Firekeeper's Daughter blew me away in 2021, so while I had high expectations for Warrior Girl Unearthed, I wasn't expecting to be as awed or enthralled as I was with FKD. I'm so happy to say I was proven wrong.

WGU follows Daunis's nieces (specifically Perry; they're now 16) from the first book, but you don't need to read FKD to understand WGU. It's just a special extra little piece to understand how the first book connects to this one. WGU focuses on Perry's summer working an internship. She starts out in the local museum and learns about stolen artifacts that are being held illegally from her people. Perry isn't one to back away from a challenge, so she hatches a scheme with fellow interns to get their stolen ancestors and ceremonial objects back.

As is typical with Boulley's writing I'm finding, things aren't as straightforward as they seem. We have mystery on mystery. It felt like a female Lara Croft which is exactly what Boulley intended (read in her author's note--if you don't read authors' notes, I sincerely suggest you start). Boulley said in her author's note that she wanted the focus of this book to be the mistreatment of Indigenous bodies whether that was through the inappropriate digging up of ancestral bones, the excessive amount of missing Indigenous women, or children being taken from their parents and put into "orphanages", all of these issues are explored in WGU.

While this book is fiction, it highlights very real issues Indigenous people face. Boulley included a reading list at the end of WGU that I am interested in learning more from.

Read Warrior Girl Unearthed. You won't regret it.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for sending me an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

An amazing follow-up to the groundbreaking Firekeeper's Daughter. This book has so much heart and delves into important repatriation topics. A gripping story and one I thoroughly enjoyed.

What I loved:
✨Mix of a fictional mystery + nonfiction information regarding missing Indigenous women and NAGPRA, which is the Act that allows Native Americans to reclaim ancestral remains and sacred items from any federally-funded institution. Boulley breaks down the Act in an elementary manner for the reader. Very informative and educational!
✨Rich cast of female characters - I wrote this highlight for Firekeeper’s Daughter, too, so clearly, this is one of Boulley’s trademarks. I especially loved the scenes with Perry and Shense. They provide levity amongst the heavy topics.
✨Narration: Boulley incorporations Ojibwemowin throughout the book. Isabella Star LeBlanc fluently speaks the Ojibwe language. Listening to the blend of English and Ojibwemowin, I gained a stronger connection with the text and the context. I wholly credit LeBlanc for this immersive experience.

I highly recommend both the book and the audiobook! You cannot go wrong with either.

This novel tackles a lot of important issues pertaining to the indigenous people of turtle island. Specifically the ways Archaeology & science disregard peoples cultures and practicies for the "greater good" and drag their feet to return ancestral remains to the tribal land they belong to. It also spoke to the very disturbing way they break apart human remains so its easier to store... Who gets to decide whose ancestors are dug up and put into a museum and whose gets to stay buried and undisturbed? It also delves into MMIW which stands for Missing and murdered Indigenous women. It brings to light how many women are still missing from these communties and highlights the ways in which laws work against indigenous people. For example tribal court is only allotted towards crimes that happen by indigenous people to Indigenous people on tribal land. Meaning non indigenous people who harm women go larlgely without consqueence.

I really enjoyed this book and appreciate the care that was given to the story. My only issue is it felt very long at parts that could have been shortened to add to the strength of other parts in my opinion.

Before going into this book, I wasn’t sure Angeline Boulley could top her fantastic work with Fire Keeper’s Daughter, but damn… she did it. Warrior Girl Unearthed revolves around the theft of Indigenous artifacts and remains, which is a particularly heartbreaking and gut-wrenching thing in our community. To not only know the way people feel ownership over your bodies and culture, but how they talk about it… is extremely frustrating. There were definitely a couple of times where I cried. I’m so glad Boulley was able to shine a light on this, and how vital repatriation is, in such a good way. The messaging of this book is something that I think is so important for both Native and Non-Native people to hear.

And on top of all that, she gave us a really entertaining story to get sucked into with a heist, young love, drama… and seeing characters from Fire Keeper’s Daughter from a new perspective, years after the first book! And it cracks me up that technically both of her books are historical fiction for the 2000’s… there’s some fun nostalgia with that. This book is an absolutely perfect companion to her first book, and I look forward to revisiting her work for many years to come. AND I can’t wait to read everything else Angeline writes!! I’m eternally grateful to her for these stories. Warrior Girl Unearthed is good medicine.

This felt just like home being back on Sugar Island with the familiar voice and tone from the previous installment. Angeline Boulley pulls you right back with a feeling of nostalgia for the writing you missed so much between books and put it in a new adventure for all of us to love. Stunning work!

Thank you to netgalley for providing an e-galley for review. Warrior Girl Unearthed brings us back to the Firekeeper Birch family and the Sugar Islands. This story centers around museum collections and reclamations which is horrifying enough to think of, but then let's insert MMIW (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women ) investigation as well for added intrigue. Appreciation for culture and respect for others who walked before comes shining through in the second book from Boulley.

Warrior Girl Unearthed is the follow-up to Ms. Boulley's outstanding debut Firekeeper's Daughter. In this story, we are alongside Daunis's neice Perry Firekeeper Birch as she embarks on a quest to reclaim the remains and artifacts of ancestors pillaged and sold among private collectors, as well as those unjustly held by academic institutions claiming loopholes in the law. This book is part coming-of-age story, part thriller, and all call-to-action on an issue many readers (especially of course non-Indigenous) may not be aware of.

Through Perry's journey, we learn about NAGPRA (Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act), and how it has failed to effectively return vast numbers of Indigenous remains to Native tribes. Through Perry's eyes, we see the impact this has on Native communities, the suffering and anger, feeling powerless as their ancestors are denied being put to rest with honor, tradition, and healing back home. We also observe other ways the bodies of Native women are dehumanized, often at the whims of men who view them as objects to collect and control. I really appreciated these strong and important themes, as well as the development of Perry's character as she is confronted with these disturbing injustices to her community and her maturing into a young person with purpose and courage to advocate against the harms. The Author's Note at the end lends more insight on the inspiration for this book and enhanced my appreciation for the story.

There are some aspects of the book that fell a bit short. I won't get into any spoilers, but the plot takes some implausible turns and seemed a bit rushed and slapdash at the end. The writing style is more juvenile than FKD, and I realize this is a YA book, but it wasn't as polished as its predecessor. Even with these flaws, I'm glad to have read and learned from this book. I was super excited that it was an add-on for Book of the Month so I could obtain a copy matching the FKD Book of the Month edition.

I look forward whatever Ms. Boulley puts out next! Thank you, Henry Holt and Company, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, and Netgalley for my e-ARC!

Holy moly. Angeline Boulley has absolutely done it again.

Similar to her debut novel, Warrior Girl Unearthed is an amazingly well-balanced thriller/suspense story, with so many educational moments and representation of indigenous culture and beliefs.

While this is a lengthy book, I felt the pacing was quick - I never felt it dragged. Character development was there and realistic. There are quite a few characters - but they all felt distinct and easy to keep track of.

Overall, Boulley has solidified herself as an auto-buy author for as many stories as she is willing to share!

This is a title I will be recommending for the 2026 Evergreen Teen Book Award cycle.
Firekeeper's Daughter is a 2024 Nominee this year. Because this one is a candidate, it is eligible.
This is a book that I am sharing with multiple people--librarians and others (in fact, it is one that I have highly recommended for an adult reading circle)--because of its importance in helping a young adult (and adult) audiences understand some of the challenges faced by indigenous people in our shared country.

Phenomenal book. Better than Boulley's first. Perry is a strong, likable character teens will connect with and root for. The themes and topics discuss less well known issues to introduce students to these societal concerns Indigenous communities face. This will become consistently recommended title in my classroom library.

I loved this. So happy I got a copy from Netgalley to read. Like Firekeeper's Daughter, there is a lot of information in this book, but it is woven into the storyline. So even though we needed to learn a lot about NAGPRA, we did it along with Perry. Speaking of Perry, she is such a great character. I love her righteous indignation, her intelligence, and her spark. The only sad thing for me is that I read it on Kindle and now I need a physical copy for my classroom. But, honestly, I'm pretty happy to send a little money Boulley's way.

Excellent read. I enjoyed the historical nature of this book and all the indigenous related material. I read her first book and really liked it as well.

I sophomore novel slump here! I wasn’t sure HOW Angeline Boulley could possibly top Firekeeper’s Daughter, or make me ache and love a character as much as I love Daunis, but, somehow, she absolutely did.

Pearl Mary PERRY Firekeeper-Birch is everything i hope my daughter grows up to be: fierce, loyal, protective of those she loves, but above all else, i hope she vibrates with the intensity of her ancestors that gives her skin its luminosity. Just like Perry.

I adored Angeline Boulley’s debut novel, Firekeeper’s Daughter. I was super excited to find out that she decided to write a sequel and jumped at the opportunity to read Warrior Girl Unearthed.

Warrior Girl Unearthed is a young adult mystery about an Anishinaabe teen who tries to find a way to bring a stolen ancestor back to her tribe. The book begins ten years after Firekeeper’s Daughter with Daunis’s niece, Perry. All Perry wants to do this summer is fish, but an accident forces Perry to work a local summer internship at the local tribal museum, where she learns of ancestral remains and sacred objects at a nearby university.

Voiced through Perry, Warrior Girl Unearthed felt a bit more YA than Firekeeper’s Daughter – in both writing and plot. As someone who does not typically read YA novels, I was not dissuaded from reading it despite this shift in tone. The story still has depth and nuance despite the more reckless and less thought out actions the characters take.

My only other critique is that the mystery in Warrior Girl Unearthed was a bit less compelling than that in Boulley’s debut. Still, I found the overall plot to be interesting and engaging enough that the lack of tension (from mystery) did not dampen my enjoyment.

Boulley included so much information and knowledge in this book; yet, I never felt like I was being taught or on the receiving end of an info dump. Instead, I learned right along with Perry about reparations and Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). I also loved that Boulley wove in a subplot about missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls (MMIW). (It was especially fitting that I read this after Searching for Savannah.) I am so happy to have learned so much from Warrior Girl Unearthed while reading a great story.

I adored the characters in this book. They were all well-developed and came to feel like people I knew. I especially loved Perry as the strong female protagonist who is rebellious, blunt, and still a passionate advocate for her people.

Overall, Warrior Girl Unearthed is a well-realized novel that honors the Ojibwe community, history, and practices. I really enjoyed reading it and highly recommend it. While this book can be read as a stand alone, I assure you that you do not want to miss out on the fun of Firekeeper’s Daughter and seeing this community of characters grow over time.

Warrior Girl Unearthed written by Angeline Boulley

The Firekeeper's Daughter is one of my absolute FAVORITE books. I had to immediately read Boulley's newest book, Warrior Girl Unearthed. I didn't even read the synopsis. I was so excited seeing Perry’s name in the first chapter. She is one of the 6 year old twins in The Firekeeper’s Daughter! YES, A SEQUEL!!!??

The story is set 10 years later in 2014 and Perry and her twin, Pauline are 16 years old. Daunis (The Firekeeper’s Daughter’s main character is 28yo and their aunt and is apart of this story). Perry is the main character and I love her personality. She’s rebellious, blunt, protective and is a strong female protagonist. She acts on instinct and has gotten into A LOT of trouble for it. I actually went back to read all her parts as a kid in the first book and I definitely see it now.

In this story, she immediately crashes her Jeep that Auntie Daunis got her and her sister. Instead of a lazy summer of fishing, she ends up having to work all summer to pay Daunis back. During this time, she finds out not so savory things about American museums that harbor Indigenous artifacts and human remains and how they get around reparations. These items were often stolen and this story provides us a glimpse of how painful it can be when integrity is compromised. Perry and her friends find loopholes to get these sacred items back which uncovers dark secrets. When two mentors give her opposite advice, Perry decides to take matters into her own hands with the help of her bestfriends.

The intricate world that that Boulley created is like a web. I love that I learned so much about Objiwe culture and how important it is for us to respect it the way it's meant to be respected. Boulley explores further Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, grooming within and out of the tribal community, colorism and other sensitive topics. It is a well-developed and thought-provoking story. Boulley is immensely talented at her craft. I love her books. I have been recommending this book to everyone that will listen.

I am genuinely shocked that Angeline Boulley somehow topped THE FIREKEEPER'S DAUGHTER, which was one of my favorite reads last year. But man, did I love WARRIOR GIRL UNEARTHED. Perry is such a fantastic heroine--chill and spunky and sure of herself--who grows and matures so beautifully throughout the course of the novel. The book tackles MMIW & repatriation with an incredibly deft hand, and it continues FIREKEEPER's beautiful emphasis on the importance of family and community (and, particularly, elders) with the addition of an impossible-not-to-love ragtag group of teen fast friends. Plus, a heist! And a murder! This book belongs on bookshelves and syllabi nationwide.

This book is a beautiful and complex look into contemporary Native life and the bonds that connect community in the face of on-going genocide and erasure. It taught me so much about present-day efforts to bring home cultural items and familial remains, the systemic racism that keeps that from happening, and the everyday resistance to daily degradation. Angeline Boulley achieves this without being overtly didactic, centering the humanity of our protagonist, and building emotional investment in every character. I dare say I loved this even more than her debut novel. Can’t wait for the next one.

I loved this story of Perry and her journey to bring her ancestors home while learning more about herself and her community. As a Michigander myself, I love the UP setting and much like Firekeeper's Daughter, I enjoyed learning more about the Native American community and history. My students love FD and I predict they will also love Warrior Girl Unearthed.

Angeline Boulley has a way with words. I think I loved this book more than her first, with a focus on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and bringing ancestors and their belongings home. Perry Firekeeper-Birch is an "act now, apologize later" kind of girl who is full of fire and a sense of rightness. While some of her choices made me absolutely crazy, I admire so much her desire to care for her ancestors, to bring them home to their tribe, to the earth, where they belong, rather than with museums or private collectors. This book is absolutely worth reading and I learned so much.

Thank you to Netgalley for my complimentary e-arc of this book. All opinions here are my own.

*Mentions of teenage sex & pregnancy, abduction, murder, underage drinking, theft, references to sexual assault in the past,