Angelina Boulley is such a powerful voice. And Perry is possibly the most important.

How important is the past? How important is family, and the ancestors? How much would you be willing to risk? Your job? Your community? Your family? Your life?

Perry doesn't have the answers. She only knows she needs to do.

And... a heist! Didn't know I needed this!

I received a digital ARC from Netgalley and I am excited to report that Angeline Boulley has written another stunner. This book has it all--mystery, adventure, heartbreak, and so much information about Indigenous life, customs, and struggles. There was a ton of background info about how the legal system continues to fail to support Indigenous communities, and about the ongoing Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit People movement, but it managed to avoid feeling too expository or preachy. It was extremely eye-opening (and heartbreaking) in this regard. It gets pretty dark, but the characters keep their heads up through even the most harrowing challenges. Romance was present but it was not a super time-consuming theme. It was fun to see characters from "Firekeeper's Daughter," but while it wasn't a direct sequel, I did find myself wishing that I had read it more recently so the characters were fresher in my mind. Finally, I think this will be great on audio--that is how I read Boulley's first book, and it was a great way to absorb the language.

First of all, Angeline Boulley is an incredible writer. This story is so tight -- every character is important and it all ties together beautifully at the end. I loved every single Misfit and the unique perspectives they brought to the book. I will definitely want to reread this one to see all that I missed the first time through.

My only complaint (and it's minor) is that so many questions from the first book remain. What happened with Daunis in the 10-year interval between books? I genuinely hope there will be a novella covering that time period to fill in some gaps and flesh out the backstory of her love interest. If so, I'll bump this up to five stars.

This novel’s tenacious protagonist Perry Firekeeper-Birch is fiercely protective of her friends and community, single-minded in her pursuits, and as clever as all our favorite literary women. While her community is fighting to reclaim their stolen ancestors and investigate missing indigenous women, Perry must figure out how far she is willing to go if her plans put her found family at risk.

While she may not have the book smarts her twin sister, Pauline, has, Perry Firekeeper-Birch knows the best fishing spots on Sugar Island. Perry knows people, places, and traditions that make her a strong Anishinaabe woman. She doesn’t need academic accolades to prove her worth. But when a careless moment of speeding results in her crashing the Jeep her Auntie Daunis gave her and Pauline, Perry’s idyllic summer plans fall around her like spring rain.

Instead of fishing and chilling, Perry cleans display cases in the tribal museum as an intern for the eccentric Cooper Turtle. She doesn’t expect to like her new boss nor to discover professors at Mackinac State College horde human remains from her tribe in the basement of their museum. Perry also doesn’t expect to like her fellow interns on Team Misfit Toys—especially the new boy in town, Erik Miller.

The more Perry learns about the missing ancestors and grave robbers, the more she wants to do something to bring them home for a proper burial on Sugar Island. Everyone has ignored the problem for far too long. When one of her Misfit Toys teammates goes missing, Perry knows she can no longer ignore the other problem facing her tribe—the high rate of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls.

As she learns more about the inner workings of tribal agencies, Perry discovers not all politicians lead to serve. Some of them give her the creeps. Life gets even more complicated when she stumbles over a dead body at a banquet, and everyone suspects Auntie Daunis.

Can Perry, the misfits, and a couple of grannies pull off a heist to return the missing ancestors to the tribe? And will they find her missing friend before it’s too late?

What I Loved About This Book

Boulley paints a vivid picture of the duality Native Americans live with—part of the United States, yet still not accepted by society at large. The author blends suspense with humor to keep a deadly serious topic from overwhelming the reader.

Readers will appreciate learning more about Native American beliefs and traditions. They’ll also identify with Perry and how a passion for justice helps her break out of the box others have placed her in.

Perry comes to understand how unscrupulous people prey on Native Americans and their sacred objects and traditions—all in the name of research, science, and history. What she sees awakens the warrior girl hidden within and makes her confront how far she would go to right a wrong.

Readers who enjoyed The Firekeeper’s Daughter, Boulley’s debut novel, will love Warrior Girl Unearthed. The mature topics and language make this book most appropriate for older teens and young adults. Teachers and librarians will want to add this important own voices novel to their collections. I can’t wait until my copies arrive next week so I can share them with my students.

Warrior Girl Unearthed is a multi-faceted powerful story about injustice and community. Boulley explores what it takes to be a warrior. All the decisions we have to make. From the very beginning, it's a story about family and community. The ones who support us, call us out, and protect us. Continuing the themes from Firekeeper's Daughter of delving into the idea of justice. Of acknowledging the ways the justice system has failed marginalized communities, created in order to perpetuate wrongs, while also figuring out how to work within the frameworks.

Content warning: murder, kidnapping, sexual assault

WARRIOR GIRL UNEARTHED has a different vibe and feel to it, so readers that loved FIREKEEPER'S DAUGHTER shouldn't expect the same type of novel again. While in the same community and with many of the same characters, this time Boulley takes the "Nancy Drew teenage sleuth" aspects and focuses more of the point behind a procedural plotline. While reading FIREKEEPER'S DAUGHTER first will give you context to the people, places, and plot, WARRIOR GIRL UNEARTHED can be read on it's own.

Readers will watch Perry push against "appropriate behavior" or those within her community who refuse to do anything but follow the rules... while also learning that those who live by "any means necessary" aren't always the good people either. Boulley encourages readers to really sit within the concept of museum pieces and who they should belong to while also acknowledging the red tape, bureaucracy, and colonizer mindset (and let's face it, fetishization) that makes it impossible for communities to be successful in having items returned to them. It's uncomfortable, but it's a necessary conversation that we as a human race really need to be having.

While I enjoyed FIREKEEPER'S DAUGHTER more, that's not to say that I didn't really like WARRIOR GIRL UNEARTHED. Perry is a great teenage protagonist. She's got a lot of feelings and emotions without the hinderance of adulthood. She's brash and has no problem with breaking rules in the name of her Anishinaabe ancestor's honor and memory. And I don't blame her. The twist of finding out one of the bad guys was really good. Team Misfit Toys was perfect and I adored the role Perry's dog plays within the entire novel.

Honestly, I hope Boulley keeps adding books to this world.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, and Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) in exchange for an honest review.

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

I, like so many others, was a huge fan of Angeline Boulley's debut novel, Firekeeper's Daughter, so when I saw she had a new book coming out, AND that new book was a companion novel to Firekeeper's Daughter, you can imagine how excited I was. And let me tell you, this book does not disappoint. It has just as much action, intrigue, and heart as her debut.

This is not to say, of course, that you need to read Firekeeper's Daughter in order to enjoy this book. All the characters from the previous book and their relevant backstories are explained (although some spoilers for FD are included, so beware, if you think you'll want to go back and read that one).

This book also does the important work of covering important Native issues, like the epidemic of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW), and the need to repatriate sacred Native items and remains, which are both real world issues that don't get enough coverage or attention.

I LOVED Firekeepers Daughter. Reviewing Warrior Girl Unearthed, it’s hard not to directly compare the two. The books feature largely the same cast of characters, set 10 years after the events of the first, and deals with a lot of similar themes. That may be the worst thing about it, because while I did genuinely like this book I didn’t think it was quite as good as Boulley’s first, and it was hard to separate the two.

Warrior Girl Unearthed was fast paced, and dealt with an interesting and incredibly relevant form of racism dealt with in todays world. Utilizing academic research and curiosity as a way to justify itemizing and dehumanizing people and cultures. This was so realistic and fascinating. Still sadly the book just didn’t grab me like Firekeeper’s Daughter did. The story just didn’t feel as gritty or intricate. Given the characters are a little younger I understand this and would still highly recommend!

Angeline Boulley’s debut novel, Firekeeper’s Daughter, was one of the best books I’ve read in recent years, so I came to read Warrior Girl Unearthed with high expectations. When the story was a little slow getting started, I thought, Ah, well. It’s common for a sophomore effort not to measure up to the breakthrough novel. But I was wrong.

Warrior Girl Unearthed, like Boulley’s debut, is at once a deep dive into Native American culture, a coming-of-age tale, and a compelling mystery. This time around, the stakes are even higher, if possible. Set in the same milieu as Firekeeper’s Daughter, this novel focuses on 16-year-old Perry Firekeeper-Birch. She was always the laid-back twin, the troublemaker, the best fisher. But a summer internship program thrusts her into the heart of the struggle for tribes to reclaim the bones and sacred objects of their ancestors from museums and private collectors who would profit from them.

While Perry struggles to find ways to reclaim these valued objects for her Anishinaabe tribe, she also finds herself circling around a growing mystery, as the number of indigenous women going missing continues to rise. Impulsive Perry takes matters into her own hands, aided by her overachieving twin, some close friends, and a charming new boy with a rigid moral code.

In this beautifully written, layered mystery, Boulley does a masterful job of providing a window into Anishinaabe culture and lifestyle, while keeping her protagonist a relatable, modern teen girl. Perry struggles with all the usual teen stuff — crushes, sibling rivalry, impulse control — while facing the larger, more serious issues confronting her people. Through it all, her Warrior Girl nature sustains her and helps her through some tough choices. Warrior Girl Unearthed is a deeply satisfying read, sure to be embraced by young (and old) readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Co. for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy of Warrior Girl Unearthed.

Boulley has done it again!! Warrior Girl Unearthed is a sort of sequel to Boulley’s debut novel, Firekeeper’s Daughter. The story takes place in the same universe but centers Daunis’ twin nieces, Perry and Pauline. The story is mainly Perry’s. Perry is stuck with an unwanted internship over the Summer as a punishment from her aunt Daunis for reckless behavior. But through this internship she learns about the history of missing ancestors and the laws and regulations relating to tribal repatriation. When she discovers several ancestors being hoarded and put on display by a local Zhaaganaash on Sugar Island, she has very little patience for the bureaucratic process to intervene. Perry, Pauline, and several other tribal interns plan the ultimate heist to bring their ancestors home.

This novel is a riveting YA thriller, much like Firekeeper’s Daughter yet with different themes and risks at stake. Boulley creates a novel that is as insightful and educational as it is entertaining, without it feeling forced or trite. The characters were dynamic and relatable with a clear developmental arc. I was thrilled to see Daunis and their tribal community finally get some justice for crimes committed against them, although I feel they, along with all Indigenous communities, are owed so much more.

Much like Firekeeper’s Daughter, I was moved to weeping at certain points of this book. I loved it just about as much and I’m so thrilled for it’s official release on May 2nd!! If you haven’t read any of Angeline Boulley’s books, I can’t recommend them enough!!

I loved Firekeeper's Daughter and couldn't wait for this one. I had high hopes, and they were met and exceeded!

We meet Perry and Pauline, twin nieces of Daunis for Firekeeper's Daughter. They are spending their summer off from high school doing internships for Native teenagers. Perry isn't happy about this, but has no choice. Perry ends up workin at a local museum, where she learns about tribal artifacts and how to care for them. She realizes what an uphill battle it is to bring sacred ancestor's remains back to where they belong. She decides it will be her goal to right the wrong, and she's not above crossing a line to do it.

At the same time, Daunis is involved in a murder mystery where native girls are missing, and soon Perry is also involved.

I love the way Boulley weaves an enthralling story, and at the same time educates her readers on Native culture and current issues they face today.

Many thanks to NetGalley, MacMillan's Children's Publishing/Henry Holt and MacMillan Audio for both an ARC and ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Warrior Girl Unearthed is the companion sequel to Firekeeper's Daughter, one of my all-time favorite books. This sequel delivered on all my expectations and sent me through the emotional roller coaster I was anticipating. We follow Perry (who is the cousin of Daunis from Firekeeper's Daughter), a teen struggling between morality and justice. As a Native American-African American teen, Perry grows up seeing all the ways in which her ancestors have been and continue to be wronged. After learning more about NAGPRA and discovering museums and universities are holding ancestral remains and sacred items through loopholes in the law, Perry gathers a group to conduct a heist to retrieve all that she can.
I want to start by saying miigwech to Angeline Boulley for creating yet another fictional world where I can sob my heart out and also learn more about the important things. Without these two novels, I probably would have never gained some of this knowledge.
If you've read Firekeeper's Daughter, I think you will definitely love this one as well. I think FIrekeeper's Daughter is the better of the two, but that doesn't take away from what this book has to offer. Once again, Boulley doesn't hold back with brutal honesty, trauma, character growth, and impactful messages. I loved the little easter eggs to her first novel, even though the moments with Daunis literally had me shaking/sobbing a couple of times (that courtroom scene still makes me cry when I think about it in detail).
At the start of the novel, I didn't think I was going to be all in on enjoying it because Perry starts out as not being too likable. She's immature and wants to spend her summer being lazy. But seeing Perry's passion for her culture and seeking justice for her ancestors felt realistic, and it made sense for her character in the end. I absolutely loved her growth.
Just like her first novel, Boulley mixes the information into the storyline so it doesn't feel like you're being taught in a classroom. It feels so immersive, and the information we're given made me feel more passionately alongside the character. I knew going into these books that this country's history is one where white people were not at all kind to Native Americans, but I had no clue how far the specifics went, especially to this day. It's outraging and heartbreaking, and learning more and more how awful it truly has been (and still is) makes the story that much more impactful.
I cannot wait to see what other worlds Angeline Boulley creates.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel. 5/5 stars.

Boulley does it again. While this didn't make me sob like Firekeeper's Daughter did, it still packed a punch. I wish I had reread FD since Daunis is a side character in this, but it didn't deter from the story besides trying to remember who was who in some cases.

Anyways, most of this novel focuses on repatriation and the (should be illegal) trade of native/indigenous artifacts. It also discusses collections and how many collections find loopholes to refuse returning artifacts -- AND remains -- to tribes. Perry, while in the midst of a difficult summer, finds herself planning a heist to steal bodies of her ancestors off of someone's property. This happens after she learns more about repatriation and how so much is taken from her people. The twist at the end had me gasping and I didn't expect how the heist ended up.

It's also pretty heart wrenching with the underlying topic of MMIW and the trauma and disparities in native communities. I love Boulley's work though in representing Ojibwe culture and how she writes it so beautifully.

I love Boulley's first novel, and this one was great, too. I had to refresh myself on what happened in Firekeeper's Daughter because this one had some characters from that book and I couldn't recall exactly what happened. I think this is a great novel for any high schooler (or older) to read, to get a glimpse of what is happening to Indigenous women around the country.

Yet another fantastic story by this author!
I loved how Warrior Girl Unearthed built on her original story, Firekeeper's Daughter. The characters and plot overlapped and this book took some of the threads from the first one and really developed them. This book also brought in a whole new set of characters and a whole new mystery.

This book started off a bit slower than the first one, but there were still tons of twists and turns. I loved how history and culture were explored more in this book. It was heartbreaking and gut wrenching at times but a lot of the topics were things I never knew before. I was sent down a rabbit hole of researching the laws and history talked about in this book.

I loved Perry as a main character. For a young adult I founder her to be the perfect balance of child and adult and she was incredibly relatable. She felt like a real person with all of her anger, angst, joy, and determination. I really hope this author writes a third book and continues to develop this world.

This was a fantastic follow up to The firekeeper's daughter! Not quite as high stakes thriller as her last book, this YA mystery follows Ojibwa tribal citizen Perry, a relative to Daunis, who has an accident with her Aunt's jeep and is forced to work for the summer in order to pay for it.

When she gets assigned to work for the museum she ends up involved in a project to get local tribal remains and artefacts returned from various institutions. Full of important cultural insights and a great teen heist plot at the end. This was fun and meaningful and excellent on audio narrated by Isabella Star LeBlanc.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and Librofm for an ALC in exchange for my honest review!

Honestly, I haven't finished. I started but I have to wait for the release to read WITH my students. We have a book group who LOVED Firekeeper's Daughter. I can't read this without them. When Daunis (Auntie Daunis) appeared I almost cried. These characters just like those are living with me. I can't wait for my kids to read!!!

Angeline Boulley is an author to watch! This book was fantastic and just as good as her debut, The Fire Keeper’s Daughter. I loved that it was another story of the same characters but focused on a different character than the previous book. I cannot wait to see what Boulley will write next.

I just finished reading Firekeeper's Daughter for a bookclub with students when I got notice that I got an ARC of Warrior Girl Unearthed! So excited to continue the world of Sugar Island, Ojibwe culture, Daunis, Perry, and Pauline.

In this book I loved seeing Perry grow in her confidence--finding things in life that she was passionate about outside of fishing. I loved her relationship with her Pauline, Aunt Daunis, and growing friendships. I also loved having familiar supporting characters still be involved.

There were a couple of things that were missing for me which made Warrior Girl Unearthed not quite as good as Firekeeper's Daughter. 1) There were a couple of "holes" that I wanted addressed/plugged between the two books. First, Levi was addressed but just that he existed and was gone. Is he still in prison? Was there any reconciliation between Levi and Daunis? Second Daunis has a child and I really wanted some background info on this development as well as the rekindling of her relationship with TJ. 2) It took me just a little bit longer to get into.

Overall, great follow up and I would love to read any other books written by Angeline Boulley in the future.

**I received an ARC copy of Warrior Girl Unearthed in exchange for an honest review.