Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault

This was a great audiobook, narrator was well received.

This is a slow burn mystery with a coming of age slant a great read. Based on Native American culture, and the ramifications of colonialism.

This novel follows Dauni, who is a strong brilliant female protagonist who is determined to find out what is happening in her community while staying true to herself.

I

I loved this audio book! The narrator really set the scene, I listened to this on a plane journey/holiday recently and enjoyed it. My first ever audio book!

Who can I condense all my feelings about this book in to a digestible paragraph!
It was masterful, a sensitive, informative and gorgeous story that will teach any reader so much they thought they know about what it is to be a modern day native American.

This book deserves all of it's hype.

This was a story that packed a punch and had a big impact. I thought that the author did a fantastic job having difficult conversations about the treatment of native women and the awful impact meth has had on tribal communities. I also thought that the writing style was really accessible and that Daunis was a wonderful protagonist - strong, independent, intelligent and kind. My only criticism is that some of the mystery elements of the plot were a little bit predictable, but overall, I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it. I would also recommend the audio to get a sense of the language and pronunciation of unfamiliar terms.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is a story about How drug trafficking destroys a community and the people in it. Dauni’s is determined to understand what’s happening around her and her characterisation was brilliant, such a strong female determined to stay true to her nature and was refreshing to read a young girl who was comfortable in her own body.

I loved learning more about Native American culture, it really opened my eyes to an area I didn’t know much about. It was interesting to read about the ramifications of colonialism.

A slow burn mystery thriller with a coming of age angle that I would recommend for fans of Bear Town.

Trigger Warnings:
Violence, Misogyny/ Violence against Women, Sexual Abuse, Murder, Blood, Drug Abuse.

“My girl, some boats are for the river and some are for the ocean.”

What Boulley has created is a very powerful, poignant and well crafted narrative which bridges two cultures in their joint struggle to protect their community and uphold the law. And I’d like to start this review by touching on the closed practices explored within this novel. In the author’s messages at the end, she comments on the lack of Indigenous narratives in contemporary settings, and how few stories are presented by Own Voices authors. I wholeheartedly endorse Boulley’s request for more Own Voices narratives from Native and Indigenous peoples; I think it’s important for two reasons. The first is for open representation; everyone should have a narrative in which they can see a reflection of themselves. And the second is for an exploration of closed practices without cultural appropriation, fetishization or exploitation. I hadn’t heard the term ‘closed practice’ until last month, so for those who were unfamiliar – it’s a term which means a practice with great cultural significance, which is closed to those outside the inherited or initiated groups. For example, within Firekeeper’s Daughter, we see the use of semaa, we learn about the Grandfathers and traditions imbedded in Chippewa culture, and the inherited trauma from colonisation. It’s a testament to Boulley’s writing that Daunis is a whole person; not a list of stereotypes from either side of her family tree, and whilst I cannot claim an understanding beyond what I’ve read in this book (or to the accuracy) it was an easy practice in empathy to see how important these cultural practices are to Daunis and her family. When Daunis is left out of the darker traditions or discouraged because she’s biracial, it’s a reminder to the audience of the sanctity of these practices. I loved Daunis all the more for her respect and understanding towards the elder members of her community in these moments. It’s a lesson in empathy I encourage everyone to explore.

Speaking of empathy; obviously, this book is a mystery thriller, and Daunis is a relentless investigator with only the scientific training she’s had from her uncle and the desperate need to solve the murder of her best friend. I love a proactive detective (even if they’re amateurs) and Daunis throws herself headfirst into her work in the best way. It kept the pace of the narrative flowing, even in the quieter moments of reflection, and had me forming my own conclusions along side her as I read. The main conflict derives from not knowing who to trust, being close to the solution but unable to see the truth. It’s a great contemporary reminiscent of The Hate U Give, Piecing Me Together and Pet – exploring important topics such as drug abuse in athletes, toxic relationships, and cultural dysphoria, whilst maintaining an honest, personal narrative of self-growth and understanding. Daunis isn’t perfect (though she is my favourite) but her motives are founded in the care and compassion she has for those around her. Even those who let her down.

I really enjoyed this book, and it was easy to give it four stars. The only star it lost for me was the plot line related to the sexual assault. Skip this paragraph if you wish to avoid any discussion of this topic. Sexual Assault is a reading trigger for me, for reasons that are my own. I’d had nor seen no content warnings for this book going into it, so it is a shock when Daunis is sexually assaulted by one of the suspects. Whilst the scene fades to black and avoids gratuity or triggering language, it’s still a subject I need to know is included otherwise I find it really distressing. In addition, I don’t think it really added anything to the narrative. Daunis had already suffered a great deal, it didn’t add anything to her investigation except to potentially cause a rift between her and another character (which is then mended) and is then ‘resolved’. Daunis never confronts how the assault affected her, or her investigation; and in many ways it just doesn’t. She continues to act the same except for outbursts of anger towards the men around her, and whilst I appreciate everyone responds to assault differently, it seemed like a scene included for shock value rather than as a staple to Daunis’ narrative. Having said that, it is an important topic to include in fiction, I’m not looking to censor the subject from literature or film, I just felt in this instance it detracted from the overall narrative rather than add to it.

That issue aside, I’m very excited to see other works by Boulley and I would love to hear your recommendations for other Indigenous authors.

This is a book I don't usually read, Teens & YA but I was drawn to the cover! Yes, I know "Don't judge a book by its cover!" But something about it was saying read me! Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley and Narrated by Isabella Star LaBlanc..
I enjoyed it and so glad I had a chance to get the audiobook and book to read. It covers sexual assault, drug use suicide, death of a loved one, addiction, racism., and "fatphobia" - which this part of the book I hated! However, this book was hard to get into but stay with it and it's a good read.

Big thank you to W.F. Howes Ltd for the audiobook and Oneworld Publications for the complimentary copy of this book, All opinions are my own.

I wanted so badly to love this book - on paper it sounds like the kind of mysterious YA that I love. But I just could not get on with the writing style.

I even tried the audiobook, and the narrator was amazing, but unfortunately it just wasn't for me.

This is definitely a book I will recommend, because I can easily see why so many people would love it and and style.

I enjoyed listening to this on audiobook, the narrator was very good in my opinion, the story seemed to flow very well and I couldn't stop listening! The publisher and artist did an amazing job with the cover, which is stunning. This is an own voices tale so this is extremely important to note. The subject matter of investigations into drug running and drug dealing was written thrillingly. There was undercover work for the FBI which I was not expecting. I read this in two sittings as the story did engross me and I didn't want to put it down.

I don’t read thrillers, I don’t read crime books or mystery books. If I’m ever asked which genre I avoid, it’s those.
Has this book converted me? No, I don’t think it has. Purely because I loved this so much I’m not convinced anything else could ever match up to it. Do you ever read a book and immediately after finishing think “that may just be one of my favourite books of all time”? Well, this may just be one of my favourite books of all time.
This book has left me speechless, it’s left me in awe of Indigenous peoples and Native American culture. It’s left me with an overwhelming sense of joy and happiness that you can only ever get in that moment you finish a phenomenal book.
Daunis is everything I strive to be in life. She’s strong, honest, true to herself, she’s in tune with her body, her culture, her beliefs in such a harmonic and beautiful way. She is pure goodness.
The Ojibwe culture is equally beautiful. I knew little about it, so to read an own voices Ojibwe book was such an amazing experience.
I’d highly recommend the audiobook, Isabella Star Lablanc is brilliant. Whilst I don’t think reading the book physically would lessen the impact of the book in any form, hearing exactly how to pronounce everything added to the power of the Native American culture seeping through the book.
If I could give this more than five stars I would. If I could urge you to read one book this year, it’d be this one.

I tried a couple of times to listen to this audiobook but I just couldn't get into the story, which is a shame as it is meant to be a big book for this year. The narrator was grating on the ears and I struggled with the native words and phrases for the context of the book.

I may try reading the book but nothing in the first few chapters had me reaching desperately for the physical book

I really wanted to like this but sadly had to DNF after serval attempts to push through with it. My two main issues were the main character and the writing style. I found the mc annoying and the writing only amplified the aspects I disliked about her. There were times where I felt she exaggerated normal responses in conversations. For example, when she's telling the love interest all about her Uncles death, all he says is 'I'm sorry' and listens to her. Which is great, a good response when someone tells you about a family death and a pretty normal thing to say in that situation. But the mc kept going on about how kind he is for saying sorry, over and over saying how brilliant he is which I found to be too much. The writing style has a lot of these moments in which the mc repeats obvious information to us which made it a frustrating read. Too much telling when you've already shown me the info. I also didn't care for the romance. I feel like I could have finished this if the romance had been cut out, I enjoyed the surrounding elements of the book but it kept going back to her thinking about this wet lettuce of a guy and I would lose interest.

I did enjoy the detailed look into Native American culture and the mc's torn identity as a mixed-race girl. I also have to praise the narrator Isabella Star LaBlanc, she did an amazing job and I loved all the distinct character voices.

I really enjoyed this audiobook. I think listening rather than reading helped with the language of the Anishinabe. The juxtaposition of the matriachal Anishinabe community with the poor treatment of women by men with their legal position is eye-opening. I was fully invested in Daunis's story and I found her strength inspiring whilst she finds herself stuck in a maze of secrets. The mix of native American traditional medicine and meth addiction in the community is heart-breaking to witness. A great listen and I will definitely be looking out for more books by this author.

Once again, I was drawn to a book because of its cover, and what a stunning cover it is. Firekeeper’s Daughter is the YA debut novel by Angeline Boulley and narrated by Isabella Star La Blanc.

It tells the story of Duanis, an Ojibwe teenage girl who ends up assisting the FBI, as an informant due to people within her community dying from crystal meth related deaths.

I don’t want to spoil it for you, but I definitely recommend. I feel it is probably the first book I’ve read that is written by an American Indigenous person, and it handled the culture and traditional practices with sensitivity.

As a YA book, I would say it is best suited to older teens and upwards based on the themes covered - drug use, racism, sexual assault and murder.

I am really excited to see what Angeline Boulley does next, as it looks as though she has a promising career of her.

Once again, I definitely recommend.

***Thank you to Netgalley and W.F. Howes for this advanced audio copy in exchange for an honest review.***

Wow, what a debut! From the cover, I expected a YA Fantasy novel, however there is no magic in sight - it’s actually a cleverly woven investigative thriller involving some pretty heavy subjects – meth addiction, drugs gangs, death, sexual assault and undercover FBI investigation. It centres on the main protagonist’s life and her position within the Ojibwe reservation coupled with her loyalty to friends and family and her strength of conviction. The insight into the tribe’s cultural beliefs and customs is fascinating and adds to the strong backstory.
The narrator is wonderful and enhances the enjoyment of this incredible book.
Fantastic stuff.

Believe the hype! I was completely swept away by the compelling voice and unfolding mystery. I loved being plunged into another culture. Everything felt true and I was hooked from beginning to end.

While I didn't particularly enjoy this I will be recommending it. This is another book that felt rather too familiar and without a voice that was new. a change of setting though.

I am sorry I thought I had downloaded the book and am not set up for audio.

Lots of fellow readers are raving about this book and made me keen to read it hence the 4 star rating
Apologies for any inconvenience

I thoroughly enjoyed this story of power, identity and community and was easily immersed in the thrilling adventure. I would highly recommend the book, especially the audiobook, to all.

What first drew me to this audiobook and book was the cover, which is absolutely stunning. The book itself, however, surpassed all expectations and has become a firm favorite. I even ended up ordering a paper copy, a testament to a good read!

There's not much that I can say without giving away too much, because I truly believe this is the kind of novel that is best read knowing very little or nothing at all. It is a truly multi-dimensional, complex, and multi-faceted novel that explores personal relationships, and culture in a way that will really resonate with many students. Its portrayal of Anishinaabe culture, language, and tradition is so powerful and leaves such a strong impression of the culture itself..