Reviews with content warning for Addiction - Firekeeper's Daughter

If sentences such as, "Secret Squirrel Lesson #4: All's fair in love, hockey, and meth" give you the ick, this book will make you wince repeatedly and often. Boulley relies entirely too much on inserting clunky politics into tragic backstories, as well as Daunis realizing that she's referring to someone in past tense to evoke emotion. It becomes tiresome after the third or fourth time. Either I'm too old to be reading books marketed for this age group, or the author is too old to be depicting this age group accurately. Recent high school graduates don't giggle like that. They don't label or categorize certain aspects of their lives into boxes like Hockey World. And they certainly don't say things like, "After a while, Crocodylus niloticus." Native representation in literature is good, and I wanted to like this very much. I just couldn't when I could predict the YA tropes/cringe beat for beat.

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tatih's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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plumpeony's review

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challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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bookmarvel's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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sahramahtab's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

"Firekeeper's Daughter" by Angeline Boulley is a remarkable journey that left me captivated from start to finish. It provided invaluable insights into Native American culture, and what stood out to me was how it didn't feel like it was written with white readers in mind—an all-too-common occurrence in literature representing marginalized communities. As a person of color, I appreciated seeing authentic representation that wasn't tailored to fit a white demographic.The book masterfully weaves explanations into the narrative, allowing the reader to learn and understand the intricacies of life within an indigenous tribe and their community. The characters were beautifully nuanced, with Daunis standing out for her strength, loyalty, and unwavering authenticity. Jamie was a delightful character as well, easy to like and root for.The plot twist took me by surprise,

as I never once doubted Levi's character.

The sibling relationship between Daunis and Levi was a highlight in the first half of the book, and as the mystery unraveled in the final chapters, I found myself unable to tear my eyes away from the pages.
"Firekeeper's Daughter" resonated deeply with me, and I consider it the best book I've read so far this year. I'm incredibly grateful to have experienced such an incredible story and eagerly anticipate exploring more of Angeline Boulley's work, especially the sequel to this captivating novel.

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