Reviews tagging 'Racial slurs'

Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley

283 reviews

shlymiller's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Medical content, Violence, Gun violence, Dementia, Chronic illness, Grief, Drug use, Sexual harassment, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Sexism, and Racial slurs

Minor: Alcohol, Pregnancy, Infidelity, and Police brutality

foresturken's review

emotional hopeful informative mysterious 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug abuse, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Grief, Addiction, Drug use, and Sexual assault

Minor: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Car accident, Confinement, Racial slurs, Drug use, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Kidnapping, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, Medical content, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Addiction, and Blood

taroroot's review

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

one star off for the love interest being in the FBI

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Drug use, Confinement, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Rape, Sexual content, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Murder, Grief, and Racial slurs

Minor: Cursing, Infidelity, Alcoholism, Addiction, and Blood

bookscatcoffee's review

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

• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

“Kindness is something that seems small, Daunis, but it’s like tossing a pebble into a pond and the ripples reach further than you thought.“. Loved this book!  The writing is really done well.  The characters are developed and complicated.  And there were no easy answers or convenient endings.  “It’s hard to reconcile not liking, even despising, parts of someone you love.  Is it possible the heart can expand to hold love as well as all the complicated emotions?”  I also learned a ton about the Ojibwe tribe in Michigan!  “Wisdom is not bestowed. In its raw state, it is the heartbreak of knowing things you wish you didn’t.“. Definitely worth reading!  5 stars

YA with Indigenous and diverse characters

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Rape, Drug abuse, Racial slurs, and Racism

sahramahtab's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Addiction, Drug abuse, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Rape, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Drug abuse, Drug use, Death, Hate crime, Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

lawbooks600's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Representation: Biracial (half white and half Native American,) Native American and Black side characters
Score: Eight out of ten.

Firekeeper's Daughter by Angelline Boulley circled my recommendations for months till now, and I thought no library would ever get it until a library got it. The book sat there on a display shelf till I picked it up, glanced at the blurb and headed in with high expectations, and when I closed the final page, it was thrilling. Where's Warrior Girl Unearthed?

It starts with Daunis living like she's split between her home and the Ojibwe reservation, where nothing happens in the opening pages save for her recounting her life in 2004, but everything changes after those pages when her best friend dies from a murder. Daunis joins an FBI investigation, but she starts hers as more deaths happen, and that is where the story shines in many ways. The pacing is mostly engaging and suspenseful as I see Daunis trying to discover who is the murderer, unintentionally stumbling upon another mystery on who is smuggling drugs in the Ojibwe community. Still, Boulley could've trimmed filler pages, of which there are around 100, to tighten her creation. There are not one, but two plots, adding to my enjoyment without being overwhelming or disjointed, but the narrative falters with its characters with their lack of relatability and the sheer number of them. Boulley could've removed them. The writing style is mostly okay but sometimes there are information dumps (which I found detracted from the central plot) and Boulley could've held back and instead improved the flow. I liked learning about Native American (is that the right term?) culture and medicines (no appropriation here,) a far cry from Indigenous Australian ones and the climax and conclusion ties everything on a high note.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Alcohol, Car accident, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Racism, Pregnancy, Drug abuse, Death, Suicide, Grief, Alcoholism, Racial slurs, Drug use, Blood, Sexism, and Addiction

Full trigger warnings: Death and murder of a friend, another person by suicide from a gun shot in the past and a grandmother, blood, grief and loss depiction, car crash, gun and axe violence, physical assault and injury, fire, racist and sexist slurs, racism, sexism, cheating, pregnancy, alcohol and drug use, abuse and addiction, hospitalisation

linneak's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Addiction, Car accident, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Suicide, and Murder

Moderate: Alcohol, Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Colonisation, Cursing, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment

rileydobereading's review

dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and Rape

Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Death of parent, Genocide, Toxic relationship, and Torture

kendrasreads's review against another edition

emotional mysterious

5.0

Loved this one. I understand others feeling that it was a bit lengthy or had some rushed parts and I can see that. Overall this was such a wonderful dive back into YA contemporary for me.

So glad I listened to it and got to hear pronunciations that I likely would’ve otherwise botched on my own.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Suicide, Addiction, and Death

Moderate: Sexual assault, Abandonment, and Racial slurs

madlyreading's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Colonisation, Death, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Racism, Death of parent, Dementia, Emotional abuse, Grief, Rape, Sexism, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking, Xenophobia, Car accident, Drug abuse, Kidnapping, and Sexual assault