A REESE WITHERSPOON x HELLO SUNSHINE BOOK CLUB YA PICKAn Instant #1 New York Times BestsellerSoon 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 SelectionAmazon’s Best YA Book of 2021 So Far (June 2021)A … 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.
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I loved how the author wove in the teachings and customs of traditional Ojibwe culture. This YA novel is set on the Ojibwe reservation of Sugar Island near Sault Sainte Marie, close to the Canadian border. It features a Native heroine, who is super-smart, a star athlete, and who becomes a confidential informant of the FBI. Part coming-of-age, part romance, and part suspense, the tension never lets up. The female protagonist, Daunis, is a truly memorable character, as are the other characters, both major and minor. A wonderful, riveting novel, which taught me as much as it entertained me. Highly recommended for all ages.
FireKeeper’s Daughter is officially my new favorite book. I’ve never had an answer before, for anyone asking what my favorite book is, and apparently I have been waiting for this one.
There’s a list a mile long of reasons why this novel is so wonderful. The well developed characters, the world so fully made that turning a page feels like stepping into the story, the way the author shows the balance of being more than one thing, the realistic dialogue, the fast-paced plot that keeps you reading long past when your tired eyes beg for sleep. I could speak on all of those things, these cogs and gears that move together to create a story that draws you in and holds you there until the very last page.
While all of those pieces work together to make this book my favorite, there’s another piece to this puzzle. I could speak for hours on the components that make this book spectacular. But if I don’t share the heart of why it has become my favorite, then something would be missing.
This book healed something inside of me. As a light-skinned person and a proud citizen of the Cherokee Nation, my identity as a Native American has been questioned my entire life. As a result, I have imposter syndrome about my own identity. Be careful what you say if someone is brave enough to share themselves with you; your words can haunt them. The main character in FireKeeper’s Daughter, Daunis, lives in a world where her identity is questioned as well. From the dangerous precedent of blood quantum to hearing your people continually put down and diminished, Daunis has heard it all.
Reading about a light-skinned Native woman who feels relegated to the periphery of both worlds healed something inside of me. Daunis knowingly keeps hockey world and her other world separate from one another, all while silently keeping her Native world separate from her white world. But when worlds collide and she finds herself in the midst of a criminal investigation, Daunis must protect her people from both outside threats: the criminal activity and those investigating it.
This is a powerful story about the strength of women, community, and belonging. It is about owning your identity and fighting for the greater good of the community. The plot, pacing, and character development is all expertly crafted, but it the heart of the book is the Ojibwe culture and how Daunis uses what so many see as her weakness- the ability to walk between the myriad worlds she inhabits- as a strength.
Wado is the Cherokee word for giving thanks, and I must give a heartfelt wado to author Angeline Boulley for creating this beautiful work of art and sharing it with the world. It is such a gift to have been able to read Firekeeper’s Daughter, and I can’t wait to see what she does next.
This life changing book is now available.
It was awesome. Can’t wait for the second one. And Can’t wait to binge the show that’s coming on Netflix sometime this year I think or next year.
This should be right next to The Hate You Give. It’s that good and that important.
Loved it! Learned a lot about Native American culture
Caitlyn Paxson, reviewing Fire Keeper’s Daughter for NPR, calls the novel an “absolute powerhouse of a debut from Ojibwe author Angeline Boulley.” Critical reviews have mostly been very strong. There were things I really liked about this book, but in the end, my dislike of the writing style in the young-adult genre won out. Over the years, I’ve almost convinced myself that genre preferences in literature are genetic. The only thing I’m certain of, though, is that those preferences have nothing to do with intelligence or virtue. Very smart and lovely people in my life are devoted to genres that I struggle to digest.
So, I’ll describe what I liked about the novel. Boulley did a tremendous job of incarnating her Native American culture in every aspect of the book. The main character, Daunis, lives and breathes the culture. It buoys her and gives her meaning and a powerful community. Her family, immediate and extended, and her best friend, Lily, do the same. The elders, so important to the culture, are not stereotypes but complex and loveable and surprising.
Boulley structures the novel around the idea of the journey and the spiritual importance of the four cardinal directions. Each of the four parts of the book focuses on a direction—East, where all journeys begin; South, for wandering and wondering; West, representing ripeness, harvest, and change; and North, where the traveler rests, reflects, dreams, finds stories and truth. These ideas are woven tightly into the narrative.
As a mystery novel, using murder and the drug trade as catalysts for plot, the narrative develops plausibility and diversion, saving the big reveal for the last possible moment. The ending is intense.
So, all this good stuff, and I still give it a 3, maybe a 3.5 out of five. Well, I confessed my prejudice, and I understand why readers who love the young-adult genre would love this book. But at 488 pages, I was, as someone who does not love the genre, sooo ready for it to end.
“Firekeeper’s Daughter” was a riveting story that I did not want to put down. I found the descriptions and the information to be detailed. The mystery was compelling and I was trying to solve it throughout. Daunis was a strong female character who is passionate about her family and friends. It was a great story!
Wow! I did not know what to expect going into this, and I loved every minute! It felt like I was watching a movie, there was so much going on and secrets piling up, and I was holding my breath at some parts! This literally has everything. Murder and criminal investigations, high school romance and drama, plus all of the Ojibwe cultural aspects, and it’s just *chef’s kiss* so, so good!
I devoured Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley! I loved it for the setting and the wonderful characters, and for the suspense kept me turning pages. I especially loved learning about the Anishinaabe community, their traditions and their 21st c reality.
The main character, nineteen-year-old Daunis, is strong, smart, independent, and loyal. She is an amazing hockey player but an injury has curtailed her career. She puts off her acceptance to University of Michigan for a year to attend a local community college so she can support her mother and family during the decline of her beloved grandmother. Her mother’s family are white, while her deceased father was native. Without her father on her birth certificate, she is unable to be a tribal member but she is deeply involved in the community.
Daunis witnesses the murder of her best friend by the hand of her ex-boyfriend, a meth addict who then kills himself. She lost her beloved uncle, an apparent but unbelievable suicide. The teacher who replaced him brings his nephew Jamie, a talented hockey player who is gorgeous and smart and respectful. When she learns they are undercover, investigating a new drug being distributed through the hockey world, she is convinced to go undercover.
Daunis and Jamie develop feelings for each other. She keeps secrets and does her own investigating. She uses the scientific method her uncle had taught her to look for the source of the drug. She has to make hard decisions about loyalty and justice.
I love this kind of book for the role it plays: an own voice novel that educates the majority as it offers stories for a much overlooked population.
Boulley wrote that she was inspired by Nancy Drew, and her native heroine developed over the years to Daunis. Well, I would not be sorry if Daunis had her own series of mystery/suspense books. Daunis goes to college and solves a crime. Daunis becomes a native healer and solves crimes.
The story includes violence and sexual activity both wanted and unwanted.
I had passed this novel by because I don’t usually read Young Adult books and I was not aware that it is set in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. It is the July selection for Bridge Magazine’s book club. An ebook is available to anyone who donates to the non-profit Michigan newsroom.
A fantastic debut novel that is as informative as it is suspenseful. I loved the pace of the novel and the surprises at the end. Daunis and Jamie were incredible characters. The native traditions and beliefs were very interesting and created the world in which Daunis lived. At first I was having a hard time getting into the book. But then…I got hooked.
I listened to the audio version of this book. The narration by Isabelle Star LaBlanc was very good.
A compelling YA book. This is a must-read for young adults. I recommend about 15+ due to some darker topics such as drug use and murder/suicide. I read this book for book club and was not disappointed.
4.5
I read this one because it was highly recommended and I was not disappointed. I loved the way the author incorporated everything throughout the story.
Furthermore, by reading this book, I learnt a lot about Indian traditions and customs about life, death and general everyday activities.
Firekeeper’s Daughter was a moving story. It dealt with a lot of difficult topics, and left you considering things you hadn’t before in such detail. It did struggle with being a little less polished than I would have liked, and at times I had difficulties labeling what genre it was because it included so many different storylines. I hope this book inspires more diverse books!
I have seen this book everywhere, and a lot of people claim it is the best book they have read this year. For me, I think that there is too much hip for this book. The book was pretty average for me. There was nothing wrong with it but also nothing that stands out beyond the rest.
This book has a lot of ancestral, tribal, native elements to create a unique backstory and setting within the book. This is how the fantasy elements come into the book. The tribal group the main girl is a part of has many unique customs and beliefs that make up a lot of what drives the story. The book also includes some of the languages that are spoken in the tribe to add even more of this aspect into the book.
For me, this book wasn’t really about the mystery, but more of just the story and the main character’s own struggles. But having the mystery in the book did add some nice suspense. There were also some nice shocking reveals but not in connection with the mystery. Before the big reveal, there were a lot of different clues to lead you to the truth. I didn’t guess the whole truth but the build-up was way too long, so when it finally happened it wasn’t a very big shock. Also, it isn’t like the motive is a secret. It is pretty clear from the beginning the motive and how it happened, the whole thing is just figuring out who.
I didn’t realize this book would have a bug sports element, so I was thrown off at first because I can find that having that leads me to be very bored with the book. But the way it was done in this book wasn’t boring and kept a nice balance that made having it incorporated into the book benefited instead of worsening.
I thought the audiobook narration was okay for the most part. But there were quite a few occasions where I could tell they had inserted audio into the main audio clip. The background noises changed like you could tell it had been edited in. This mostly happened around when the tribal language was spoken. I think it is because maybe the narrator said it wrong so they had to fix it. But it also happened at other points. It isn’t a super big deal but it did throw me off when it happened and distracted the flow of the book. I also found the audio sounding a little echoey. It sounded like the narrator was in a big empty room. So instead of having an isolated voice of the narrator, the background noise was also noticeable.
The story does deal with a lot of difficult topics like prejudice, murder, addiction, and sexual abuse. So just a warning it could trigger some people. But the book takes these topics and allows Daunis to grow and learn from these things and grow stronger.
I just think this book was too predictable and included a lot of useless information. It was slow a lot of the time and she just pocks around trying to play detective. I also don’t think the relationship is very realistic in how it came to exist and then how it proceeds afterward. I couldn’t see them together and this had me not rooting against them but also not rooting for them either. Their relationship is more of a formal one so having it turn to be even more close than friendly had it be too forceful and unnatural.
So there were some good elements, some bad. But for me, it just didn’t meet my expectation and is just a middle-of-the-road type of book.
This is an absolutely incredible book! The Anishinaabe culture is the foundation of the story and it is beautiful and raw. However, learning about the Anishinaabe culture and traditions wasn’t even my favorite part, much to my surprise. My favorite part was seeing the strong bonds between women in the community. There was still the occasional catty remark but at the end of the day, the Anishinaabe women were there for one another.
The mystery of the story was very intriguing and had me continually changing my suspicions. By the end, I was pleased and surprised with all the turns it had taken and I’ll leave it at that.
Isabella Star LaBlanc is my new favorite audiobook narrator and her narrative added so much to the book for me. Instead of stumbling over Anishinaabe words I’d never heard before, LaBlanc read them perfectly as if Daunis herself were saying them.
A huge thanks to Libro FM and Macmillan Audio for gifting me an audio copy.
This book is set in my home town and is a fictionalized version of my home tribe. It’s safe to say I am the target demographic here, as ‘Nishnaabekwe.
I adore reading a story where I can vividly imagine the setting, where I know all the places the author mentions. I love reading stories with people like me from my own culture, and very seldom get to do so. Boulley gives all sorts of incidentals to ‘Nish readers. Touches that are normalized for us. This book reads equal parts YA thriller and love letter to me. My language. My history. My people. All of these things are on the page.
That alone would have had me pick up the book, and honestly it is why I did. I’m reviewing it because it’s good. It’s smart. It’s well-paced. It uses heavy topics to show the tenacity of a people, and also the way topics such as drug abuse and sexual assault eat at tribal communities. Daunis is a wonderfully fleshed character, and every bit the ‘Ojibwe Nancy Drew’ Boulley says she is.
I’d love to see this book find its way into classrooms, if for no other reason than getting a modern story about Natives out there. So that other people like me, who grew up with only Princess Tiger Lily and other racist depictions of Natives have something that is for them.
So I tend to stay away from high buzz books–not because I’m against popular fiction by any means. There’s just some weird switch in my brain that says, “Oh, is everyone reading it? Then I don’t need to.” I know, it doesn’t make any sense. But I kept seeing this book everywhere and it was being described as “Indigenous Nancy Drew” and…well, I’m not made of stone, people.
I always give debut novels a little leeway because, well, first book and all. But this book? So. Good. Just a really well-written page turner. It’s a thriller set in 2004 following Daunis, who is half Ojibwe, as she sets about dealing with a beloved family member’s death…when tragedy strikes again. Though this book deals with some really heavy themes and events, it doesn’t feel heavy. Part of that I think is Daunis’s voice–she rolls with a lot of punches and takes things in stride. And part of it was just the way the subject matters were handled. Daunis has some good humor to her as well, and all the characters were well drawn and interesting. All in all, I was just super impressed with this book. I love Boulley’s writing, and I can’t wait to see what she puts forth next.
The story follows an 18 year old Native American girl dealing with both political and socio-economic issues in her life. She straddles the lines of not quite dark enough & not quite “white” enough which continually makes her doubt her own identity. When she gets dragged into an undercover operation dealing with drugs on the reservation and in the local hockey club, things get out of hand really fast.
Daunis struggles with who she is, and who she wants to be all the while discovering along the way that the people she loves and those she thought she knew, were entirely different people.
I enjoyed the book, and while it slowed down in some parts, it was eye-opening to see how Native American people can sometimes be viewed by outsiders and the pressure that comes from that as well as the pressure that comes from within the community itself. I loved how strong Daunis was in the face of every obstacle and how determined she was to find the truth, but honor where she came from.
Beautiful cover, amazing story! Loved this one!!
This was really hard for me to get into the story. The first third of the book was a chore. After that, it picked up and became more interesting. Not sure the FBI would use an 18 year old as a CI, but maybe.
My biggest gripe with this book, besides the letdown over the ratings, is the use of Ojibwe language. It is irritating to me when an author uses another language, be it German, Russian, Spanish or whatever it was that Christopher Paolini created for his series. Okay, so you are fluent in another language, and?? I almost quit reading this book over this.
From the reviews, I expected more. Not sure why this book has so much hype. It was a pretty good story once you got past the verbiage, but not easy to get interested in the story. And, it never did explain what the secret ingredient in the meth that caused the group hallucination actually was.
Not a bad read, once you get past the first part of the book, I guess a pretty good first offering.