Going back to look at reviews I never got around to last year, I was actually surprised that this one never got written. This book was amazing, so utterly different from what I had been reading, and I couldn’t put it down.
About the Book
Title: Firekeeper’s Daughter
Author: Angeline Boulley
Series: none
Genre: YA, Mystery, Contemporary
Pages: 496
Edition Read: Hardcover
Dates Read: March 27-30, 2023
Blurb: As a biracial, unenrolled tribal member and the product of a scandal, Daunis Fontaine has never quite fit in—both in her hometown and on the nearby Ojibwe reservation. When her family is struck by tragedy, Daunis puts her dreams on hold to care for her fragile mother. The only bright spot is meeting Jamie, the charming new recruit on her brother’s hockey team.
After Daunis witnesses a shocking murder that thrusts her into a criminal investigation, she agrees to go undercover. But the deceptions—and deaths—keep piling up and soon the threat strikes too close to home. How far will she go to protect her community if it means tearing apart the only world she’s ever known?
Review
When I first bought this book, I’ll be honest, I didn’t know much about it. I had heard people talking about it, but no specifics. I was drawn to the cover art (who can blame me – it’s gorgeous!) and actually thought at first that it might be fantasy. Yes, that’s how much I didn’t know going in. Definitely not fantasy. I think this was what started breaking me out of speculative fiction more. Not that I don’t still read mostly fantasy (I definitely do) but I’ve been going further afield these days and this book was definitely the start of that.
I loved Daunis’ character so much. If you are looking for a strong female lead, this is what you are looking for. She’s only eighteen years old, but has already been through so much, and continues to go through so much. There has been a lot of family tragedy, losing her father at a young age, and then her uncle before the start of the story, not to mention seeing two of her friends die in a brutal murder-suicide. Daunis is so strong in the face of all of these tragic incidents, not only helping to hold her family together, but assisting with an investigation that might not only explain what happened to Lily and Travis, but also a whole host of other issues happening within the tribe.
Speaking of the tribe, I absolutely loved learning more about the Ojibwe people. Boulley is Ojibwe herself and included so many details about the culture and what it was like growing up on and around the reservation. She also knows what their people struggle with, including racism, substance abuse, and the challenges between tribal and federal laws. It made the store feel real and genuine, since these are real issues that real people are still facing.
Overall, this was a captivating book. You can tell – it’s almost 500 pages and I plowed through it in less than four days. I couldn’t put it down.
GoodReads rating: 5 stars
Categories: Books I've Read
Life With No Plot 
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