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A review by rorikae
Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
4.75
'Warrior Girl Unearthed' by Angeline Boulley is a great companion to 'Firekeeper's Daughter,' taking place in the same community but a few years later.
Forced to join summer internships to pay back her aunt Daunis after wrecking her car, Perry Firekeeper-Birch's summer is not what she planned for. Pleasantly surprised by her internship at the museum and learning more about repatriation, Perry becomes fascinated by an ancestor named "Warrior Girl" whose remains are stored at a local college. She becomes determined to bring home all of the tribal items housed at the college, in the process learning more about how institutions find ways to deny tribal requests. At the same time, Indigenous girls are going missing around the community and an unexpected decision puts a wrench in Perry's repatriation goals. She'll have to bring together all of her new friends made through her internship to help return the ancestors to their rightful place on Sugar Island.
Boulley, once again, creates an incredible YA story with rich characters and a tense plot. 'Warrior Girl Unearthed' has aspects of a heist story, a murder mystery story, coming of age, and light romance. Boulley balances all of these different aspects with expert skill that hinges on how quickly and easily it is to care for her characters. Just as in 'Firekeeper's Daughter, there is a large cast in 'Warrior Girl Unearthed' that are each wholly unique people who feel like you could meet them in real life. On top of the great character work, Boulley also delves into tribal items held in museums and archives and the broken systems that make it extremely difficult for these pieces to be returned to their homes. She also discusses the epidemic of Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women. Despite covering so much, each topic is given nuance and lots of consideration. Boulley is quick becoming a favorite author and I cannot wait to see what stories she tells next.
Forced to join summer internships to pay back her aunt Daunis after wrecking her car, Perry Firekeeper-Birch's summer is not what she planned for. Pleasantly surprised by her internship at the museum and learning more about repatriation, Perry becomes fascinated by an ancestor named "Warrior Girl" whose remains are stored at a local college. She becomes determined to bring home all of the tribal items housed at the college, in the process learning more about how institutions find ways to deny tribal requests. At the same time, Indigenous girls are going missing around the community and an unexpected decision puts a wrench in Perry's repatriation goals. She'll have to bring together all of her new friends made through her internship to help return the ancestors to their rightful place on Sugar Island.
Boulley, once again, creates an incredible YA story with rich characters and a tense plot. 'Warrior Girl Unearthed' has aspects of a heist story, a murder mystery story, coming of age, and light romance. Boulley balances all of these different aspects with expert skill that hinges on how quickly and easily it is to care for her characters. Just as in 'Firekeeper's Daughter, there is a large cast in 'Warrior Girl Unearthed' that are each wholly unique people who feel like you could meet them in real life. On top of the great character work, Boulley also delves into tribal items held in museums and archives and the broken systems that make it extremely difficult for these pieces to be returned to their homes. She also discusses the epidemic of Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women. Despite covering so much, each topic is given nuance and lots of consideration. Boulley is quick becoming a favorite author and I cannot wait to see what stories she tells next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Confinement, Grief, Racism, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Death, and Murder
Minor: Car accident, Gaslighting, Rape, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship