memories of them when they’re gone.” Beyond her family, Daunis also deals with the day-to-day racist microaggressions of her white peers at school and “Hockey World.” To cope, her and Lily develop an inside joke of “Bigotry Bingo” to privately commiserate with one another as they fill out their imaginary bingo cards each time they hear “you don’t look Native” or a white girl describing her dream catcher tattoo.

From powwows and mourning rituals to semaa offerings to the Seven Grandfathers (love, respect, honesty, humility, bravery, wisdom, truth), indigenous culture adds interest and character to the already compelling mystery plotline. Daunis’s explanations of Tribal Council politics and enrollment is also a very interesting element of the story. In one particularly heartwarming scene, Daunis is worried about finding 2 letters of recommendations from tribal elders in time to submit her enrollment application before the cutoff date of her 19th birthday when she is tearfully and proudly presented with letters from 26!

On one more minor and personal note, I was incredibly heartened by how Boulley subtly but impactfully models and normalizes young women setting boundaries in their romantic and sexual relationships with young men. She sends readers the messages I wish I had received from the books, movies, and TV that I was surrounded by during my own adolescence and sexual development. When Jamie asks Daunis for her Nish spirit name, despite having opened up little about himself, Daunis refuses and decides, “I think that I am comfortable with what I shared today. But not anything else.” When Daunis and Jamie decide to have sex, Daunis narrates: “I bring up the necessary details. ‘No STDs and I have a progestin implant for birth control. But you still need a condom.’” This kind of direct communication and self-advocacy about both emotional and sexual health is brilliant to see in young adult media, or any media for that matter.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for giving me advance access to this book in exchange for an honest review.