Reviews tagging 'Colonisation'

Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley

182 reviews

michelle_my_belle's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense 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? Yes

5.0

I listened to the audio and the narration was excellent. Angeline Boulley does a great job of balancing the informational text about Ojibwe culture and the story and weaving its importance into who the characters are. It felt equal parts new adult, coming of age, family drama, mystery/thriller, and social commentary. I was engaged throughout the whole book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Misogyny, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

Minor: Racism

katewithtea's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful 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? N/A

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Murder, and Colonisation

Minor: Vomit

lizziaha's review

3.25

This is hard to rate because there were parts that I really enjoyed. All of the parts about Daunis’s native identity were really interesting, and I thought the book did a good job of covering issues that plague native communities. I loved all the different characters in the community, *especially* the elders. The role they play in the story is so fun, but also empowering. 
However. I think I got caught up in the logistics of the investigation. I was constantly wondering if things being done in the name of the investigation were actually legal. Looped into that, the power imbalance in the romance was offputting and distracting to me. Daunis was in over her head, and it shows. Because of Daunis’s inexperience the pacing of the book is off. The plot goes from slow paced small town life with small potato problems to huge fast-paced life or death situations. It felt jarring. 
Despite the somewhat messy jumble of plot threads, the ending surprisingly wraps things up in a way that resolves some of my issues with the book. I thought it was a good ending that couldn’t do quite enough to compensate for the inconsistencies of the rest of the book. I’d be interested in reading a lit fic from the same author, instead of a thriller type plot like this one. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Genocide, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Forced institutionalization, Dementia, Grief, and Classism

Minor: Racial slurs and Suicide

bookswithsara8's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Infidelity, Rape, Grief, and Colonisation

Minor: Death, Drug abuse, Vomit, and Murder

blueyogi's review

emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction and Colonisation

Moderate: Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Racism, Toxic relationship, Grief, Murder, and Cultural appropriation

Minor: Alcoholism, Gun violence, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, and Alcohol

sambolin's review

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective 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

5.0

A great introduction to Native culture and a bone gripping story about community and what tears it apart. This story brought tears and fury, as you follow the same path as Daunis- keeping you on your toes as much as she is- and feeling the same betrayal she does. It gave great insight to what tribal communities are like- both as an insider and as an outsider, as well as the injustice of the world even when you try your best to protect yourself. There were many times I just wanted to hug Daunis. Highly recommend listening to the audiobook version (I switched 100 pages in) to get the impact of language.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Gun violence, and Murder

Moderate: Alcoholism, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, and Car accident

Minor: Body shaming, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Religious bigotry, and Colonisation

ajaggers324's review

challenging emotional 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

jacquelynjoan's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

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

5.0

A million stars! This large book went so fast! I was not expecting some of the not-quite-twists, but surprises later in the book. I was deep in and then could not resist staying up past 4 am to find out what would happen next. 

This is a wonderful book full of love of community and culture and family, but in a complicated, real-feeling way. There is a lot of tragedy and saddness there, but it doesn't totally overwhelm you because there is balance and the main character is rooted in her values and has a support system. 

I live in the USA, so on Native land, and I really appreciate any opportunity to learn more about the land I live on and the people who have cared for it for centuries before my great grandparents moved here from Italy. Especially when the author makes it so fun to learn! 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Drug abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Dementia, Kidnapping, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

befthhh's review against another edition

dark emotional informative 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? No

4.25

Deeply emotional read. Loved the author’s unapologetic use of Anishinaabemowin language. Daunis’s story was so heartbreaking at time but her resilience was remarkable. The epidemic of violence against native women needs more discussion and reading a book from the perspective of a native woman who experience violence throughout the story is a powerful way to do that. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, and Colonisation

cartermon4's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Rape, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, Car accident, and Colonisation

Minor: Vomit