Firekeeper's Daughter is amazing! It's a YA thriller about a girl, Daunis, who is part Ojibwe and part white. Her life isn't easy, but it gets harder after she finds out her boyfriend Jamie isn't at all the he pretends to be and she witnesses a murder.

And if that wasn't enough, then the FBI is involved, and Daunis finds herself working undercover, and getting more and more involved inside the Ojibwe reservation and really connecting to her Native American roots while trying to solve a case that seems more and more like it's about punishing the victims and nothing more.

Rich in atmosphere, sharp, and insightful, Firekeeper's Daughter is a powerful YA thriller that's perfect for fans of contemporary YA and/or Veronica Mars, And it definitely has crossover appeal to adult readers as well, like fans of Louise Erdich.

Firekeeper's Daughter is a great thriller and offers an honest and nuanced look at the many challenges Native Americans face today. Very highly recommended and an absolute must for every library YA collection.

Brilliant and heartbreaking story. The prose is beautiful and the narrator did so well. An important book to add to your shelf.

Wow. From the minute I saw the cover and read the description, I had a feeling that Firekeeper's Daughter was going to captivate me, and it met the mark. I finished the book feeling sad that I could no longer keep reading the book. Boulley's writing is that good - you just want to keep reading it and reading it.

The book is about Daunis, daughter of an Ojibwe man and a white woman. Her birth began in scandal - she and her brother were born only a few months apart to different women. Her brother's mother kept the Firekeeper name. Now, Daunis' father is dead, her Uncle David recently died and her grandmother on her mother's side has had a debilitating stroke. She is attempting to get used to the "New Normal."

Enter Jamie Johnson, new kid on the Junior A hockey team that her brother Levi captains. She becomes Jamie's ambassador, introducing him to the town. Yet, she can tell Jamie isn't telling her the full truth. Then, when she witnesses a shocking murder, she becomes embroiled in an investigation, rooting out the disease that is plaguing her community.

I have absolutely nothing bad to say about this novel. It made me tear up, it made me smile, it made me feel so many feelings. Boulley has written a stunning masterpiece, and I vow to read every single book she writes in the future. She has paid homage to her beautiful culture in the best of ways and proved why we need #ownvoices novels.
This is a book that reminds me why I read. So make sure you pick it up as soon as it comes out. Thanks to NetGalley, Angeline Boulley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the opportunity to read this as an eARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley is a fantastic and enthralling book sprinkled with crime, social issues, and romance. Boulley touches on the treatment and handling of missing and murdered indigenous women, forcing the reader to directly confront the problematic handling of these cases, the distrust of law enforcement agencies, and the impact on the community, family, and friend.

When her best friend is murdered, Daunis Fontaine is thrust into a situation she never asked for. Balancing love, challenges with her identity and grief, Daunis never loses focus on her overall goal: the wellbeing of her community. Avenging her uncle's death, exposing deep corruption, and solving various murders, Daunis is an imperfect heroine who demonstrates that you don't need to be extraordinary to effect change.

This book will haunt you long after you finish it.

Daunis was raised between two worlds - that of her wealthy white grandparents who have buildings named after them and her Native relatives on her father’s side. She’s learned to navigate both worlds, honoring her Native traditions and helping her mother care for her sick grandmother. She even starts to fall for her brother’s mysterious hockey teammate, Jamie, who came out of nowhere. But when someone she cares about deeply is murdered, she questions everything and everyone she thought she knew. Someone is trafficking meth, and it threatens to tear apart the community she loves.

This book deals with prejudice in a powerful way. As someone who’s got a foot in both worlds, Daunis is sheltered from some of it, until violent acts of betrayal drive home what it truly means to be a tribal member.

I also loved Daunis! She’s a confident, fearless girl who played hockey on a boy’s team. She’s a vulnerable grieving friend. And she’s super smart and not afraid to carve out her own path.

This thriller will keep you turning pages to find out who’s behind the influx of meth and what will happen to the main characters as the threat closes in.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was excited to read Firekeeper's Daughter about a Native teen. Overall, I enjoyed the story. Daunis Fontaine is a Native teen who never really fit in anywhere. Especially not with the nearby Ojibwe reservation, because her father was Native, but her mother is White. She's hoping for a fresh start in college, but her plans change when tragedy strikes. She decides to stay close to home. and falls for the new hockey player, Jamie, on her brother's team. But, something seems a bit off about the new kid. When there are murders on the reservation, Daunis is pulled into a FBI investigation. There is mystery, danger, intrigue, and more than a little romance.

I was particularly drawn in by the relationship between Daunis and Jamie. They both had some healing and growing to do. The pacing did get a little bogged down with all the storylines, but it did not keep me from finishing! I will definitely be recommending this in my library!

A fantastic debut.

If you only talk about Firekeeper's Daughter as a YA thriller, you’re missing half the book. That’s just the plot. Yes, an 18-year old biracial Anishinaabe woman gets pulled into an FBI investigation into the drug trade in her community and falls for the new guy on her brother’s hockey team. She’s a solid hockey player in her own right and a science nerd.

But within that story, Angeline Boulley's debut paints a vivid picture of what it is to be a biracial Native American woman. With Daunis, we get a clear sense of how her Anishinaabe culture, traditions, and community ground her daily life; how she balances and code switches between her white and Nish families; and how she's torn between heading to college, but knowing she has a responsibility to her community. As a biracial person, it’s incredibly relatable.

On the one hand, it’s a love letter to Anishinaabe traditions, but Boulley also lays bare the long-term impacts of colonization; racism and bigotry; politics within indigenous communities; the way the federal government’s actions have contributed to corruption and the meth epidemic, and relegated indigenous communities, especially their women, to second, even third-class citizen status.

FIrekeeper's Daughter is powerful and candid with rich characters and a compelling case to unravel. I can't wait to see it brought to the small screen.

It’s YA, but it’s definitely for older teens. CW: Sexual assault, gun violence, murder, grief, drug trafficking

4.5 stars!!! (rounded up) Thanks so much to #NetGalley and #Macmillan for this advance copy.

Wow! This book (and the outstanding cover)! I absolutely loved this book! The characters are excellent; Daunis is an amazing depiction of a strong, smart, female teen but still realistic in that she's struggling to navigate her way between the white world and her Native world - it's a case of not fully fitting in either. I found this aspect handled really well, a light but effective touch, underlying everything but not beating me over the head with it.

The mystery is a strong component as well - a few clues dropped along the way for the reader, but the resolution has a surprise or two. Drugs and the death of her best friend, a new guy in town, FBI investigation, secrets (lots of secrets) - all make for good reading. I wasn't bored at any point during the story!

My small quibble is keeping the characters straight - her brother's friends, the hockey guys kind of ran together for me and the Elders kind of blurred together.....I either needed a more detailed introduction when they first appeared or some strong personality trait to hang my memory on. I gradually got it; it's not a huge problem.

The BEST part of the book is the immersion in her Native tribal life. I absolutely loved learning about the traditions, beliefs, political hierarchy and connection to nature, etc. that was shown throughout the story. Again, it was woven in so skillfully that it wasn't pasted on or added for effect, but rather was an integral part of who Daunis is. Loved that.
Highly recommended!
Review on my blog by 2/21

Firekeeper's Daughter follows 18-year-old Daunis as she navigates grief, family tragedy, fitting in with her Native community, and preparation for her freshman year of college. Her quest for family acceptance and the acceptance of her community is heartfelt and relatable, and her relationships with other characters are intriguing.

Boulley has created a narrative that sucks the reader in. While it is a bit slow at the beginning, the characters make the story interesting. Once you get past the beginning, the plot moves fast! I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. I also loved the glimpse into a different culture and reading about a character who is at such a pivotal moment in her life. This book is heartbreaking and an important one that I am so glad I got to read!

Daunis has graduated from high school and is looking forward to college in the Fall with her best friend Lily. A new boy named Jamie arrives in town for his senior year and makes the select hockey team, the "Supes", which Daunis's brother Levi plays on. The arrival of Jamie, and his uncle Ron, brings changes both good and bad into Daunis's life. After Daunis witnesses a brutal murder, she begins to question everything she knows as she learns more about her tribe, her family, her elders, and her friends.

The depth of this novel is incredible. It's a novel about family, life on an Ojibwe reservation, racist issues, drugs, and how the main character juggles learning about it all as she struggles with uncovering many truths. You will fall in love with this strong female protagonist and root for her the entire time.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #MacmillanPublishers for the opportunity to enjoy an ARC of #Firekeeper'sDaughter by #AngelineBoulley. It is a book that will stay with me for a long time.

While this has not become a new favourite like I thought it might, I highly encourage all readers to consider picking up this book. I know we all feel differently about what a three star rating means but please know that I did really enjoy reading this. But what's more I just think this book deals with so many important things.

The best way I can pitch this story is something along the lines of an Indigenous Veronica Mars. But unlike Neptune, this world balances more than just the haves and the have-nots, but also the dynamics of the Ojibwe community and those outside; of which Daunis, our biracial protagonist, knows well. The complexities of the Native community are explored beautifully (at least from this reader's perspective!) and while I never felt like I was being lectured to, I nonetheless wanted to know more. However, much like Neptune, there are some dark depths both in this setting and this community, so bear that in mind and seek out content warnings if you require them.

I don't want to get too into the details of the plot itself as this unraveled in ways I wasn't expecting but I will say that what brought this down, and kept it from a higher rating, was I felt some weakness in the romance and maybe some of the layers of the whole mystery felt a little.. overblown? Too much? There is a lot going on in this debut. I think had a few off-shoot plotlines not been included it would've felt a little stronger, a little more contained, but I still enjoyed what this was at its core. That said, if you can suspend a little extra disbelief, which most of us do anyway when it comes to fiction, you might be okay. Additionally, there were also plenty of lovely passages and turns of phrases that absolutely have me keen to read whatever comes next for this author.

If you've made it to the end of this review, and if you haven't already done so, I would highly recommend you also search out some #ownvoices reviews.

3.5 stars

“It’s hard to explain what it’s like being so connected to everyone and everything here...yet feeling that no one ever sees the whole me.”

Rating: Really Enjoyed It, Translates to 4 Stars

Firekeeper’s Daughter is an Own Voices YA Thriller by debut author Angeline Boulley. It follows the story of Daunis, an unenrolled, biracial member of the local tribe who is putting her big dreams for the future on hold to be at home for her mother as they go through a difficult time.

Daunis soon finds herself in the center of a federal investigation after she witnesses a murder that turns her life upside down. She must choose how to proceed in order to protect both herself and her community as she gets closer and closer to the truth of what is really going on.

Since this is a mystery/thriller, I don’t want to say much more than that as far as synopsis, but I absolutely loved Daunis. I was rooting for her from the very beginning and felt like the author really succeeded at bringing her to life. I cared about what she cared about and felt her triumph and her anguish.

Boulley’s depiction of the community was incredible as well. I entered an all-new culture through this story and really felt like I could visualize the world she depicted. I felt like she did an excellent job in giving words to her depiction of life as a biracial teenager, growing up never fully belonging to either community. The several Own Voices reviews that I have seen were full of praise for this book as well, so I feel confident in saying that the author did an excellent job portraying that experience as well. My heart broke for Daunis and all the struggles that she and her family and friends endured, especially the casually cruelty she documented with Bigotry Bingo.

Overall, I had no complaints with this book. It was rather heavy at times due to the material that it covered, but I think that the drugs, addiction, and the violence against women was dealt with in a way that was not overdone. It is something that is present but not self-gratifying. I feel like this is a necessary book to be circulating in the YA contemporary world and is something that is long overdue. I hope to see more books like this in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the advance copy in return for an honest review. This did not influence my opinion.

Firekeeper’s Daughter releases on March 16, 2021. Review to be posted in the upcoming week on my instagram account, @jemofabook

She is an athlete, an elite hockey player for the Sault Ste Marie Supes. Her half brother is also a star hockey player. When Jamie Johnson joins the team his mysterious background alerts her to view her Indian community through a different lens. Her coming-of-age story is flavored by her half white/half Indian life on and off Sugar Island. To read this book is to be offered a rare opportunity to live inside Native American rituals and seasons. kind of Louise Erdrich-style. Told with good humor and love, the story jogs and sprints along with a first-class crime story. I want more from this author soon. Miigwetch, thank you.

Wow. This is the book I have been waiting for. Not only does it provide in-depth background and understanding of Ojibwe culture, it discusses issues such as the proliferation of meth in Native tribes, and in the country. Daunis' love of her people really shines in this book, and you get to know everyone as a real person, and not just a stereotype. You see ceremonies, and come to understand traditions such as powwows at a deep level. At the same time, the portrayal of 18-25 year olds rings true in their actions and dialogue. There's hockey. There's a car chase. There's a ton of plot twisting at the end. I was on the edge of my seat, and surprised a few times. You really rooted for these characters. I will say that there is violence and sexual violence in this book, but it wasn't gratuitous. I just mention it so that you know it's for high school and older. Overall, a really engrossing look at contemporary issues in the United States, especially with Native and Western communities.

It's been a minute since I absolutely loved a book so thank a deity or the Seven Grandfathers for Firekeeper's Daughter. The titular character, Daunis, whose father was the Firekeeper and whose mother is white woman from a wealthy background, grows up half-in and half-out of the reservation community. She is unable to enroll in the tribe because her father's name wasn't on her birth certificate, due to her grandparents' racism. Her mom was a minor when Daunis was born, so she didn't get to say. She might have also been a little pissed at Daunis's dad, whom she found in bed with another woman. Even so, Daunis is close to people on both sides of her family, including Levi, her three-months young half-brother.

Daunis spends a lot of time with family, including her elders. She even decides to stay local to Michigan's UP for college, to be near everyone, instead of attending the University of Michigan, which is what she had planned. There's also the fact that an injury keeps her from playing D1 hockey. She had played varsity on her school's male hockey team. There's also a traveling hockey team, the Supes (for Superiors) and meth deaths that may or may not be connected. Then a hot new guy, Jamie Johnson, joins the team and immediately begins to play for Daunis, as well as the team.

Having been burned before. Daunis isn't the most trusting person, but she finds herself deep into something unexpected. FK is a mystery or thriller--I'm not sure what the difference is--which is not normally a genre I'm that into, but I loved Daunis's story, and that of her clan. Her Native practices are central to her being. The characters and their stories felt genuine. Everyone is flawed, and many, but not all, are lovable.

I loved how unapologetically this used culture, language, community, and tradition of the Anishinaabe people. It forced me to research a lot of things for myself, which I really appreciated.
It’s labeled as YA, but it definitely has a lot of disturbing imagery including racism, physical and sexual assault, and addiction.
It very much questions the treatment of Indigenous people, particularly women.
It also is about finding your place in this world and where you belong.
The representation within this book is very important as well as the themes of family and identity.

I read this one and absolutely loved it the focus on family as well as learning more about the Ashinaabe people was amazing. They did a very nice job with this book

Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley is a breathtaking and important book about seventeen-year-old Daunis Fontaine. She is half-white and half Native American. As a result, she doesn’t fit in with her community or the Ojibwe tribe where she spends much of her time.

Daunis plans to leave to play collegiate hockey and study medicine. However, a series of family tragedies force her to put these plans on hold. Ice hockey provides a diversion from caring for her emotionally fragile mother and her grandmother (a recent stroke victim). She meets a new player, Jamie, at her brother Levi’s game and is immediately attracted to him. There is something “off” about Jamie, but she doesn’t find out what it is until she sees her best friend killed in a drug-related murder/ suicide. It turns out that Jamie is part of an FBI operation investigating a dangerous variety of Meth showing up on reservations. Soon, Daunis becomes part of the operation because of her scientific knowledge and her familiarity with tribal customs.

This novel is an engrossing crime story and an honest depiction of Native American culture. Some of the twists and turns are truly unexpected. There are also a lot of brutalities associated with reservation life. Drugs and addiction are commonplace. Native Americans experience racism at every turn. Violence, especially sexual violence, is a part of everyday life. This novel is strengthened, though, by including the positive and the negative. This being said, this was a very difficult book for me to read. I had to put it down from time to time and take time off from reading.

As a school library media specialist, I would only recommend this book for older teens and adults. This book NEEDS to be in high school and public libraries. It has something very important to say about the female Native American experience, and Daunis Fontaine is the perfect character to do this.

Read. This. Book.

I am almost at a loss for words. I absolutely devoured Firekeeper’s Daughter. It consumed me in all the best ways. I was immediately invested in Daunis and her family. The characters were beautifully complex, and Boulley did a remarkable job of developing them.

The most stunning, powerful elements of this book were the way the stories, the characters, were so tied to their Anishinaabe culture and place. I am not a Native reviewer, and I have so valued and appreciated the insights from Native, particularly Anishinaabe, folx who have conveyed their level of love and respect for this text. The culture and history is inextricably woven into the characters, the narrative, the plot. It’s a way of keeping language and thus ideas and values alive and I was just honored to have gotten to be a part of it for the hours when I was immersed in this book.

The plot twists and turns in unexpected and really fulfilling ways, and I was on the edge of my seat. I love that there’s an almost fake-dating situation tucked into this - the relationship that blooms between Daunis and Jamie was fascinating and had me rooting for them by the end.

I loved this book with all of my heart. I can only imagine how much connective tissue it provides for Anishinaabe folx and Native folx. It’s heartbreaking and enraging at times, funny at times, inspiring at times, and ultimately the story of strong, vulnerable, wonderfully human people who navigate dreams, culture, ties to family, individual identities, family and generational histories, and finding themselves amidst forces beyond their control.

I’ll read this again and again. Thank you thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advance e-copy!

Daunis Fontaine is the product of a teen pregnancy in a scandalous relationship between a wealthy white female and a tribal member on the Ojibwe reservation. She has never felt she fits in to either world though both sides of her family love her fiercely.

Her plan to play hockey and study medicine has gone off track after losing her uncle in what appears to be a drug related death and her grandmother’s recent stroke. Daunis thinks tragedy comes in threes and is bracing for the final, though nothing can prepare her to witness a shocking murder-suicide that catapults her into an FBI investigation.

As a confidential informant for the FBI, Daunis investigates possible tribal members involved in a meth operation and seeks answers about her uncle’s death… but is she willing to accept what she finds within her own community?

Firekeeper’s Daughter is an ambitious contemporary YA novel and I cannot rave enough about the immersion into indigenous culture with the language and traditions always at the forefront. This is a mix of crime fiction and coming of age with a romance and tackles heavy subject matter including racism, sexual violence, violence against women, addiction, and grief.

I struggled at times with the pace and often felt it was trying to encompass too many topics at once (though I understand the relevance and the need to do so), and could’ve done without the romance that felt too forced and convenient. Overall, Firekeeper’s Daughter is intense, complex, and most importantly told in an authentic voice. I highly recommend this book to readers who appreciate contemporary YA, crime fiction/mystery, and diversity.