Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley

198 reviews

dragongirl271's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Racism, Rape, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, and Murder

Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Infidelity

kirstenpod_'s review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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? No

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Blood, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Infidelity, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, and Colonisation

Minor: Confinement

nimzipow_reads's review

dark emotional informative reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.0

I learnt a lot about the main character’s culture and the struggles Native Americans face (I live in the southern hemisphere so this is a topic I don’t know enough about). I enjoyed following the mystery as it unfolded and there were many surprises along the way. I did think that the pace was a bit slow and the book was longer than necessary, but overall I did enjoy the journey.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, and Murder

aubrey_cody's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad 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

4.5

4.5 stars! Great modern native story with insights into their community and the violence they still experience. Gripping plot and I cried no less than 3 times. The main characters grief at times felt so real. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, and Murder

chapters_with_chels's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This was amazing. I hadn’t read anything about it prior. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, and Colonisation

Minor: Rape

himpersonal's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful informative sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

This was a powerful story. From all I’ve read, learned, and heard between books and my Indigenous friends, the themes in the story ring true, sadly and tragically, especially those of addiction and missing and murdered Indigenous women. Not sure how much FBI actually care, but I would like to think that regardless of if they do, there are people like Daunis whose courage is enough to bring healing to these tribes, which are and will continue to suffer from the generational trauma of forced colonization. My heart is heavy for every single one who has died as a result and live in destitution and despair today due to the generations of pain that cause people to turn to drugs and alcohol.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

rachelhickman15's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Murder, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

what_karla_reads's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious 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? No

5.0

5/5 stars
1/5 spice (fade to black)

This was on my shelf for too long, and I'm happy I finally got to read it. I listened to the audiobook and read in tandem because I knew I needed to hear the native words I was reading. I completely forgot this was a thriller/mystery book when I started, which wasn't a bad thing, but I also really liked how the coming of age story was integrated.

I was engaged from the start but really got hooked once the mystery started picking up. Some heavy topics were discussed that could be triggering or difficult for readers younger than 16. There was some intimacy and implied sexual content, but nothing too descriptive. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this story and highly recommend it for fans of murder mystery, Native American representation, and coming of age stories.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug use, Suicide, Kidnapping, and Murder

Moderate: Sexual assault and Car accident

Minor: Toxic relationship

jennaniho's review against another edition

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

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

5.0

This was the first book I read about the Ojibwe community and culture by an Ojibwe author. Angeline's writing is riveting and beautiful. I couldn't put this book down because it is so good! You could read how she loves her culture through the character of Daunis Fontaine. It's the kind of book that deserves a TV series (which I think it's already in the works!).

What I love the most about this book is how the story flows seamlessly from beginning to end. Daunis is a character that you instantly connect with because of her authenticity and strong spirit. Though there were moments in the book where the story felt a bit long and overly descriptive, it was quickly picked up by the thrill of a clue, a newly discovered secret, or even a new betrayal. 

Another element I love about the book is how it explores the relationship between Native and Non-Native folk in current times, showing mature themes, but not in a graphic way. This adds to Daunis' relatability, because these issues continue to impact people of all ages, especially Indigenous communities, and I feel they were treated realistically in this book.

Firekeeper's Daughter can be viewed as a coming-of-age story, but I see it more as a hero's journey. Daunis Fontaine has all the traits of a heroine: she is courageous, cunning, empathetic, intuitive, and capable of learning from her mistakes. Her story mirrors that of many Indigenous women who have faced unimaginable—and often unjust—challenges in their desire to be authentically themselves in a world that continues to push them to believe they can't. While we often admire Greek heroes, I admire Native women even more. Because their stories are not myths...they are living proof that you can overcome adversities no matter what comes at you. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Infidelity, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Toxic relationship, and Classism

Minor: Misogyny and Medical trauma

This book does not shy away from the violence against native/indigenous women. It is an empowering fictional story that highlights these very real topics.

thepaperwitch's review against another edition

dark informative reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley is a great read. It is richly detailed with Native culture that invites you in to learn more about it and the people who still keep their traditions alive despite all the harm that has been done to their communities. It is insightful, relevant, and has a good mystery plot that blends together pretty well. There are a number of modern issues that affect Native communities that the author addresses, such as substance abuse, the exceptionally high rates of violence towards Native females, tribal laws, per cap money, blood quantum, distrust and weariness of police and Federal agents,  the destruction that the government has caused Native families and their struggle to be made whole and maintain their traditions. I thought these were well balanced with the overall story. 

I will say that towards the middle, I felt like it was a little slow and somewhat bogged down by Daunis' slightly repetitive internal monologue, but once it moved past that, I couldn't put it down. Daunis felt like a well built character with flaws, strengths, struggles, and triumphs. I think everyone should read this book.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, and Murder

Minor: Bullying, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Xenophobia, Vomit, Kidnapping, Car accident, and Cultural appropriation