Name: Firekeeper's Daughter
Rating: 4.375404530744337 (309 reviews)
ISBN: 9781432890575

Angeline  Boulley

Daunis, who's part Ojibwe, defers attending the University of Michigan to care for her mother and reluctantly becomes involved in the investigation of a series of drug-related deaths.

Firekeeper's Daughter

A REESE WITHERSPOON x HELLO SUNSHINE BOOK CLUB YA PICK An Instant #1 New York Times Bestseller Soon to be adapted at Netflix for TV with President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama's production company, Higher Ground. “One of this year's most buzzed about young adult novels.” —Good Morning America A 2021 Kids' Indie Next List Selection An Amazon Best Book of the Month for March Selection An Entertainment Weekly Most Anticipated Books of 2021 Selection A PopSugar Best March 2021 YA Book Selection With four starred reviews, Angeline Boulley's debut novel, Firekeeper's Daughter, is a groundbreaking YA thriller about a Native teen who must root out the corruption in her community, perfect for readers of Angie Thomas and Tommy Orange. Eighteen-year-old Daunis Fontaine has never quite fit in, both in her hometown and on the nearby Ojibwe reservation. She dreams of a fresh start at college, but when family tragedy strikes, Daunis puts her future on hold to look after her fragile mother. The only bright spot is meeting Jamie, the charming new recruit on her brother Levi’s hockey team. Yet even as Daunis falls for Jamie, she senses the dashing hockey star is hiding something. Everything comes to light when Daunis witnesses a shocking murder, thrusting her into an FBI investigation of a lethal new drug. Reluctantly, Daunis agrees to go undercover, drawing on her knowledge of chemistry and Ojibwe traditional medicine to track down the source. But the search for truth is more complicated than Daunis imagined, exposing secrets and old scars. At the same time, she grows concerned with an investigation that seems more focused on punishing the offenders than protecting the victims. Now, as the deceptions—and deaths—keep growing, Daunis must learn what it means to be a strong Anishinaabe kwe (Ojibwe woman) and how far she’ll go for her community, even if it tears apart the only world she’s ever known.

chloe rae

3.5?

My thoughts to come after discussed with my book club (:

** Soon to be a Netflix series with the Obamas’ Higher Ground Production Company ** Keep the Secret. Live the Lie. Earn your Truth. For fans of Angie Thomas and Tommy Orange comes a ground-breaking YA thriller about a Native American teen who must root out the corruption in her community "Raw and moving," Cosmopolitan 
Eighteen-year-old Daunis’s mixed heritage has always made her feel like an outsider, both in her hometown and on the nearby Ojibwe reservation. When she witnesses a shocking murder, she reluctantly agrees to be part of a covert FBI operation into a series of drug-related deaths. But the deceptions – and deaths – keep piling up and soon the threat strikes too close to home. Now Daunis must decide what it means to be a strong Anishinaabe kwe (Ojibwe woman) and how far she’ll go to protect her community, even if it tears apart the only world she’s ever known.

The Firekeeper's Daughter

I loved every minute of this book! The investigation was interesting and I loved learning more about another culture. The author highlighted many issues with how the Ojibwe community are treated, especially by the law enforcement/government. Daunis was such a great lead with so many layers. How she worked through problems and situations was so fun to read.The ending was so sad but also empowering for Daunis and extremely realistic. I cannot wait to read the second book in this series!!

Summerlyn Grainger

The Firekeeper’s Daughter

Francesca Starecheski

As I have only recently been made audience to so many such issues facing the indigenous American community, such as MMIW, I find myself sudden to forget that these tragedies have lived lifetimes in native history, that though I am new to these ideas, they are not new to the world, and I must continue to pursue, we all must, these silenced voices. Yet, I also find myself prone to acknowledging only struggles and injustices which plague native peoples without considering the mosaic of stunning cultures that are illuminated in storytelling, and after this read, I am eager to continue exploring :)

Tatiana

Firekeepr's Daughter: 4/5


  “When someone dies, everything about them becomes past tense. Except for the grief. Grief stays in the present. It’s even worse when you’re angry at the person. Not just for dying. But for how.”

This took me almost two weeks to read. By no means is it easy and lighthearted. Make sure you look up TWs before you read it, but this story is so essential and captivating that it transcends genre. Anyone from any age can pick this up and love it.

Premise:
In this stunning debut from Angeline Boulley, set in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, we meet 18-year-old Daunis Fontaine amongst the Native American Ojibwe community. Daunis is biracial and born through the scandal of an underage white mother and a Native American father who lost his hockey career due to an accident. She feels deeply for her Native culture but feels like she never fits in with either community.

After her uncle David’s sudden relapse and death from overdose, the news shocks the community, especially as a new hockey star, Jamie, joins the team. Daunis gets close to Jamie, but he seems to have many secrets that break loose when innocent people around Daunis start getting hurt. Due to Daunis's connections and scientific knowledge, she can be an asset to help solve the mystery of drug trafficking inside her community and its members getting hurt.

Writing & Plot:
Although this book is difficult to read due to the nature of the topics, it is so worth it. The setting was incredible, and though nobody's fault but my own and my education, this book opened up my eyes to Native American culture that I never been exposed to. Angeline Boulley also writes in such a way that nothing is confusing, even for a mystery book.

The plot itself was so captivating and had so many twists and turns. It is layered like an onion, and the reader slowly pulls back each layer to find something even wilder and breathtaking. I cried, laughed, and gasped in shock. This was a rollercoaster of a book.

My one criticism is that I think this book could have used one more round of edits. A lot was introduced that had almost nothing to do with the story. I think a few of those small paragraphs could have been taken out, but honestly, it is nothing major. I cannot wait to see what Angeline Boulley comes up with next, and she has become an auto-buy author for me. 


  “Inaction is a powerful choice”

Characters:
Angeline Boulley has written some of the most complex characters I have ever read. They change so much throughout the story but always seem to stay true to themselves. I don't want to spoil anything but nothing is as it seems, and as soon as you know a character, Boulley changes it up.

Conclusion:
I don't usually pick up a mystery, but this may have changed my mind. The way Boulley writes is so captivating and different it feels like a breath of fresh air. This book's plot and setting are wildly different, and I have never read anything like it. Make sure you look up TWs before reading, but Boulley does an incredible job writing traumatic scenes while staying respectful. I don't know how she does it, but please read this book. It's incredible.

Very strange day today, with bad news making me feel very uncomfortable. But this book was my companion this afternoon. 

It’s the first time I read a novel set in 2004 in a native American community, and where the characters play hockey. 

It’s deep, I really enjoyed getting to know Daunis and her culture, her ties with friends and family, with love, with nature, with the elders. 

This book is never cheesy, it’s got good vibes, and despise having the FBI in the background, helped me today to get my feet back on the ground!

Barbara

Couldn’t stop! 

Very strange day today, with bad news making me feel very uncomfortable. But this book was my companion this afternoon. 

It’s the first time I read a novel set in 2004 in a native American community, and where the characters play hockey. 

It’s deep, I really enjoyed getting to know Daunis and her culture, her ties with friends and family, with love, with nature, with the elders. 

This book is never cheesy, it’s got good vibes, and despise having the FBI in the background, helped me today to get my feet back on the ground!

** Soon to be a Netflix series with the Obamas’ Higher Ground Production Company ** Keep the Secret. Live the Lie. Earn your Truth. For fans of Angie Thomas and Tommy Orange comes a ground-breaking YA thriller about a Native American teen who must root out the corruption in her community "Raw and moving," Cosmopolitan Eighteen-year-old Daunis’s mixed heritage has always made her feel like an outsider, both in her hometown and on the nearby Ojibwe reservation. When she witnesses a shocking murder, she reluctantly agrees to be part of a covert FBI operation into a series of drug-related deaths. But the deceptions – and deaths – keep piling up and soon the threat strikes too close to home. Now Daunis must decide what it means to be a strong Anishinaabe kwe (Ojibwe woman) and how far she’ll go to protect her community, even if it tears apart the only world she’s ever known.

'Raw and moving' Cosmopolitan

This is one of the most moving books I’ve read. The story told is lined with history and truths. I honestly learned so much throughout it because of the way it was written and the way the culture was wrapped around every page. I’m so glad to see an indigenous women write such an incredible novel and it be praised as it should. 

A PRINTZ MEDAL WINNER! A MORRIS AWARD WINNER! AN AMERICAN INDIAN YOUTH LITERATURE AWARD YA HONOR BOOK! A REESE WITHERSPOON x HELLO SUNSHINE BOOK CLUB YA PICK An Instant #1 New York Times Bestseller Soon to be adapted at Netflix for TV with President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama's production company, Higher Ground. “One of this year's most buzzed about young adult novels.” —Good Morning America A TIME Magazine Best YA Book of All Time Selection Amazon's Best YA Book of 2021 So Far (June 2021) A 2021 Kids' Indie Next List Selection An Entertainment Weekly Most Anticipated Books of 2021 Selection A PopSugar Best March 2021 YA Book Selection With four starred reviews, Angeline Boulley's debut novel, Firekeeper's Daughter, is a groundbreaking YA thriller about a Native teen who must root out the corruption in her community, perfect for readers of Angie Thomas and Tommy Orange. Eighteen-year-old Daunis Fontaine has never quite fit in, both in her hometown and on the nearby Ojibwe reservation. She dreams of a fresh start at college, but when family tragedy strikes, Daunis puts her future on hold to look after her fragile mother. The only bright spot is meeting Jamie, the charming new recruit on her brother Levi’s hockey team. Yet even as Daunis falls for Jamie, she senses the dashing hockey star is hiding something. Everything comes to light when Daunis witnesses a shocking murder, thrusting her into an FBI investigation of a lethal new drug. Reluctantly, Daunis agrees to go undercover, drawing on her knowledge of chemistry and Ojibwe traditional medicine to track down the source. But the search for truth is more complicated than Daunis imagined, exposing secrets and old scars. At the same time, she grows concerned with an investigation that seems more focused on punishing the offenders than protecting the victims. Now, as the deceptions—and deaths—keep growing, Daunis must learn what it means to be a strong Anishinaabe kwe (Ojibwe woman) and how far she’ll go for her community, even if it tears apart the only world she’s ever known.

Q&D- totally forgot the plot by the time I actually read the book. Quickly became engrossed in the world. CW for drug abuse, death, gun violence, sexual assault. Loved the realistic and healthy messages on love and relationships. 

Abigail F

HanaKyle Moranz

Omg. What an incredible read. I saw this book around, maybe even got it out of the library once before and didn’t read it, and now let me shout from the rooftops: READ THIS BOOK. I’m too floored to explain all the feelings. I didn’t expect it to be a murder mystery, though, and that was a special treat, along with solid a solid romantic plot line, done way better than most YA. And then it’s all happening within a realistic (I think? Not fantasy) portrayal of Native American reservation life. Really epic and really engaging of my whole brain and body. Thank you Angeline Boulley for this labor of love, and for sharing your culture with us through this book.

Joana da Silva

What a great book. Representation, diversity, good build-up, lovable characters. The stars were very much aligned with this one.

Alexa M

honestly way too long & kind of boring. I liked some parts but feel it could’ve been edited waaayyy down. all the Native American culture was very interesting to read about and Daunis was a bad ass main character I just wasn’t really gripped by the plot.

Addie 🌻

I think this book has both a lot of pros and a lot of cons. I loved the diversity and reading Indigenous rep by an Indigenous author, and the underlying mystery was interesting, but it felt like a subplot in the book

I felt like a lot of this book was slogging--I know it was probably more realistic, but it wasn't gripping.

This book covers a lot of heavy and important topics, and it handles them well.

I really wanted to love this book after hearing so many good things, but I just don't think I vibed well with it:( 

Holly

I think this book has both a lot of pros and a lot of cons. I loved the diversity and reading Indigenous rep by an Indigenous author, and the underlying mystery was interesting, but it felt like a subplot in the book

I felt like a lot of this book was slogging--I know it was probably more realistic, but it wasn't gripping.

This book covers a lot of heavy and important topics, and it handles them well.

I really wanted to love this book after hearing so many good things, but I just don't think I vibed well with it:( 

Suzanne

I'm an avid reader and this book blew me away. It is on of the best books I have ever read.
The story follow Daunis, who has a native American father and a christian mother.
It follows Daunis just ending her high school and getting ready for college when disaster strikes. The book takes us into the beautiful heritage and ways of the Ojibwe. It is written beautifully and with the short chapters you cannot stop reading.
The onion that is Daunis is pealed slowly in the book set in the backdrop op Ice Hockey, the rez and drugs.
I hope to read more by Angeline in the future. 
this review doesn't do the book full justice, but please buy and read it.

the book was provided as an ARC by NetGalley

CW: drug addiction, r*pe, violence, death

Sophia 

What an incredible read. 

CW: drug addiction, r*pe, violence, death

Firekeeper's Daughter

Reviews

Highlights