This book begins 10 years after Firekeeper’s Daughter, with Daunis taking on the role of one of the aunties in the story and her niece Perry becoming the main character. Perry and her twin Pauline are a part of a summer internship program which has them learning about the reclamation of their ancestors and artifacts. Perry is so drawn to these items that rightfully belong to their tribe, that she is willing to risk everything to get them back from private owners and universities. While this book doesn’t have the same amount of suspense and death as Firekeeper’s Daughter, there is a small focus on the MMIW (missing and murdered indigenous women) which along with the impending heist, makes the story a page-turner to find out how it all ends. The author is a masterful storyteller, and I look forward to reading more by her.

Yet again Angeline Boulley writes a compelling novel about a bad ass girl who fights for her friends and family. Twists and turns and lots of action, this book is so well written and showed me a culture I didn't know a lot about. I'm excited to put this in my library!

I was thrilled to get to spend more time in the Firekeepers-of-Sugar-Island world that Indigenous author Angeline Boulley created with her debut novel, Firekeeper's Daughter!

Set ten years after the first book, this YA novel once again shares a compelling, Indigenous-focused mystery through the eyes of a strong, smart, dynamic teen--in this case Perry Firekeeper-Birch, the niece of Firekeeper's Daunis. It's as educational, engaging, and emotional as Boulley's first novel. I loved it.

After getting into an accident in her Aunt Daunis's car, Perry is forced to work off damages at the Sugar Island Ojibwe Tribe’s summer internship program. She starts off as the tribal museum intern & is immediately immersed in the plight of her Anishinaabe tribe to reclaim the remains of their ancestors from a local university, which abuses the laws to keep them. Perry's snark and her love of family shine through as she uses her intelligence and fearlessness to stand up for what's right, even against a society that is racist and misogynistic at almost every turn.

In the midst of a heist where she plans to steal back stolen remains, Perry also must deal with the reality of Indigenous women going missing. I was listening to this on May 5, which is the Nat'l Day of Awareness for Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women, so it was especially relevant.

Boulley once again smartly mixes information about Indigenous culture and social plights with the everyday struggles of teen girls. Perry is as strong-willed as Daunis but instead of a carbon copy, you get a fully fleshed out character in her own right. This attention to detail makes Boulley a star in the genre.

Indigenous narrator LaBlanc once again narrates a Firekeeper story with heart, passion, and joy. She's perfect for this work and elevates Boulley's words with her talent.

This is a YA book that's great for teens AND adults!

First=t's always hard to follow up such a beloved one of kind book--like Firekeeper's was. Boulley does her best in this sophomore effort, but it indeed falls a little short of her debut. Maybe I had too high of hopes based on my past reading experience. Don't get me wrong this is totally "readable," but the mystery really didn't feel all that compelling, the characters as a whole are not as well developed and there's a bunch of really heavy things addressed without any levity like the sassy aunties of the original. I do recommend the audiobook. I feel like that adds to the novel/setting even though I generally prefer not to listen.

Absolutely stunning! Boulley's voice rings true and the universe feels just as authentic as it did in Fire Keeper's Daughter. Stunning!

Angeline Boulley does it again! I loved Firekeeper’s Daughter, and Warrior Girl Unearthed is a fantastic followup.

WGE takes us back to 2014, though it’s 10 years after the events of Firekeeper’s Daughter, and let’s us peer into the life of Daunis’ niece, Perry. Despite wanting a “summer of slack,” Perry ends up finding herself stuck in an internship she doesn’t want at the tribal museum. But after a rough start, she learns something that changes her whole perspective on the internship, and gives her something to fight for. She’s going to repatriate her tribe’s ancestors.

Boulley’s writing is at once conversational and profound, and gives us a glimpse at what it’s like to be a part of Sugar Island. Even so, you can tell that she shares just enough and no more about tribal life, because it’s not ~for~ everyone. She strikes a beautiful balance of sharing her culture and protecting it. And in the process, you come away with so much knowledge about NAGPRA (and to a lesser degree MMIW), including a reading list and other resources for self-study.

The characters of Warrior Girl Unearthed are brilliant, and one of the highlights of the book. Boulley is a master at creating compelling, complicated characters. Perry is funny, laid-back, and cares way more than people give her credit for. She’s willing to do whatever it takes for her tribe, including becoming a Lara Croft-esque figure. Yes, that means sometimes she goes to questionable lengths to do what is ultimately the right thing. I love that Boulley allows her characters to be as messy as they are loveable (and that’s all part of the charm). Perry is ready to take action at the drop of a hat, but at the end of the day, she is still a teenager, and doesn’t always make perfect choices.

The side characters are just as good. I loved seeing Daunis again, especially as much more of an adult figure. And then there’s Shense—she’s one of my favorites!

I’d recommend this book to any teen, there’s so much good.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Warrior Girl Unearthed is a story about the twin nieces of Daunis. The main story revolves around Perry who is Perry is bold, outspoken, and impulsive, due to which she always gets into trouble.

She’s an intern at a summer program and is tasked throughout the summer with a series of different group and individual projects on and off the island. Although working a job was not her original plan for her summer break, it introduces her to several issues that are affecting her community.

I feel that the first part of the book was a little slow compared to the rest of it; however, after reading half of it I was unable to put it down. The plot well is narrated and interesting. I love Perry's friends and family, she has a strong support system.

For older YA and adult readers, this book is a must-read. Now I can’t wait to read Firekeeper’s Daughter.

Warrior Girl Unearthed is Angeline Boulley's second YA novel and it attempts to do a lot. I enjoyed all of the details of Ojibwe cultural but the plot felt disjointed at times simply because it was trying to do so much. Perry's relationship with Erik, in particular, seemed like an after thought and I didn't feel like Erik was a fully formed character, nor did he add much to the overall story. I felt similarly about Pauline - I kept waiting to get more from this character and it never came. As Perry's twin, I wish we could have seen things from her perspective, too. Overall, I would recommend this book simply because of it's accurate and fascinating portrayal of modern day Ojibwe life on Sugar Island but the overall arc of the story left something to be desired.

Of course this book is phenomenal, but it's STAGGERINGLY phenomenal. As a follow-up to Boulley's first book/companion novel, it's wonderful to revisit characters who are now older, and the new characters are expertly drawn too.

“I stare at random tourists and wonder how they would react to their ancestors being stolen for research. I’m guessing they would see it as sacrilege. So why were my relatives fair game?”

Firekeeper’s Daughter was one of my favourite books so I was so excited to read Warrior Girl Unearthed and it did not disappoint! It’s set 10 years after Firekeeper’s Daughter though both can be read as a standalone.

I loved the characters so much, Perry is an incredible passionate girl who loves deeply and will fight for her people. She is also the niece of Daunis, the MC of Firekeeper’s Daughter and we get glimpses of her as an adult which I loved seeing.
This book is steeped in the Ojibwa culture and traditions they follow. I thought it was so beautifully written and you can feel just how much love it was written with.

There are some incredibly difficult but important discussions throughout the book from how the tribes are treated to how their ancestors history is erased and their lives seen as less.
The fight to get back the remains and important items of their ancestors and how Perry feels angry about their treatment had me enraged and rooting for Perry.
There is a great group of characters that help Perry and I loved how tight knit the community and family is.

The story builds up until we get to that explosive ending. While the focus is on unjust treatment of the Ojibwa people we also see Perry grow and work out how she can best help to fight the injustices.

This book is quite different to her first but still amazing and such an important read. Everyone need to go buy this book!

I will read anything Angeline Boulley writes after loving both Firekeeper’s Daughter and her new release, Warrior Girl Unearthed. Angeline Boulley is a member of the Sault St. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, Bear Clan, and is from Sugar Island, which lies between the the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and Canada. Her novels are set in this beautiful region. I love that Boulley’s protagonists are Indigenous young women who show physical and mental strength as they face challenges.

While Boulley’s novels are Young Adult, I thoroughly appreciated them and would recommend them to teens and adults. Categorized as YA Mystery & Thriller, these novels will keep the reader turning the pages while educating the reader about Objibwe culture and traditions, including present-day tribal citizenship. Warrior Girl Unearthed focuses heavily on repatriation of tribal ancestors with a goal of returning ancestors to the earth with proper burial ceremonies.

Warrior Girl Unearthed’s main character, Perry Firekeeper-Birch, is 16-year old spending her summer in internship roles that will forever change her. Perry learns the past and present personal and public ownership of the remains of her indigenous ancestors and ceremonial items that should be returned to their tribes. Perry sees firsthand that “...one person’s grave robber is another person’s archeologist” and Perry becomes determined to make a difference and help bring these precious remains and items back to her tribe. This novel educates the reader about NAGPRA, The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990.

I appreciate how Perry’s community respects its Elders and prioritizes recording and cherishing their oral history. I love that even at age 16, Perry knows to save her energy for people who value and respect her and to focus her attention on causes and people who matter. Perry has such passion for her family and for her tribe. I love that tribal ceremonies are incorporated into the story.

There are multiple conflicts going on in the novel. At first, it seems like the missing Indigenous girls in the area may be the focus of the novel, but most of the story focuses on Perry and her internship and her interest in repatriation of stolen Indigenous ancestors and goods, but then the missing girls continue to come up in the story. There is also a murder dropped in the middle of the novel that has its own conflicts leading up to it. I can see where it may feel like too much is going on for some readers, but, overall, I was hooked and loved reading Warrior Girl Unearthed.

I’m so so so sad to DNF this. I read 20% and really, really tried to get interested. I feel like I am finallyyy getting to the beginning of the meat of the story but I’ve already read 1/5 of the book, and the first part was really dull. The characters seem flat. This is so different from FIREKEEPER’S DAUGHTER. I hope other people like this more than I did and are able to finish it.

I could not put this title down. What a great story that kept you guessing, right until the end. Wrapped within the story are some genuine thinking points that would make for a great book club/classroom discussion. Theft is seen as unacceptable at every level, but the wider discussion of inequity over time and inequity in the application of Justice is clear. What a great way tho get teens to understand the importance of perspective and its impact on the application of “Justice”. Definitely on the purchase list for the library, recommended for summer reading and highlighted for a book club discussion in the fall.

truly breathtaking. i loved that this was set in the same world as firekeeper's daughter but not a direct sequel- the topics at hand were completely different but no less pressing. once again, i feel like i learned so much while being totally immersed in this world with these characters. this is some top tier YA literature- absolute quality down to the sentence by sentence level. There was a little bit of a pacing drag towards the middle, but then it barrels towards the end and a satisfying conclusion. I can' wait to see what Angeline Boulley does next.

I LOVED Firekeeper’s Daughter and was thrilled that Daunis makes an appearance in Warrior Girl Unearthed!

The story focuses on Daunis's niece, Perry, and her quest to reclaim the stolen remains of her ancestors. Emotionally rich, funny, and powerful. This is a must-read.

I was a little nervous to read this because I loved Firekeeper's Daughter so much, but, of course, Boulley did not disappoint. A believable, likable protagonist and very real conflict centering on MMIW and the repatriation of indigenous ancestral remains made this hard to put down and kept me thinking about this story long after I finished reading.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is another great book from Angeline Boulley! I really liked the diversity of characters. She creates these stories in a story that all tie back together right at the very end. I DID not see everything being related in the way it was! One thing that I think could've been been fleshed out a little is when Perry crashed the jeep and Daunis is like you owe me $3200 and you're working it off at the museum...I think her parents should have had some say in that decision. I feel like she overstepped a boundary. But other than that it was an amazing story!

4.5⭐️ rounded up for goodreads! Thank you to Netgalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Firekeeper’s Daughter was my favorite read of 2021, so I was so excited for another book from Angeline Boulley, and it was even more of a treat to return to Sugar Island and follow Daunis’s niece, Perry, on her summer break.

I feel that you could read this book without reading FKD first, but I do think having the background info and knowledge of previous characters would be helpful for reading Warrior Girl Unearthed!

One thing I love about Boulley’s writing is that it spans genres. It’s YA, contemporary, mystery, heist, with a little bit of romance sprinkled in. I also learned so much about a topic I hadn’t known about before - NAGPRA (the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act), which “provides a process for federal agencies and museums that receive federal funds to repatriate or transfer from their collections certain Native American cultural items -- human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects … -- to lineal descendants, and to Indian tribes, Alaska Native Corporations, and Native Hawaiian organizations.”

This book also touched on the epidemic of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW).

I loved Perry’s passion, her humor and wit, her bravery, and her dedication to wanting to bring the ancestors home; she was fueled by righteous anger that was totally justified. I also loved Shense’s character and how she would pump breast milk for her baby while they were apart ❤️ nice to see that represented in a book!

“Warriors do for their people what others can’t or won’t.”

What to expect:
- Own Voices Native author
- Black & Anishinaabe FMC
- Cameo appearances from FKD characters
- Mystery, a complicated heist, plenty of action
- Ojibwemowin words and language throughout

My only critiques was I felt like the ending all happened so fast, I would have liked a little more time to digest everything that went down, and I would have loved to see one more scene between Perry and Cooper Turtle. Also I am still freaked out about the cereal box in Dr. Fenton’s shower - IYKYK. 😬

Perry Firekeeper-Birch dreams of spending her summer fishing while her twin sister, Pauline, participates in the summer internship program. However, after a car wreck, Perry is indebted to her Aunt Daunis and the only way to pay her back is to also join the summer internship program. Perry finds herself a group of interns who she bands together with to form Team Misfit Toys. During her internship, Perry learns about the plan to return native artifacts - one dubbed Warrior Girl, specifically - to their respectful communities, but the red tape of academia moves too slowly for her standards. Meanwhile, women and girls are going missing and Perry learns to juggle doing what's right, what's just, and bringing back the missing girls.
Told from Perry's POV, she is a firecracker of an MC. The tone of the book is full-on suspense as MMIW is simultaneously taking place in the foreground of the story while Perry is also doing her own recon on the most effective methods of returning native artifacts. The cast of characters were nuanced and diverse with the added detail of Ojibwe throughout the narrative a testament of Angeline Boulley's passion for the culture and authenticity.
This was an exciting read and I was on the edge of my seat primarily because of the MMIW events occurring in the background of the narrative. Perry is stubborn, determined, but also reckless. The resolution was wrapped up far too quickly and felt ridiculously rushed in relation to the rest of the book's events. There was also a moment of suspended disbelief when Perry finds herself in a precarious quagmire of a situation. Overall, a solid 4 stars and an important novel because of the past and most recent history.

A wonderful follow up to Firekeeper’s Daughter. I learned a ton about the culture while being entertained. It is a page turner for sure.