Firekeeper's Daughter

Veronica Mars, mystery-solving, crime-solving vibes, and exploration of indigenous identity, and a cover that is something dreams are made of? Mwah! Really a strong book by Boulley. It follows a teen girl who investigates drug crimes, and while on the surface that sounds like your typical teen-solving-mysteries book, this one is so much more. There's topics like the struggle to find and solidify one's identity, there's twists and turns and some massive “HOLY SHIT” moments. I will say sometimes the plot felt a little overwhelming in all that was happening, which took away some believableness (is that a word? eh...), but hey, ya girl is cool with some flair in plots. This is just the book you should read if you like mystery and twists and turns with exploration of important topics, a little romance sprinkled in (because don't almost all novels have that?), and a kickass mc who I think a lot of people can relate to in some way or another.

You shouldn't judge a book by its absolutely gorgeous cover (or title for that matter).

I was so hopeful about this YA Goodreads favorite from 2021. The premise sounded good and it is nice to receive a contemporary story about Ashinaabe in Michigan.

There are a lot of triggers in here you may want to chat about your teen with, especially if they are a younger teen. Multiple overdoses, making drugs, witnessing the shooting of a friend, and rape. And I'll throw in insta love because that's a romance trope that I find triggering. My issue is not that these very difficult subjects are in the book, but I think too many were thrown in. What bothered some other reviewers, that these difficult topics are glossed over, actually seems very realistic to me both from the viewpoint of how the Ashinaabe people are treated by non-tribal people and how girls and women are almost expendable when their lives are taken from them.

In some ways, Daunis is an interesting lead character. She was once a very good hockey player and hasn't followed the typical path so many other girls her age.

This book caught me by surprise, I wasn't expecting a deeply personal and complex journey about identity, belonging, and community. Daunis is half white and half Ojibwe, she doesn't quite fit in to either world. When she's called upon to help her community, she's thrust into a journey that'll change her understanding of how the world works. 

The author shows us how choices can cause unintended consequences in the future. I felt devastated and healed at the same time.  Highly recommend!

Libby can be very motivating when it comes to reading. I started Firekeeper's Daughter, but didn't finish before my loan expired. I had to put another hold on. When it came in again, I read so fast to finish in time! I also have about 4 or 5 other books right now because all of my holds came in at the same time. There's no way I'm going to finish more than one of those.

Anyway, let's talk about this book. Our main character, Daunis, is half Ojibwe, but because of a technicality on her birth certificate, she's not formally accepted by the tribe. She lives between her white family and her native family. The story blooms from Daunis' difficulty with her identity, family, and tradition. Interjected is a criminal investigation about meth being sold on reservations. Daunis is recruited to work undercover. She struggles because this is her community and she doesn't want to betray them, but she also wants to help them. Also, the story takes place in the early 2000s. This doesn't necessarily affect the plot all that much. I even forgot most of the time, until I realized how little technology played a part in the characters' lives.

I enjoyed this book and was interested in the plot. There are moments that made me a little emotional surrounding grief and loss. Daunis' relationship with her mother didn't exactly remind me of my own, but there are things they say to each other that moved me. Daunis' feelings about herself in relation to her parents' lives, however, felt personal to me. Living between parents who are separated for whatever reason is difficult. The book shows how it is to live with grief in many different ways, and those moments were very special.

However, in some ways it felt convoluted, convenient, and predictable. I found myself thinking, “I wish this written better,” meaning the structure of the mystery and overall story. There are many revelations and different characters. I do like that since the book is about Daunis' life, which is wide and varied. The book was rich in that sense. But working out the mystery could have been done more clearly. The two aspects of the book – Daunis' life and the mystery – simply don't mesh well.

I suppose on the one hand, they shouldn't exactly mesh. After all, this mystery is disturbing her life. However, what I mean is how the story is created. It felt messy and unresolved. I was able to predict several revelations. I wonder what it would have been like if Daunis' life was even more forward and the mystery took a complete backseat. For example, if Daunis only heard rumors and someone else was working undercover. If the book was a study on Daunis' identity, grief, family, etc., even more than it already is, I think this could have been a great book.

Additionally, the romantic plot almost made me angry. I don't read or enjoy romance, so most of the time a romantic plot needs to be done really well for me to like it. A lot of the time it feels like every book puts in romance just to have it there. With Firekeeper's Daughter, it makes sense to a degree. Daunis is undercover and having this boyfriend is her cover. But she then is distracted multiple times by how hot he is and how drawn she feels to him. It felt out of character and forced so it could lead to romance instead of just being undercover.

Overall, I might read this book again. It had its moments. I can't say the mystery was the most interesting part, though, so I do wish it was in the background more.

Trigger Warning for this book: sexual assault. It doesn't go into detail, but an assault happens on the page.

I loved this book!

It has been on my shelf for a while but once I picked it up it was hard to put down. I originally thought the main plot would be focused on the identity of the main character and while that is the main focus there was so much more to that identity development than I expected.

I connected with all the characters and was committed to the plot. It was also the first time in a while that the twists of a book actually were twists, I didn't predict what was going to happen and I didn't really want to in the way I normally do. It also taught me a lot about native culture without taking away from the plot.

Would recommend a million times over!

Debruça-se sobre a experiência nativa moderna, o racismo e as agressões actuais e históricas contra a comunidade indígena, o flagelo da droga, e as dores de crescimento, sobretudo as sentidas por alguém entre duas culturas muito diferentes.

I really enjoyed it, I was addicted until the end. I liked how the ending still left a few loose ends. I normally like everything to be completely resolved but that's not real life and this book was very real. Just a beautiful, heartbreaking and sometimes funny story.

This was not at all what I was expecting. I really liked it!

Wirklich wichtige Themen, über die ich zu wenig wusste und immernoch weiß. Hat mich mehrmals emotional gemacht, ob traurig, wütend oder beeindruckt, alles war dabei. Das framework um die extrem wichtige message fand ich manchmal etwas ungelenkig.

I really enjoyed a lot of the concepts in this book. Angeline Boulley really set out to ground a story in the Native culture that was the most familiar to her – the Ojibwe people specifically of the Sault Ste Marie area of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. There is a very strong sense of place here. It takes about 50 pages to get into the story and not feel like a history and cultural lesson about the region and people and language, but once that happens the story has a propulsive power. I really liked Daunis as the main character, and her connection to her Ojibwe community and her elders, as well as to science and her white family, while not being able to be enrolled as a tribal member. The interplay between community, family, heritage and individual identity was a major theme and I was very drawn to it.The romance is a little unrealistic and honestly just distracting, and I think relatedly the denouement was a little too conspiracy and high drama for me - I think it would have allowed the rest of the book to shine if there was a little more nuance and realism there. Rather than   a 17-year-old controls a bunch of adults and teens, including his mother who is a judge   I think this really undermines that gritty reality of the majority of the book, that domestic violence and addiction are major problems in indigenous communities and this is a very low priority for law enforcement.

the ending is was only thing that SLIGHTLY saved this book for me, it was so boring i was so close to dnfing at the 60% mark but i held out just because i wouldn't let myself dnf (skill issue)

this book was really slow & i was disinterested up until the book started to pick up which was around 85% (finally), i personally would not recommend this book to anyone.

it just felt like nothing happened the entire book until the mystery was revealed, this book said everything and nothing at all (not to mention the random SA towards the end of the book? it added nothing to the story i'm confused on what was that about.)

TW: drug addiction, suicide, murder, assault, rape

<2.6 stars
I did like this book but as the book progressed, I felt as if my list of cons grew longer. (You can read this and draw your conclusion; this is just my personal opinion.) I was excited at first because I had liked Warrior Girl Unearthed and expected a similar reading experience. It started fine but went downhill when I was about 40% through the book. I felt that at that point it was trying to cover too much ground. To me, it felt that the story was spread thin and left many things unresolved. While I did learn about Ojibwe culture and language, it does become lost with everything else going on.

The romance in this story was unnecessary. With everything else going on, I saw zero chemistry between the characters. To me, this came off as instant love. Instead of helping in character development, I believe it actually stunted them. Jamie felt like a generic character, whose predominant personality trait is his job and being “hot.” Also, his saying, “I love how you see the world,” was an immediate ick. It felt very manic, like a pixie dream girl, not like other girls. This is further established by Daunis's inner monologue. Although I liked the fact that she was a huge science geek and played hockey, I didn't really like the ongoing comments she had about her girls. (This happens more towards the beginning.) This is notable by calling the girlfriends of hockey players ‘parasitic': “I won't be a wannabe anglerfish trying to latch on to a guy who is already taken. There are more comments like this throughout the book. This never really gets addressed unless it shows that her comments about these girls were correct.

Overall, it was an okay book but certain plot points made it drag on. I am likely not going to be recommending this book to anyone at this time.

“Love honor's your spirit. Not just the other person's but your own spirit too”

I went into this book not knowing anything about Indian tribes and now I know a whole lot more. Creating something for people who may not have felt seen before is important and Boulley has done an amazing job. Whilst this is fiction I learnt a lot about tribal communities and the culture that surrounds it. I did however find that I was struggling with what everything meant, especially at the beginning.

As for the plot, it was absolutely thrilling. It did take a 100 or so pages to get into but once it did, the stakes were high and the plot twists twisty. The narration was really enjoyable to experience and exploring the main characters own experince within her tribe. I'm both happy and furious at the ending. Some people got the justice and treatment they deserved but like in real life, many did not

It really is an amazing book and a must if you're looking to diversify your reading

The author of this book is Native American, and it takes place on and near a reservation in northern Michigan. The reservation has been plagued with rising drug use and deaths, and our protagonist gets thrown into the middle of figuring out who is responsible for all the harm that is affecting her community. The writing is very suspenseful, and there were lots of fun twists and turns along the way.

The absolute best part about this book is the immersion on modern Native American culture. There is so much beauty and also acknowledgement of pain and suffering. My only minor quibble is that this book is YA and I could feel that at points (a few of the plot twists were pretty obvious, and some of the scientific/forensic concepts were over-explained). All in all, though, a good read!

4.5

Two therapy clients recommended this to me in one week, so I figured I'd better get to it ASAP! This is just so, so good. One could hardly wish for a better hero that Daunis Firekeeper, plus everything else a person could want in fantastic YA: a fast-paced plot, lovingly crafted and complex characters, zero underestimation of teenage intelligence and wisdom, and, in this case, Boulley's centering of Ojibwe history and culture as healing and resilience. There are times when her writing style feels a tiny bit didactic/overly expositional, but that's the smallest of quibbles. I bought her second book at the same time, and am glad I did, because I wanted to hear more from the Firekeeper women right away!

Really enjoyed this one. It really deals with some more serious issues than I expected and although those could've been explored much more. Some things felt very YA and if it weren't for those elements, this might be a 5 star. The story and characters felt very superficial at times but I was able to overlook this even though I had to cringe every single time and ask why?

Some things I didn't like: (no actual plot spoilers below)

- the protagonist being "not like other girls"- the narration/her inner monologues read like a teenager and not like an 18-year-old- the "romance", it wasn't really there for me. (story spoiler: Felt like it only happened because it was convenient, insta-love sort of. And she was practically drooling all over him from the moment they met but telling herself not to be that kind of girl... ugh. )- the comments on people's bodies/body shape (story spoiler: even the protagonist describing herself from a POV of a male character like it felt like she was objectifying herself, just to express how that person must not like what they're seeing. i thought we were long past this... like why do you have to emphasise how big your butt is but how tiny your boobs? There's nothing wrong with having small boobs?? )- we don't really get to know her family, the community as a whole or as individuals. We get snippets here and there but I wish there was more.- the not so YA content, and then just acceptance, no trauma, no grief? It didn't seem real and all that just came out of nowhere.. TW and CW warnings: rape, murder, drug abuse, death, bigotry Not too graphic luckily but it was still a lot... although I can also understand that this can be very much someone's reality. It just wasn't what I expected in a YA novel and a protagonist who sounds like a teenager.

Having said all this, I enjoyed the descriptions of the lands, their traditions, their experiences and everything new that I've been introduced to. And I honestly would love to read more books like this one but not YA. But I'm also aware that the adult books may include even more serious and heavy things, so I'd prefer something more like this novel actually.

Honestly, I only finished this because I was 200 pages in waiting for the story to get good, and I thought I can't just not finish a book I'm already 200 pages in. I don't know, I just did not like this.

Leuk verhaal en een fijne schrijfstijl. Heel mooi om ook wat cultuur van de stam mee te krijgen. Soms was het wel verwarrend, maar het was prima te doen.
Erg leuk boek

 A well-written, I always enjoy learning the intimate details of different cultures in my reads. Representation, diversity, good build-up, lovable characters. This was so good it had me hooked. 

DNF

I didn't care for this. I think I get why it's popular. It's a very rare perspective in literature—which I appreciate. But I didn't find the story compelling.

Read if...
-You want a better understanding of Native American culture without reading a non-fiction book.
-You have no clue what being part Native American is like.

Don't read if...
-You don't like profanity.
-You don't like sexual references.
-You don't like drug references.
-You don't like references to spirits.

4.5 - so good! Can't wait for Perry's story.

I got this at my library for free - I used Libby to get the audiobook.This book was really maybe a 3.5 for me? I marked it higher.I like the observant character and how she used her observation to her advantage to figure out situations. It worked really well with wanting to protect her community (warts and all) but did not want to be used by the government. It had a nice balance and really the characters compassion shown brightly through-out.The plot was kind of meh for me honestly, but I liked it enough to finish the book! Good read! If you liked this book you may also like [b:The Hate You Give 53522062 The Hate You Give Angie Thomas https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1613832668l/53522062.SY75.jpg 49638190]

4.5