Reviews tagging 'Racial slurs'

Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley

316 reviews

micaelamariem's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious fast-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

4.0

Going into this book, I had no idea this was a thriller, so that was definitely a surprise. But despite my aversion to mysteries, this book sucked me in.
Each chapter left me hungrily wanting more and there were deep scenes that evoked strong emotions from me. The representation of grief I thought was done really well as well as the PTSD the character was experiencing; though it wasn’t named that, the symptoms were visceral and evocative, and it felt believable, not a laundry list from WebMD. I’m not indigenous, so I can’t speak to the representation of a native tribe, though I think I learned more about tribe systems and laws. And with the ending, that wasn’t quite happy or sad, we got just a taste of the injustices indigenous tribal members face to this day.
Though I felt empathy for the main character, there were times I didn’t like her. I felt like she slipped into the “not like other girls” category like a lot of YA protagonists have a tendency to do. She acted like she wanted to speak up for women, but she called other girls dating her brother’s friends “angler fish” and judged them way too harshly. 
I also think the pacing was slightly off. The first two thirds of the book was slow to medium paced, but still enjoyable. In the last third, lots of action came seemingly out of nowhere and it felt like we were racing to keep up until the end. If the pacing could’ve been evened out a little more, I think it would’ve made for an even more enjoyable read.

However, I did love this, and I do recommend it! It kept me on my toes and taught me a few lessons, while being mostly believable. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

lauren_lovestoread's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, and Murder

boy_kisser's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse and Drug use

Moderate: Racism and Sexual assault

Minor: Racial slurs

pocketegg's review against another edition

adventurous emotional medium-paced

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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Death of parent, and Cultural appropriation

griernotgruyere's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark informative mysterious tense fast-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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence and Violence

Moderate: Rape

Minor: Racial slurs and Forced institutionalization

shlymiller's review

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

---

Content Warnings

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

Minor: Infidelity, Police brutality, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

foresturken's review against another edition

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

---

Content Warnings

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

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

taroroot's review against another edition

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

---

Content Warnings

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

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

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

bookscatcoffee's review against another edition

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

---

Content Warnings

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

zahraaloujain'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.

---

Content Warnings

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

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