Warrior GIrl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley is a strong follow up to her debut novel , Firekeeper's Daughter, and takes us back to Sugar Island. This time the focus is on Perry Firekeeper- Birch, a teenage girl who finds herself interning at the Cultural Centre museum. At first she finds the job tedious and laments her lost fishing time , but as she spend more time with her mentor Cooper Turtle, she learns about the Native Americans Protection and Repatriation Act, designed to ensure that Native artifacts, cultural and religious objects and even human remains are returned to their people in a respectful and timely manner. Unfortunately the act has limitations , and even those institutions who are compelled by it can employ delaying tactics or even claim that they cannot identify items and remains well enough to determine which tribe they should be returned to., Perry is particularly taken by the story of Warrior Girl , the remains of a young woman which are being kept by a local university which claims she cannot be repatriated. The wheels of bureaucracy run far too slowly for an impulsive teen like Perry, and soon she and a group of friends band together to create a heist plan that places them all in terrible danger. Aside from this , the community is grieving for a number of young Native women who have disappeared, and when Perry's friend vanishes on the night the heist is planned she fears the worst.
Once again the author really highlights the traditions of the Ojibwe , their history and culture is at the heart of the story and it fascinated me and made me want to learn more. Perry is a wonderful character, and so are many of her friends or the "misfit toys" as they are referred to in the book . She is strong willed and determined but like many teens impulsive which can cause her problems at times, especially when compared with her sensible and steady twin sister. It was nice to see some of the characters from Firekeeper's Daughter again, even as a minor part of the story. I strongly feel that this is a book that adults will gain a lot from reading, it is definitely not one just for teens, and I think that readers will be gripped by the swiftly moving plot, engaged by the compelling characters and possibly even enraged by the injustices that are discussed throughout the book. I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher , all opinions are my own.

After the incredible Firekeeper's Daughter, Angeline Boulley returns us once again to Sugar Island, and many of the characters we were introduced to, a decade later. However, the focus now is on the in your face and headstrong 16 year old Perry Firekeeper-Birch, with a more conscientious and anxious twin Pauline, whose plans for the summer are disrupted when she reluctantly joins the internship programme. As readers, we are once again immersed in the Obijwe culture, history, traditions, rituals, community, and language as Perry interns at a local museum with Cooper Turtle. To her surprise, as she finds herself learning about Warrior Girl and the shocking and disrespectful treatment of her stolen ancestors remains and funerary items, leading her to become passionately engaged in the process of their repatriation.

Perry is guided in her reading by Cooper, aiming to increase her knowledge of the field, such as the limitations of NAGPRA (Native Americans Protection and Repatriation Act), applying only to museums and institutions receiving federal funding. Even then they can endlessly delay the repatriation process or even deny the connections between the ancestors, their objects, and their tribes. Given what appear to be insurmountable long term problems, Perry finds herself more drawn to the direct action approach, of taking rather than negotiating, which is how she finds herself the ringleader of the intern Team Misfits Toys, this includes Pauline, Luke, Shense, and newcomer Erik, as she organises a heist, only to find little is as it appears. At the same time, worryingly more Native American women and girls are going missing and the police have no leads.

Boulley's multilayered and action packed storytelling has the central protagonist Perry identifying with Warrior Girl and believing she is with her as she plans the heist. One of the best thing is how the narrative seamlessly serves as a much needed and invaluable source of education and information of just how horrific the treatment of Native Americans has been in the past, and in the present. I feel a real fury that so little attention is paid to the history of how everything was stolen and taken from them, including the bodies and human remains, and to this day this has still to be addressed in any meaningful way. We are reminded of the nightmare of the 'boarding schools' intended to wipe out of existence all aspects of Native American identity, culture and language. A superb read that I highly recommend! Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

I absolutely loved Boulley’s debut so I was excited to read this. It’s so clear how much Boulley cares about her culture and like her debut, I loved learning more about the Ojibwe, the ancestors and NAGPRA (especially as someone who doesn’t live in the US). I think this is a really timely novel about honouring indigenous rights and respecting sacred items.

{AD|GIFTED} Firekeeper's Daughter was one of my favourite books of 2021 so I was eager to read WARRIOR GIRL UNEARTHED which features Daunis's twin cousins Perry and Pauline Firekeeper-Birch, who are now sixteen years old. The author describes FIREKEEPER'S DAUGHTER as her "Indigenous Nancy Drew" compared to WARRIOR GIRL UNEARTHED being her "Indigenous Lara Croft". I'd definitely agree with this comparison as the novel explores the stolen history of Indigenous Americans and the brutality museums continue to wield to avoid repatriating stolen items.

Perry is a fascinating main character. She's confident, fierce and loyal, similar to her Aunt Daunis in some ways but very much her own character. The injustice of discovering the huge number of stolen items from the Ojibwe tribe in particular has Perry determined to right some wrongs, avoiding slower legal means in favour of immediate results. And so, she plans to commit a heist and enlists the help of her friends Team Misfit Toys. Alongside this heist, a number of Indigenous women slowly go missing and this violence is reminiscent of Daunis's experiences in the first book. Ten years might have passed but the epidemic of violence against Indigenous women is no better.

Like FIREKEEPER'S DAUGHTER, I have been encouraged to explore the issues raised in this book further. A great starting point would be the books mentioned in this novel and I'm determined to read about the subject in more detail. I honestly can't recommend this book enough. If you haven't read FIREKEEPER'S DAUGHTER yet, then definitely read that first as you don't want to miss out on its brilliance.

This was a brilliantly emotional and adventurous book - one for everyone to read! Following Perry Firekeeper-Birch through her summer of work, discovery and community was a quick, yet important and heart-warming read.

Boulley's insights into Ojibwe culture was absolutely fascinating and I loved the use of language to really bring an authenticity to the book's voice. I loved learning throughout the book about the different customs and objects they use in their everyday lives, as well as the importance of repatriation of stolen objects, artefacts and people.

As a reader, the plot was gripping - Perry never stops adding on adventures and something's always there to change it up. You get to witness some very thrilling heists while also loving the characters and community that Perry is introduced to throughout the book. Also, Perry as a person is so cool - I loved seeing her make split decisions that I know I could never make myself and then when they succeeded, I was so happy for her!

At times, this didn't necessarily feel like a YA book, except for the ages of the characters. It deals with some very heavy topics, but I felt that this was done in a considerate and educational way. Each of the characters really develops as the narrative goes on, but I felt that Perry in particular felt like such a more mature and rounded character by the end of the novel while still retaining her defining traits.

Overall, this was an excellent book that I really recommend to everybody. It has something for everyone: mystery solving, beautiful friendships, heists and moral learnings. Make sure you check out this book!

Thanks to Oneworld and NetGalley for early access to this book!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This is the first book I've read by Angeline Boulley (though The Firekeeper's Daughter has been on my tbr for ages) and it did not disappoint. I think the main character from The `Firekeeper's Daughter is the Auntie in this book but since I haven't read the other one, obviously I'm not 100% on that. Either way, they're both standalone books.

I don't know what I expected going into this but I wasn't really prepared for the level of gut wrenching Warrior Girl Unearthed delt me. There's a lot going on plotwise but it does all come together at the end and it isn't too overwhelming throughout. The characters are great, I love that was never any petty miscommunication between the twins or their friends because I always find that so annoying.

I didn't get anything from the romance, though I don't hold that against the book because it's not supposed to be about romance. It's about injustice, family, community, love, and things more important than a high school crush. A lot of the topics are big and depressing so it would have been easy for the book to end up really depressing instead of an exciting action story that inspires the reader to do better and be better. There's a lot of information that can be considered educational and it's presented as part of the story rather than fact spitting, which is great.

Warrior Girl Unearthed hurt my heart a little. The ending felt a little rushed, but not horribly so and there was a resolution. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.

Another incredible piece of writing from Angeline Boulley! From the perspective of Perry, a sixteen year old intern from Sugar Island, we learn about the culture and the deeper issues affecting natives through Perry’s personal experiences in different roles which expose her to artefacts and remains of her ancestors in the hands of the wrong people. We learn the laws surrounding repatriation and the obstacles alongside Perry, as she learns from Cooper and the reading he sets her, and as we see Perry pass on her knowledge to others. It is impossible not to feel this story deeply, to empathise with the trauma and injustices as well as celebrating the culture, community and language of these characters. Perry is incredibly spirited, brave and loyal to her people. She is young and she makes mistakes, but she is passionate and her determination to do the right thing, not the easy thing, is admirable.
This wasn’t always an easy read as you would expect from any book tackling such heavy and significant subjects but it’s so incredibly well written, shining a light on racism, violence against native women, law and policing as well as different native ceremonies, traditions and storytelling, and community. It’s a complex and informative book with a gripping narrative - one which I thoroughly enjoyed!

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

From the moment I finished reading Firekeeper's Daughter, I was counting the days until I could get my hands on Warrior Girl Unearthed. And it most certainly does not disappoint. Warrior Girl is undoubtedly among the best books I have read this year so far, and I am really looking forward to recommend it to students at the school library as soon as we get a copy.

Perry Firekeeper-Birch is a carefree Black Indigenous sixteen year-old ready to enjoy her summer fishing, relaxing, and spending time with her dog in her home of Sugar Island, but everything changes when she hits her car and is placed on an internship programme at the local museum. There, she finds out about plundered sacred artefacts and human remains of her ancestors kept inhumanely in storehouses at the local university that is reluctant to return the bodies for reburial by their descendant communities. One in particular haunts her dreams: the remains of Warrior Girl. Perry is determined to return these and other human remains and artefacts to Sugar Island, whatever it takes ... but as the plans for a heist start taking shape, things may well be way more dangerous than they seem.

Warrior Girl Unearthed is captivating and beautifully written, delving with insight and courage into the topics of repatriation of human remains and murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls (MMIWG). The book is equally suitable for a YA and adult audience, and the discussion of these topic is thorough yet accessible. I also really appreciated how the Anishinaabe language / Ojibwemowin is such a big part of the novel.

It was lovely to see the strong young women that Perry and Pauline have grown up to be, and how Boulley crafts their different voices and personalities, as well as to catch up with Daunis and see the leadership role she represents for her cousins. I missed a bit of the strength and determination that Teddy Firekeeper (Perry and Pauline's mom) shows in caring for Daunis in Firekeeper's Daughter, although Daunis definitely steps into her shoes (and just maybe we will get a novel about Teddy's youth next? finger's crossed). Despite the book being intricately intertwined with Boulley's debut, it is a standalone and can be read and enjoyed independently (although it's important to note it does inevitably contain major spoilers for the first book).

Unfortunately, the ending was quite abrupt, and there were a couple crucial loose threads of the mystery at the end that had yet to be answered. I'm not sure what edits, if any, will still be conducted between the ARC and the final version, but I do hope that those few additional questions get answered, however briefly (SPOILERS: where does Stormy go? Why did Claire attack Webster? etc). Nevertheless, I really enjoyed reading the book and would thoroughly recommend it.

This is a very important and thought-provoking book, and I am grateful that the author chose to share these stories with us readers. Thank you.

Absolutely fantastic. This one was engaging and insightful. I loved the family dynamic, the plot and our main character Perry. What I love about these books is that you always learn something. If you loved Firekeepers Daughter, check this out. Highly recommend

A fabulous read with a very unique Native American perspective. Angeline Boulley is a truly emerging author for me and I can't wait to see what she does next

I really enjoyed this totally unique take on the "tomb raider" trope. This book is one of a kind and totally different to anything that I've read - bringing a whole new wealth of knowledge about native American History. 4/5 for originality of plot.

Unfortunately for me it took to long to get warmed up to the protagonist - perhaps I'm a little too old to appreciate the teenage character's quips and interactions.

Whilst I liked the characters- didn't LOVE them either and wasn't desperate to keep reading like other books I've read - hence the 3 star rating - would definitely be 3.5 if I could!

Will definitely try her books again!

I was excited to read 'Warrior Girl Unearthed' from the moment I came across ìt and was certainly not disappointed.

Angeline Boulley has written an absolutely stunning novel here.
'Warrior Girl Unearthed' is written beautifully, weaving a highly informative background into her story of stolen people and objects - both past and present - in a way that never becomes less than gripping.

Set just on the southern side of US/Canadian border around the Sugar Island, Sault Ste Marie area, this novel is a coming of age story involving teenage protagonists finding their place in both the world at large and, more particularly, their tribal communities and traditions..

It is also a thriller, I would say, as opposed to a horror story as I've seen mentioned.

Focusing in on a heist to retrieve and repatriate ancestral remains which are discovered kept in an admittedly horrific and disturbing way; a present day predator who is stealing/abducting young, Anishinaabe girls and women.

In a book length still nicely accessible to younger (teen) readers, there is an impressive amount packed into a novel which ticks many boxes.

The author utilises the traditional indigenous way of imparting information in a memorable way. In some ways this is a parallel to the original intention of fairytales and fables in European culture - to teach and warn children in an engaging way.

This storytelling is actually one of my favourite aspects of the way Boulley has crafted 'Warrior Girl Unearthed'. Throughout the story we see examples of the way story is used in First Nations tribal tradition. For example, the spotlight on the legend of the wiindigoo, which feeds on fear, pain, grief, anger - negative emotions - and grows in size, power and appetite the more it feeds.

While reading this novel, I was entirely invested in the marvellous character of Perry Firekeeper-Birch, a sixteen year old Anishinaabe girl., and the story which unfolded around her.

I loved that this novel included so much use of Ojibwemowin (the language of the Ojibwe) too.

Overall, one of the best works I've read in a long time, this novel is like a comprehensive cultural course wrapped up in an enthralling combination of family drama and mystery story.

I can't recommend 'Warrior Girl Unearthed' enough. In fact, I think everyone should read it.

Now I'm going to read Angeline Boulley's earlier novel, 'Firekeeper's Daughter', to catch up on the earlier years of Perry Firekeeper-Birch's Auntie Daunis.