PLEASE give me the rest of this book! This is a terrific novel about young Native people in and around an Ojibwe reservation, touching on tribal registration laws, how traditions are kept or abandoned, and the poverty and drug use among all ages. Narrator Daunis is an athlete, a caregiver, a sister, and daughter whose goals and hoped-for future are continually shifted because of illness and violence. Her voice is compelling and her narration conveys information about tribal life and local practices without being pedantic, and I can't wait to read the rest of this book.

Awesome preview! I'm looking forward to reading the entire book once it's released. From the sampler, we get a preview of how Daunis' life is going. She just derailed her college plans to stay home after a family tragedy. She meets her brother's new teammate, Levi and the two of them quickly become friends. The sampler leaves off on a cliff hanger and left me wanting more.

Since this was just the sampler it is difficult to give a full review however, from what I have read, I am hooked. Would really like the read the book in its entirety. Great characters and awesome cover.

This sampler is so good. I just went to download the full arc to continue. The sampler ends at a very serious part and I needed more. Loving the writing so far.

This book is one of my most highly anticipated releases of 2021. As soon as I read the description, I knew I had to read it. So, I of course jumped at the opportunity to read the chapter sampler offered by NetGalley and I am so glad I did!

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. I cannot wait to read how Daunis navigates through the story after the cliffhanger this sampler left me with. I am so excited to read more!

While I only read a sampler of the Firekeeper's Daughter, I immediately fell in love with the book. As an Indigenous woman, I saw myself represented in Angeline Boulley's writing. Daunis felt real and I witnessed her struggle between her Native and non-Native identity. Daunis carries the shame of being Native and not being Native enough. Boulley explores the colonial trauma of removal in Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians in Michigan. Even with her identity politics, Daunis remains a young teenage girl who is moving into adulthood and faces the similar issues as non-Native girls. She experiences the tough decision of staying or leaving home, meeting new boys, and maintaining friendships. Boulley utilizes Anishinaabe language and for Indigenous young adults, this is such a critical move. Our Indigenous languages are intertwined with our histories, worldview, and futures. Firekeeper's Daughter is beautifully written and I look forward to reading the rest of the book. Boulley illuminates the struggle of addiction in Indigenous communities and for that, this book is timely and poignant.

Samplers are always difficult to review but this one definitely piques my interest. I can't wait to see where the rest of the book goes!

Brilliant! I cannot wait to read the full book. This is steeped in Anishinaabeg tradition, and feels like it’s going to be the perfect thriller.

I stopped after the first chapter of this sneak peak because I would really like to wait until I have the entire book in front of me to keep reading. What I can tell already is that I am VERY interested in reading this book. The writing is beautiful, it worked the characterization and background to the story seamlessly into what the protagonist is experiencing. There are already so many questions I want to have answered in this book, so I'm avoiding being left at a cliffhanger with this sneak peek.

Sampler, sneak peak. These are notoriously difficult to review but the chapter sneak peek looks promising

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing the sampler! This review is based on a sampler, which consists of the first 9 chapters of the book.

This is such an interesting start to the book! Firekeeper's Daughter follows Daunis, a half white and half Anishinaabe girl with a complicated family history living in Sault Saint Marie, Michigan. I didn't know this was set in Michigan going into this book, but it was a pleasant surprise to read a book set in my home state. My favorite part of this book so far is how important Anishinaabe culture is to Daunis. She is so involved in her culture and her family and I appreciated how much of it the author included in the book. There's quite a bit of Ojibwe language included (with translations) and I hope the final copy includes a pronunciation guide in the back to help readers who aren't familiar with the language.

Obviously I can't comment on the whole book since this is a sampler, but I'm very intrigued on where it goes! There's a potential romance being set up between Daunis and Jamie (the "new guy" who joins her brother's hockey team) and it'll be fun to see where that goes. The sampler ends on a cliffhanger and I can't wait to see what happens next! This is a promising start and I'm excited to pick it up when it comes out in March!

Big thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing the sneak peek!

Daunis Fontaine has a complicated family history. With her mother being Caucasian and her father Native American, Daunis grew up between two very different worlds. Because her father was never put on her birth certificate, she was never fully accepted into the reservation. Along with the microaggressions she deals with on a daily basis, Daunis is struggling after the recent death of her uncle and her grandmother's stroke. But when Jamie arrives to play in her brother's hockey team, Daunis feels like she finally met someone who understands her completely.

However, Daunis witnesses a horrible crime and her life changes completely...

This is the first sampler that left me wanting more. The sampler itself already contains injustices Daunis, her family members and her friends experience, and causes the reader to reflect on this. I haven't read the rest of the book yet so I can't comment on everything, but I do know that this will be one of my better 2021 reads. I think this book has the potential to be powerful and I can't wait to read the rest.

i am OBSESSED! The characters are so vivid and the setting is so immersive. It feels more and more like I was a part of the story. I am desperately needing to read the rest of this book!


The ARC of this chapter was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

As this was only a sampler, this is my thoughts after the first couple of chapters.

I need to read this book. When I first heard about it, I was intrigued by the mythology and lets be honest, the stunning cover.

What little I have now read has made me fall in love with the world and the characters and this is a must-read in 2021 for me!

(As it was a sampler, I have not reviewed it on Goodreads or similar, and the rating is based only on what I have read so far)

First things first, I absolutely love the cover! And now onto the teaser, it had me hooked because I'm all for knowing what happened with Jamie and Daunis, but not just that- because from the very beginning, it's like she is unraveling as she struggles to make sense of everything she feels, wants and goes after.
It's a beautiful read.
Thanks Netgalley for the eARC.

Firstly, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read a sample of this book!

I am providing a review based on the sample provided, which consisted of several chapters.

Firekeeper's Daughter follows Daunis Fontaine, an 18 year old with a complicated family history. In the except, Daunis meets Jaime, a boy new to the town, and becomes his ambassador as he joins the hockey team. Knowing he has a girlfriend, she does her best to keep her distance, not wanting to be "That Girl".

Just in the sample I read, Angeline Boulley causes the reader to reflect on the injustices faced by the Indigenous peoples. I can only imagine how powerful and confronting the rest of the novel is. The protagonist, Daunis, is very likeable. There are many words and terms from the Ojibwe language, however Angeline Boulley provides the reader with translations, or information and context, so the story is easy to follow regardless of language.

I am very much looking forward to picking up the story where the excerpt left off. And also... That cover is amazing!

“Whenever I fall, my dad’s voice is the thunder following the crack of lightning, telling me to get back up.”


Thank you to @netgalley and the publishers for a sneak peek of Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley! Here’s a review made of my own thoughts and opinions based on what I’ve read so far!


🦋 Daunis has grown up straddling two very different worlds — the ones of her mother and her father, so when Daunis graduates from high school she’s ready to start a new life by going to college away from her hometown. Then, Daunis’ family is hit with back to back hardships and she knows she’ll have to stay to help them through the aftermath. Meanwhile, she’s been mentoring one of the players on her brother’s hockey team. While out at a party with her mentee, Daunis witnesses a crime that will send her life spiraling on a new path.

So, I’m absolutely dying to find out what happens in this story! Like, I gotta know what Daunis is going to do next. While there were a few spots where the writing felt a little rushed, I’m pretty excited to finish this debut when it comes out later this year! 🦋

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read a preview for this book!

I don't typically read anything but fantasy, but this one had me intrigued! The characters are good, and oooo that preview ending! I'll definitely be picking this up when it releases.

A lot of potential storylines were already introduced, with great opportunities for character development as the book progresses.

This book follows Dauniss who is 18 and lives in Sault Ste Marie, her mother is caucasian and her father is Native American. Because he was never put on her birth certificate she is legally denied a lot of experiences within her res community (like voting for Tribal Council), but also experiences a lot of privilege when dealing with local cops/border patrol etc. This topic is already explored quite a bit at the beginning of the book, and I am interested to see how they expand on this.

Woven throughout the book is a lot of information about Native American culture and teachings, and also information about legal status difficulties and other problems with the Canadian and American governments including racial profiling at the border.

I do hope there will be a pronunciation key in the back of the book for all the commonly used "Nish" (as Dauniss calls it) words, phrases and names ubecause I would want to make sure to take the time to pronounce everything correctly.

— thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher Henry, Holt and Co. for providing me with an e-ARC of a sneak peek of #FirekeepersDaughter in exchange for an honest review.

i was so excited to pick this book up, and i was eternally grateful for even a sneak peak. but i have to say i expected more than what i got.

please not that from the sneak peek that i read, i can only judge on the first few chapters. i really loved how Anishinaabe this book (sneak peek) was, i liked how it doesn’t let you forget the existence of indigenous people and native tribes. it doesn’t treat that culture weirdly, just naturally and head-on and i liked seeing that in a YA book.

however, and i’m sure my opinion can be changed if i read the complete book, but the writing was just not for me. the number of times daunis called jamie “buddy” is impossible to count. some/most of the relationships felt forced and unnatural; like daunis’ relationship with her friends and her auntie.

all in all, i wish i could love this. the premise is GREAT, the underlying theme is GREAT, but i just felt like the writing fell short of that. would the progressing plot have made up for it in the next chapters outside the excerpt i just read? absolutely possible. i might just have to pick up the book when it’s released march 2021!

Daunis Fontaine is someone who has always struggled to fit in. When her grandmother has a stroke, she decides to place her dreams briefly on hold so she can support her family. In doing so, she meets Jamie, a new hockey recruit with secrets. When Daunis witnesses a murder, she must decide how far she will go for her community and family. I absolutely devoured this excerpt of Firekeeper’s Daughter! I loved the style of writing and intriguing characters. Daunis’ deep love for her family shines and her grief at the tragedies that occurred felt so incredibly real. Needless to say, I felt deeply invested in Daunis and I will be racing to get my copy in March so I can find out what happened after the cliffhanger in the excerpt! Firekeeper’s Daughter releases on March 2, 2021. Thank you so much to Angeline Boulley, Henry Holt and Co., and Netgalley for a free chapter sampler in exchange for honest feedback.