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adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racism, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Sexual assault
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual assault
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-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:
Yes
- Whew, what a ride! FIREKEEPER'S DAUGHTER takes a little bit to get rolling, but once it does, you won't be able to leave Daunis' side for a second.
- Love seeing a book that places Indigenous lives firmly in the present. This book covers everything from white friends being casually racist to addiction problems and from saying prayers throughout the day to the importance of respecting elders.
- So many of the characters in this book exist somewhere in a morally gray area, and a lot of that muddling has to do with how Indigenous peoples are treated (or ignored) in the United States.
- This may be a spoiler but I'm going to talk about it precisely because I think it shouldn't be treated as such. About 100 pages from the end of the book, there is a rape. It comes at a climactic moment and is kind of treated as a shocking plot twist. I know the intent was to illustrate how poorly Indigenous women are treated, but that was dealt with elsewhere in the book and given that the perpetrator is the most comically evil character when so many other characters had a gray morality (like, um, the cop love interest) it left a bad taste in my mouth at the end of an otherwise gripping book.
- Love seeing a book that places Indigenous lives firmly in the present. This book covers everything from white friends being casually racist to addiction problems and from saying prayers throughout the day to the importance of respecting elders.
- So many of the characters in this book exist somewhere in a morally gray area, and a lot of that muddling has to do with how Indigenous peoples are treated (or ignored) in the United States.
- This may be a spoiler but I'm going to talk about it precisely because I think it shouldn't be treated as such. About 100 pages from the end of the book, there is a rape. It comes at a climactic moment and is kind of treated as a shocking plot twist. I know the intent was to illustrate how poorly Indigenous women are treated, but that was dealt with elsewhere in the book and given that the perpetrator is the most comically evil character when so many other characters had a gray morality (like, um, the cop love interest) it left a bad taste in my mouth at the end of an otherwise gripping book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder
dark
emotional
mysterious
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:
Complicated
I really enjoyed this one! A fast-paced, well-plotted mystery set in an Ojibwe community in the Upper Peninsula. I think the book could read a little clunky for people who are already familiar with Ojibwe customs, as there are a lot of explanations, but as someone who is unfamiliar with the culture, I loved learning so much. Also, the book is marketed as YA, but the main character is 18-going-on-19 and I think it has a lot of adult appeal. I would recommend to both teen and adult mystery fans! I also got some Beartown vibes, as the story begins with a girl and a gun in the woods and hockey plays a major role, but they are definitely different stories.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a free advance copy.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a free advance copy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Murder
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
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:
Yes
I absolutely could not put this book down; I flew through the entire thing in a day and I have SO MANY feelings. Do not be surprised when you see this on my ‘favourites of 2021’ list!
We follow Daunis, whom we meet as she’s struggling to come to terms with the recent death of her uncle, and her grandmother’s subsequent stroke. Daunis is definitely a new favourite character: her character is so well-developed and I loved being inside her head! She’s so intelligent and has so many dreams, but she also loves her family and community, and takes her responsibilities towards them so seriously.
I can’t speak on the accuracy of the Ojibwe representation (though ownvoices reviews suggest it’s done well) but I certainly learned a lot, and I will say that I loved the community dynamic! The cast of side characters is absolutely huge, which served to really flesh out the community and present so many different kinds of people and families and ways of being Ojibwe – which is really the kind of representation I want all marginalised groups to have! There were a couple of characters whom I got mixed up on occasion, but for the most part every character is so vibrant and unique, especially all the Elders (I don’t want to spoil anything, but several of the scenes which made me cry the hardest were ones involving the Elders!), and also Daunis’ Aunt Teddie, who takes no shit from anyone and whom I adored.
The book deals with so many different issues that Indigenous communities face – most notably addiction, and violence at state, community, and interpersonal levels – as well as themes like grief and identity: underpinning Daunis’ entire arc is the thread of her wrestling with her place between her white and Ojibwe heritages. It’s absolutely heartbreaking, and painful to read at times (the content warnings are extensive so please be safe!), but every issue is dealt with sensitively and in way that gives each of them the appropriate space and consideration.
I don’t want to say much about the plot or the rest of the characters, to avoid spoiling the mystery – though I will say that I didn’t see the reveals coming at all! (Guessing the plots of books isn’t something I’m particularly good at in general, but I do think this will be a satisfying one if that’s the aspect you’re looking for!). As a final point, I will say that the audiobook is wonderful – there’s a lot of Ojibwe language scattered through the book, so it was great to be able to hear it! (The downside is that I now can’t spell any of it… but that’s why I’ve also ordered a physical copy!)
Overall, I absolutely adored this book. I cannot wait for it to be a breakout star, and I’m so excited for whatever Angeline Boulley writes next!
We follow Daunis, whom we meet as she’s struggling to come to terms with the recent death of her uncle, and her grandmother’s subsequent stroke. Daunis is definitely a new favourite character: her character is so well-developed and I loved being inside her head! She’s so intelligent and has so many dreams, but she also loves her family and community, and takes her responsibilities towards them so seriously.
I can’t speak on the accuracy of the Ojibwe representation (though ownvoices reviews suggest it’s done well) but I certainly learned a lot, and I will say that I loved the community dynamic! The cast of side characters is absolutely huge, which served to really flesh out the community and present so many different kinds of people and families and ways of being Ojibwe – which is really the kind of representation I want all marginalised groups to have! There were a couple of characters whom I got mixed up on occasion, but for the most part every character is so vibrant and unique, especially all the Elders (I don’t want to spoil anything, but several of the scenes which made me cry the hardest were ones involving the Elders!), and also Daunis’ Aunt Teddie, who takes no shit from anyone and whom I adored.
The book deals with so many different issues that Indigenous communities face – most notably addiction, and violence at state, community, and interpersonal levels – as well as themes like grief and identity: underpinning Daunis’ entire arc is the thread of her wrestling with her place between her white and Ojibwe heritages. It’s absolutely heartbreaking, and painful to read at times (the content warnings are extensive so please be safe!), but every issue is dealt with sensitively and in way that gives each of them the appropriate space and consideration.
I don’t want to say much about the plot or the rest of the characters, to avoid spoiling the mystery – though I will say that I didn’t see the reveals coming at all! (Guessing the plots of books isn’t something I’m particularly good at in general, but I do think this will be a satisfying one if that’s the aspect you’re looking for!). As a final point, I will say that the audiobook is wonderful – there’s a lot of Ojibwe language scattered through the book, so it was great to be able to hear it! (The downside is that I now can’t spell any of it… but that’s why I’ve also ordered a physical copy!)
Overall, I absolutely adored this book. I cannot wait for it to be a breakout star, and I’m so excited for whatever Angeline Boulley writes next!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Rape, Grief
Moderate: Racism, Suicide
Minor: Domestic abuse