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,

📚 Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley 📚

Thank you @henryholtbooks for the eARC on Netgalley. I loved Firekeeper's Daughter and was really excited for this book too.

It did not disappoint! We are back near Sugar Island and Sault Ste. Marie ten years after the events of Firekeeper's Daughter. Daunis' twin nieces are 16 years old and heading into summer. Perry is the one who just wants to have a great summer fishing and hanging out, while her type A twin is all about her internship with tribal council. Events unfold and Perry ends up fully mired in internships as well all summer long, getting a crash course in NAGPRA as well as politics and backstabbing.

I loved Perry's character, as I'll admit to being the type A high school student so it was fun to see the world through different eyes and get her perspective on her over eager sister. 😄

The book is fast-paced, full of interesting characters, some you will remember fondly from the first book, and then zooms to a very wild ending through the final 30% of the book. It seems a touch outrageous but then I reminded myself that it's fiction, YA, and purposefully meant to be a teen detective type thriller!

Definitely recommend!

#WarriorGirlUnearthed

Another excellent story, which features some of the people from Fire Keeper's Daughter. The main character is a bit younger than Daunis was, and is related to her.

The main character has a great growth arc, that is quite believable. The rest of the people portrayed are compelling as well.

A terrific story-line. I think all those who enjoyed the first will definitely enjoy this, but this might bring in younger readers too, perhaps students in middle school.

Angeline Boulley is just amazing. Her writing is beautiful and her stories immersive, I learned so much about the Native Americans in Northern Michigan. Her books have helped change my world view about artifacts and culture and what is right and wrong. I will recommend this book, and her first one, to everyone I know. I could not put this book down.

As with Firekeeper's Daughter, Boulley once again gives us an array of wonderfully fleshed out characters, deftly navigates sensitive topics, and provides a very informational and immersive background into the Ojibwe people of Upper Michigan.

Part of my blog post: In reading Perry’s voice, I had so many moments where I was like “Perry is me and I am Perry” or felt intense “dis me” energy, especially when she would bring up how much she rather be fishing (I’m vegan so clearly I wouldn’t be fishing) because I literally think that all the time about reading (if I didn’t have to adult & work to pay bills and buy books, I would just read all the time). She’s also super funny, lacks a filter and is direct in a way that is refreshing to me (I love a human who is no Bullsh*t, truly). I feel like we don’t get enough direct characters, where they aren’t afraid to mince words or water down who they are to make others more comfortable. Perry is also just as caring as she is calculating, which makes her the perfect person to plan & pull of a heist…yes, you read that right, a HEIST!

“Every war, holy or not, is a battle for control over land and other resources. The winners are due the spoils of war, including gold and silver, people enslaved and trafficked, and the cultural and religious relics of those considered less than human.”

Warrior Girl Unearthed takes place about 10 years after Firekeeper’s Daughter. Perry Firekeeper-Birch loves her life on Sugar Island, living among her Anishinaabe tribe, but her ambitious twin, Pauline, is looking forward to college off the island. Perry was looking forward to a summer of fishing but wrecking her car means she’s forced into the local internship program with Pauline. Perry is assigned to the tribal museum where she learns about the laws dictating how native artifacts and remains are to be returned to their tribes. When she discovers the local university and a private collector have sacred artifacts and remains of her ancestors she plans a heist with her fellow interns. But with local indigenous women going missing and a recent murder, artifacts aren’t the only things at risk of being lost.

I loved Firekeeper’s Daughter and was so excited to read this one, which did not disappoint. Angeline Boulley has an amazing ability to tell a story featuring important issues to the indigenous community with relatable characters and a thrilling plot. I personally learned a lot reading this book. I do wish there was a little more follow up with the previous book, I want to know what happened with all of the characters. There are little bits peppered into this one but I want more. I also feel like the wrap up at the end was a bit rushed, I feel like there are some unanswered questions, even after reading the last chapter twice. The ending is still satisfying and I hope there will be more stories from Sugar Island in the future.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Henry Holt & Co, Macmillan Children’s, and the author for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I was a bit nervous this would not live up to Boulley’s previous books. But it was so good. I loved the characters and story line. Being about to enter the mind of this amazing author and the world she created was a blessing.

What I love about Angeline Boulley's book is that every time I jump into one of her stories I feel immersed in the passion that this author has for her people and for her culture.

Warrior Girl unearthed tackles hard but important topics. A large majority of the plot revolves around The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, which is the process for federal agencies and museums that receive federal funds to transfer Native American cultural items from their collections (artifacts, human remains, etc) back to Indigenous tribes.

I loved learning about tribal reclamation laws and how important the fight was for the rights of the tribes to lay their ancestors to rest. What is beautiful about this book is how even the youth honor their dead and find value in sacred handmade artifacts. The audio was excellent and I loved hearing the pronunciation correctly for Ojibwemowin language.

There is a bit of a mystery around missing girls a touch of romance and heist within the plot as well.

What didn't work for me is that I felt like this lacked a little bit of polish that the first book had in spades. There were a lot of characters, motives to keep track of and some of those loose ends never got tied up. I also felt disconnected to the romance and felt this book a tad more immature in motive/dialogue than Fire Keepers Daughter. *also just couldn't take the descriptions of dog farts.

That being said. I'm definitely not mad I read this and will continue to read and be educated by Boulleys books in the future.

I DNF’d this title at 23%. I truly loved Boulley’s first novel, Firekeeper’s Daughter, so I was over the moon to receive early access to read her newest novel, Warrior Girl Unearthed.

I don’t have any key complaints other than finding Perry’s character development hard to invest in and relate to (also, why’d she get so attached to Warrior Girl so quickly?). I am still giving this book two stars, because I think it could work well for someone with greater investment in the storyline.

This is a story about bringing the warrior girl home.

I loved every page of this book. The protagonists is flawed in the most relatable, human ways. She makes impulsive choices, but they’re driven by a deep sense of anger at injustice… I loved her journey. Plus, if you enjoyed Firekeeper’s Daughter, this isn’t a sequel but does take place in the same world and you get updates about those characters!

Thank you so much @macmillan.audio & @henryholtbooks for the book & audio!

Boulley has welcomed her readers back to Sugar Island and the community that calls this island home. In this sophomore novel, Perry plans to spend her summer vacation lounging on a fishing boat, but finds herself enrolled in the community internship program. Shuttled across a few assignments, Perry and the reader gets to understand the overlapping complexities and barriers to reclaiming culturally significant artifacts and the lengths people on both sides of the argument go to retain when the view as rightfully theirs. The pace lags slightly in the third act, but the mystery heats up and Perry finds herself in real danger, leaving the reader continuing late into the night to reach the shocking climax.

WARRIOR GIRL UNEARTHED by Angeline Boulley (author of award-winning Firekeeper's Daughter) is an exciting young adult novel which has elements of mystery and romance while also dealing with the serious issues surrounding return of artifacts to indigenous people and their tribes. Main character is Pearl Mary Firekeeper-Birch (call me Perry) who is generally laid back and relaxed, looking forward to a fun summer of fishing between high school years. However, she gets into some scrapes and ends up having to earn money through a local internship program. It's there that she becomes much more attuned to the legal situation involving indigenous artifacts and human remains. Perry has a twin sister, Pauline, a good friend Lucas, and fellow interns, like Erik, a possible boyfriend and Shense, a single Mom. Together, this group plans a heist, believing the ends justify the means. It is one of the lessons which Perry confronts as she and others grow throughout the story. With her rebel spirit, Perry is a brave warrior, but she also rarely hesitates to bend or break rules (e.g., supplying weed gummies or stealing heirloom seeds and traditional baskets because they should belong to the tribe) which will make her appealing (if not a great role model) for teen readers. Boulley, member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, looks beyond questions of repatriation to those involving discrimination and colorism, as well as law enforcement's mixed reaction to missing and murdered indigenous women. WARRIOR GIRL UNEARTHED received starred reviews from Kirkus ("compellingly readable .... a nuanced exploration of critical issues of cultural integrity"), Publishers Weekly ("a thrilling and empowering read"), and School Library Journal. Highly recommended.

If you asked me in 2021 for a book recommendation, chances are I would have told you all about Firekeeper's Daughter, which I still recommend as often as I can.

But with the release of her latest YA thriller, Angeline Boulley has given us another gift. And it is just as amazing.

From the publisher: "Perry Firekeeper-Birch has always known who she is - the laidback twin, the troublemaker, the best fisher on Sugar Island. Her aspirations won't ever take her far from home, and she wouldn't have it any other way. But as the rising number of missing Indigenous women starts circling closer to home, as her family becomes embroiled in a high-profile murder investigation, and as greedy grave robbers seek to profit off of what belongs to her Anishinaabe tribe, Perry begins to question everything.

In order to reclaim this inheritance for her people, Perry has no choice but to take matters into her own hands. She can only count on her friends and allies, including her overachieving twin and a charming new boy in town with unwavering morals. Old rivalries, sister secrets, and botched heists cannot - will not - stop her from uncovering the mystery before the ancestors and missing women are lost forever."

With a continued focus on the right of Indigenous people both in the past and in the present, with it's powerful spotlight on the indifference so many have when yet another Indigenous woman goes missing, and with its emphasis on power, leadership, and community - this newest book is a must add to your collection, lit circles, and discussions.

Sure to suck even the most reluctant reader into its pages and leave us asking questions, I cannot recommend this book enough.

Angeline Boulley did it again! Warrior Girl Unearthed is a masterfully written story following Perry Firekeeper Birch, an impulsive and spirited 16-year-old indigenous woman of the Ojibwe community. Perry plans to spend the summer fishing, but her plans quickly change when she is in a car accident racking up a hefty mechanic bill. She is forced to join her Tribe’s summer internship program and ends up working at the Cultural Center Museum. Despite her initial disappointment, Perry learns about the Native Americans Protection and Repatriation Act and becomes determined to return her ancestors to their people. While planning a heist with other intern friends, the “Misfit Toys”, young Native women keep disappearing within the community. When one of Perry’s friends unexpectedly goes missing, she begins to fear the worst.

I went into this book knowing I would love it, and I was not disappointed. Boulley artfully incorporates important messages into a work of fiction. She exposes the reader to the injustices indigenous people continue to experience with their stolen history, the crimes against women, and the tedious process of reclaiming artifacts and remains of their people. Our main character, Perry, is a fiery teen that is in the midst of forging her own path while being forcefully passionate about her community and their traditions. She is a relatable character for many, a little misunderstood, a little bit of a troublemaker, but full of love and compassion for the people she holds close. Warrior Girl Unearthed is a standalone novel, but I recommend reading Firekeeper’s Daughter first to be able to enjoy some updates on characters you would be previously introduced to.

A special thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this amazing book!