This companion piece to Firekeeper's Daughter follows Perry Birch-Firekeeper during her summer internship at the local museum. There she becomes involved in the campaign to have her ancestors artifacts and bones returned home. This is a fascinating and relevant look at injustice wrapped in enough romance and mystery to interest a YA audience.

This author can do no wrong.

Perry is both frustrating and so easy to root for. Some decisions she made were real questionable, but her motives were always so pure. Namely, returning her ancestors. There are so many things that I learned and want to research more (pretty much all of NAGPRA and the relationships between tribes and museums).

The mystery woven throughout the book was also so intriguing and the conclusion of each plot line was so lovely and satisfying.

I will be recommending this book to like everyone, especially those who enjoyed The Firs Keeper's Daughter!

As you know, I shared this book at NCTE and ALAN. I have also been booktalking it regularly at teacher events. The book is incredible, and I am adopting it for my class of preservice teachers.

Ok, i really WANTED to like this one, but i just didn't. The premise was good, but I was ultimately very confused by the ending. There were glimmers of hope during the story where I thought it was going to turn a corner, but ultimately the book fell flat and I wish I would have DNF'd.

While not quite as tense and propulsive as Firekeeper’s Daughter, Warrior Girl Unearthed gives us a canny protagonist who’s in over her head as she tries to do right by her community, without bowing to white settlers. Firekeeper’s Daughter taught me about the laws surrounding criminal offenses committed on Native land against Indigenous people, and how easily career criminals can exploit loopholes to go unpunished. Warrior Girl Unearthed similarly taught me how “collectors” (whether that is private collectors or museums or educational institutions) can hold on to artifacts and remains, once again slipping through loopholes and denying tribes their heritage, heirlooms, and ancestors.

But it also gives us the story of a girl who is frequently overlooked even as she refuses to stay silent; a girl who doesn’t want to wait amid the humiliation of white people trying to decide if her people deserve the return of stolen things; a girl who thinks the ends justify the means - until she doesn’t.

I love love love the sheer passion and love that Boulley has for her culture, it's truly infused in everything. And I thought the entire plot of reclaiming the ancestors and what rightfully belongs to the nation is so interesting, so unique, and so vitally important. My one quibble is that I don't think the actual mystery is that strong--I understand and can appreciate that a part of it is to draw attention to the plight of MMIWG2S (thank you for that analogy, I'm trying to learn!), but I think the actual contemporary story is stronger than the mystery, I felt that way about Firekeeper's Daughter too.

This did not live up to the success of the first book, The Firekeeper's Daughter. We return to Sugar Island. There's plenty of important historical information here, but the story around it just didn't work well for me.

Fantastic. Gripping. Important. I absolutely loved this book.

Angeline Boulley takes us back to Sugar Island to illuminate issues around Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women/2 Spirits and repatriating their stolen ancestors and artifacts. You get a coming of age story with a heist and a hint of romance.

Perry Firekeeper-Birch is the brash twin, mouthy and impulsive, but with a soft heart. Her sister Pauline is the "good" twin, focused and college bound. The two are doing the Kinomaage Internship program this summer, rotating through different departments to learn more about their culture and how the tribe works. Perry is initially placed at the tribal museum.

This was the first I'd heard of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) and it's stunning (though not surprising) that government and universities have dragged their feet over the last 30 years on making full effort to get ancestors returned to their people. This isn't about just artifacts, but the remains of actual people who are continuing to be dehumanized, even after death. Would any of us want that for our grandparents/great grandparents? Bravo to Boulley for bringing it to the fore for a teen audience.

CW: grooming, murder, theft, breaking and entering, trichotillomania (coping through hair pulling)

"Warrior Girl Unearthed" by Angeline Boulley is a captivating read that had me hooked from the very beginning, earning a solid 4-star rating. The novel's strength lies in its character development, particularly that of Perry, the MC/protaganist and the mystery set-up.

For the majority of the book, I was ready to award it a full 5 stars. Perry's journey of self-discovery and her connection to her culture and ancestors through her dreams with the warrior girl were beautifully written and deeply engaging. Boulley's ability to intertwine the personal with the cultural resonates powerfully, providing a rich backdrop for the story.

However, there were moments where things felt somewhat repetitive. Additionally, the ending of the book left me feeling a bit rushed and overwhelmed. It seemed as though multiple plot points were hastily resolved, and the mystery was suddenly solved (I felt like it was a Scooby Doo type ending where suddenly the antagonist was revealed), leaving me wishing for a more gradual and satisfying conclusion.

Nonetheless, "Warrior Girl Unearthed" is a book that admirably explores themes of identity, heritage, and the power of dreams. It excels in its character development, particularly with Perry, whose journey of self-discovery is both inspiring and relatable. While it may have some minor flaws in pacing and the final resolution, the novel still offers a meaningful and thought-provoking reading experience that is well worth the read for anyone interested in exploring the complexities of identity and culture.

Gripping sequel to Firekeeper's Daughter. Warrior Girl Unearthed continues the story of the Firekeeper family and their ties to the community and their ancestry. This story follows Perry as she investigates missing and stolen artifacts.

Warrior Girl Unearthed is a really beautiful testament to women, to culture, and to justice. I loved this book because it touched me as a mother of a future earth-shaker. Grateful to Boulley for telling these stories.

Firekeeper's Daughter was one of my favorite books the year I read it and I was so delighted to see there was another book about this particular community. Perry is really great as a main character, though I think she comes across stronger in the audiobook. She read a little bit young on page and when I started the audio like 30% in I started to like her so much more. Just reading made her feel juvenile and kind of annoying but with the narrator's voice she comes across as more of a strong confident presence than just an annoying kid.

I work in a cultural heritage institution that addresses repatriation requests and questions of ethical collecting, and it was really interesting to see it novelized. You can tell that Boulley is incredibly knowledgeable about both sides of the table. I think I even learned a thing or two myself! My friend book group read it in August and everyone loved it.

I really truly hope Angeline Boulley writes another book about Granny June and Minnie Mustang as young people. I would crowdsource to fund that shit I need it so bad.

If it wasn't clear I highly highly highly recommend this book.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to love this as much as I did Firekeeper’s Daughter but I just didn’t get invested in the characters and there was so much going on it was a bit jumbled for the first 2/3 or so.
It was so great seeing all the culture and revisiting characters from FD though.

I love what Boulley is able to bring to audiences regarding her culture. However, the pacing of this book felt off. Slow, then rushed. Overall, I still really enjoyed the story and revisiting old characters while getting to know new ones.

Following the remarkable “Firekeeper’s Daughter,” Angeline Boulley returns us to Sugar Island, revisiting familiar characters a decade later. However, the spotlight now shines on the audacious and headstrong 16-year-old Perry Firekeeper-Birch, alongside her more conscientious and anxious twin, Pauline. Their summer plans take an unexpected turn when Pauline reluctantly joins an internship program. Once again, readers are immersed in the Ojibwe culture, history, traditions, rituals, community, and language as Perry embarks on an internship at a local museum under the mentorship of Cooper Turtle. To her surprise, Perry discovers the story of Warrior Girl and the disrespectful treatment of her ancestors’ remains and funerary items, igniting her passion for their repatriation.

The author's multi-layered and action-packed storytelling sees Perry identifying with Warrior Girl, believing she is guided by her spirit as she plans the daring heist. One of the novel’s most compelling aspects is how seamlessly it serves as an educational and informative resource.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Boulley's follow up novel was another wonderful read. I enjoyed the way she takes the reader back into this world and helps the reader see a glimpse into the world that they may not have much knowledge of. I really enjoy Boulley's writing style and I can't wait to read what she writes next. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

At first, the plot was all over the place and I wasn’t really sure what the direction of the book would be. However, it quickly became obvious that the author was laying the foundation for a lot of events and conversations that not only had a lot of importance for the story itself, but the greater issues and conversations going on in real life. What never lacked in her writing was heart and bold characters.
I always appreciate this author’s work because of her beautiful writing and the way she is able to use her talent to craft stories and teach her readers. If you loved The Firekeeper’s Daughter, this is another must read!

Angeline Boulley brings us back to Sugar Island in Warrior Girl Unearthed. It is here where we meet the next generation of girls in the Firekeeper family. Perry Firekeeper-Birch was ready for summer and just slacking off. However, after a tiny fender bender, she now has to work all summer to pay back her Auntie Daunis for repairs to the Jeep.

Thankfully she has the other outcasts in the summer program she is stuck working in, Team Misfit Toys, and even her twin sister Pauline. Together they are a winning team beating everyone else in obstacle courses, they plan vigils for missing women in the community, and make sure summer doesn’t feel so lost after all.

However, when she attends a meeting at a local university, Perry learns about the “Warrior Girl”, an ancestor whose bones and knife are stored in the museum archives, and everything changes. Perry knows that she has to return Warrior Girl to her tribe. Determined to help, she learns all she can about NAGPRA, the federal law that allows tribes to request the return of ancestral remains and sacred items. The university has been using legal loopholes to hold onto Warrior Girl and twelve other Anishinaabe ancestors’ remains, and Perry and the Misfits won’t let it go on any longer.

The Misfits realize that a heist is the only way to bring back the stolen artifacts and remains for good. But there is more to this repatriation than meets the eye as more Indigenous women disappear. As secrets and mysteries unfold, Perry and the Misfits must fight to find a way to make things right – for the ancestors and for their community.

Warrior Girl Unearthed is another powerful thriller from Angeline Boulley. She writes with a strong voice, has well-developed characters and plotlines, and her incorporation of the Ojibwe culture is detailed so readers have a better understanding of what life is like for contemporary Indigenous populations.

Another knockout story from Boulley. I think I still liked FKD better but this was excellent, informative, and such an important story.

Thanks to the publisher for the advanced copy

3.5*
Perry and her twin sister Pauline will spend the summer doing internships for their community. They are members of the Ojibwe tribe. Perry starts working for a man who is dedicated to retrieving Native artifacts. When she learns about the circumstances of “Warrior Girl”, she becomes determined to bring the remains of the girl back home. A local university holds the remains but has no intention of returning them to the tribe.

Throughout the summer, Perry is shifted from one assignment to another. She ends up with a group of other outcasts and they decide to capitalize on their status by calling themselves the Misfits. When they learn of a scheme to transfer a collection of Native remains, the Misfit group devises their own strategy to bring them back.

The caper plot is the weakest part of the book. It’s the circumstances of the Native people’s claim to their own artifacts and human remains that is powerful. Many tribes in the U.S. and also in Canada have had similar battles to return their ancestors to their homeland. Boulley informs us about the inequities that Native people face and the failure of authorities to acknowledge their rights. She’s a talented writer and uses her stories to point to serious issues that native cultures have long fought for.