I was floored to find out that Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley is a debut novel. This powerful piece of storytelling is one of the best books I have read in the year to date, and is likely to remain in my top reads of the year when all is said and done.
Firekeeper's Daughter is the story of Daunis, an eighteen year old girl of mixed race heritage who feels strong ties to her Ojibwe family despite the fact that some of those on the reservation continue to treat her like an outsider. She dreams of becoming a doctor, but is forced to put that dream on hold when her Grandmother falls ill, and her mother needs her help and support closer to home. This is just the latest blow for Daunis, who was also forced to abandon her promising hockey career for reasons that are revealed as the story unfolds. Hockey is still a big part of her life however, and seems likely to become even more so when she develops an attraction to Jamie, a new recruit on her brother Levi's team.
Daunis knows that drugs are becoming a problem on the reservation and has seen a childhood friend battling addiction, but when she witnesses a shocking murder she realises that the problem is far bigger than she ever imagined. Reluctantly she agrees to help the FBI with their investigation into a meth production and distribution ring that seems to be linked to the area , and is shocked to discover that someone may have perverted the Ojibwe traditional healing teachings to create a new and even more destructive variation on crystal meth. Soon she finds herself caught between protecting those she loves or catching those responsible for so many deaths.
I absolutely loved everything about this book, the setting, the characters, the plot, the pacing - everything was so on point that I could hardly believe it was a debut novel.. I sometimes struggle with reading books written in the first person, but I was so in love with Daunis as a character that I was all in from the beginning. She is such a good representation of a strong young woman , smart, determined and focussed but also dealing with insecurities and figuring out her identity, and how to reconcile both sides of her heritage. I loved how the author integrated so much information about Ojibwe cultural traditions, beliefs and rituals into the story, I felt like I was learning so much without it ever feeling like an info dump or impeding the pace of the story being told. Speaking of story, the mystery at the heart of the book is well thought out, there are clues along the way to keep the reader engaged and some red herrings to throw you off, so that there are plenty of surprises along the way to maintain tension.
One of the best books I have read in a long time, and one that I would highly recommend to readers of all ages.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

This. was. incredible.

I utterly adored thie audiobook and I am definitely getting my hands on a physical copy as soon as I can. Typically, I listen to audiobook while working on commissions but I was just so sucked into this to the point that I would just stop drawing mid piece to listen and take in the whole story.

I had such high hopes as this is perfect for me. A thriller featuring OwnVoices, coming of age, secret informant to the Police, murder, drugs, corruption, first love. This should have been perfect for me!

And yet, I couldn't warm to it. I had to force myself at times to keep going.

There is nothing wrong with book. Nothing. The story is interesting, the writing is solid, the characters felt real, the culture, history and traditions of Ojibwe tribe and Anishinaabe indigenous people in North America made fascinating reading. This is a book that fans of Angie Thomas & Jason Reynolds will devour.

But this book's biggest issue is pacing. The pacing was so slow. I prefer thrillers with a bit of pace, but this was a struggle. I kept focusing myself to go back and not relisten to old podcasts episodes, music or not to start another audiobook ("Anne Boleyn: A King's Obsession" by Alison Weir keeps calling to me). I kept forcing myself to go back and every time, it took me a little bit longer to find my footing with the story.

I know am in the minority and I suspect that, if I read this again in a few month times, I will bliotz this (I blame the current news in the UK at the time of writing this finally getting to me and ruining my general reading at the moment) but this didn't work for me. But I will be pushing this into people's hands - it's one of those books.

Firekeeper’s Daughter is Angeline Boulley’s spellbinding debut young adult thriller and a captivating coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Eighteen-year-old Daunis Fontaine, a 6ft tall ice hockey ace and science whiz, lives her life balancing two worlds: her life with her white mother and wealthy grandparents where she has a hefty trust fund and her life where she carries on her strong family traditions as an Ojibwe woman. Being the product of a huge scandal between her mother and father, Daunis has spent her entire life feeling as though she doesn’t belong anywhere. She resides with her mother in the Sault Ste. Marie tribal community of Chippewa Indians near her hometown that she has always longed to officially join. (She lacks enrollment due to the complicated relationship between her late Ojibwe father and French-Canadian mother.) This has always made her feel like an outsider and she has never felt as though she truly fit in. Now, instead of spending the summer after high school anticipating her freshman year of college, and dreaming of playing hockey for the University of Michigan and a career as a doctor, she prepares for a different future: staying home to care for her emotionally fragile mother after back-to-back family tragedies. Daunis’ life changes drastically when her uncle David dies of a meth overdose under suspicious circumstances, followed by the sudden hospitalization of her maternal grandmother who has spent the last couple of months recovering from a serious stroke. While she tries to navigate through all of this and take back control she is struggling for a sense of purpose. The only bright spot is meeting Jamie, her high school hockey superstar brother, Levis, newest teammate.

Yet even as Daunis falls for Jamie, she senses the dashing hockey star is hiding something. Everything comes to light when Daunis witnesses the shocking murder of her best friend at the hands of her meth addict boyfriend, thrusting her into an FBI investigation of the lethal new drug. With crystal meth abuse on the rise in her community, Daunis uses her knowledge of science and traditional native medicine to go undercover as a confidential informant for the FBI to track down the source and reveal the seller. Everything becomes a whole lot more dangerous when Daunis realises what she's let herself in for and she is suddenly thrust into the thick of a drug ring investigation, learning of corruption, deception and betrayal from the people closest to her and those she’d least suspect. Daunis must decide what it means to be a strong Anishinaabe kwe (Ojibwe woman) when she is forced to choose between saving those she loves, helping the FBI and protecting the tribal community. This is a scintillating and beguiling debut steeped in the traditions of the indigenous Ojibwe and is such a richly-described and exquisitely written tale that you cannot fail to be immersed and enchanted by its beauty and allure. There's mystery, intrigue and plenty of thrills, and I was amazed at how there was twist upon twist upon twist. Boulley’s authentic depictions of the complexities of Native communities and the trauma and strength of Native women, specifically, make this book a complete standout for YA and adult readers alike. It is a searingly powerful, fiercely compelling and mesmerizing read with a badass, intelligent protagonist who I became fully invested in. An enthralling and unforgettable novel from start to finish. Highly recommended.

I'm an avid reader and this book blew me away. It is on of the best books I have ever read.
The story follow Daunis, who has a native American father and a christian mother.
It follows Daunis just ending her high school and getting ready for college when disaster strikes. The book takes us into the beautiful heritage and ways of the Ojibwe. It is written beautifully and with the short chapters you cannot stop reading.
The onion that is Daunis is pealed slowly in the book set in the backdrop op Ice Hockey, the rez and drugs.
I hope to read more by Angeline in the future.
this review doesn't do the book full justice, but please buy and read it.

Oh my goodness. This book was SO needed. It starts off with a really nice beginning that eases you into Native American life, explaining terminology and giving you some backstory. Then something BIG happens that is quite unexpected and very sad, and the sh*t hits the metaphorical fan. At this point I was hooked, I couldn't stop reading. I found it impossible to guess who was involved and what would happen next.

Whilst being conscious that this is a work of fiction, I feel like I came away with so much more understanding about Native American's culture and barriers.

Many thanks for this arc which was provided in exchange for unbiased review.

This is an excellent debut novel., so great-plotted. I believe it is a must-read. I genuinely enjoy the representation of a native community : their customs, their traditions, their beliefs and their languages, Even though it can be overwhelming at the beginning, this kind of representation and diversity is important and urgent. Own voices are essentials. We can feel that everything is authentic.
I loved Daunis, she is a rather interesting character with layers. She felt real to me, I felt for her and with her. Every member of the community seemed weel depicted and helped make this book vivid.
I would highly recommend reading this cultural, informative, beautiful and impactful book !

I feel so privileged to have read this book. Firekeeper's Daughter is tells a heartbreaking yet beautiful story about community, identity, coming of age and how they all intertwine together.

Angeline Boully's amazing debut features 18 year old Daunis Fontaine is biracial, an unenrolled tribal member. Daunis was such a well-crafted and beautifully human character with a lot of depth which allowed insight to her as a person and main character. Boully's writing featured lots of Anishinaabe language, traditions, and culture which made this book so special as such an exciting and interesting read. As a white person, I feel so privileged to be given insight into such a Daunis's Ojibwe culture and how it impacts her life and those around her. As well as that, Boully's writing created a beautiful community and really well-developed relationships. This book was so complex, insightful and well-written, I would absolutely recommend it to everyone.

Firekeeper's Daughter also features a mix of crime and thriller themes along with coming of age and romance. It tackles heavy subjects (that some readers may find triggering) including racism, sexual assault, drugs, addiction and grief.

Big thanks to the NetGalley and publishers Henry, Holt and Co for providing an eARC this book in exchange for an honest review.

Overall, I would given this book between 4.5 stars as it was extremely well-written and engaging (especially during the build up towards the end) but I sometimes struggled with the pace and felt like it took a while to get going.

This is a stunning debut from Angeline Boulley, set in Sault Ste. Marie, in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, amongst the Native American Ojibwe community. 18 year old Daunis Fontaine is biracial, an unenrolled tribal member, the child of a scandal, who whilst never quite fitting in with her fragile and vulnerable white mother's family, nor the other half of her Indigenous family, and community, nevertheless lives her daily life immersed in both. She is weighed by down by the disappointing loss of her Uncle David, a teacher, a meth death, and the stroke suffered by GrandMary, they say bad luck comes in threes, Daunis is sincerely hoping not. A gifted scientist, Daunis has put off going to the University of Michigan, and is instead intending to attend college locally with her lifelong best friend, Lily Chippeway, so that she can be there for her mother. Hockey mad, Daunis agrees to act as ambassador and introduce new player, Jamie, to the area and community as he joins her on her early morning runs.

The first part of the book embeds the reader into Daunis's life and history, her close relationship with her protective hockey playing half brother, Levi, and the rest of her indigenous family, including her badass Aunt Teddie. We are immersed in the historical atrocities and racism that have marked the painful history of the tribes, along with a picture of the culture, structures, contemporary politics, traditional medicine, rituals, ceremonies, tribal elders, with everyday community and family interactions. There is a focus on the growing blight of lives lost to meths, with the rising numbers of 'lost' boys and girls, as can be seen with Travis, Lily's ex-boyfriend. There is prodigious use of and explanation of indigenous words and concepts, the teachings of the good way of life by the 7 grandfathers through love, humility, respect, honesty, bravery, wisdom, and truth, pillars that are to inform Daunis's harrowing investigation. As tragedy strikes, shattering Daunis, she finds herself agreeing to go undercover as a confidential agent, looking into meths production and distribution that is destroying the future of the community.

Boulley writes a utterly riveting, complex and multilayered novel, rooted in, insightful and informative of, the Ojiwbe community that the central protagonist, Daunis, belongs to and is committed to, as she tries to protect their interests and future, outside agencies like the FBI may not necessarily do that or even see this as important. This is a fascinating and thrilling read, tense and suspenseful, with a strong central protagonist facing the complications of hockey, community and family ties, corruption and murder, not to mention a personal relationship that is hard to trust and believe in. Given the sexism, misogyny and sexual assaults, I took comfort in the depiction of the strong independent women and the ritual of the 'blanket party'. Part of the joy of reading this is the educational elements of learning about indigenous communities, such as the traditions and rituals that lie behind the critical role of the Firekeeper. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Oneworld Publications for an ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Oneworld Publications for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

As a biracial, unenrolled tribal member and the product of a scandal, eighteen-year-old Daunis Fontaine has never quite fit in, both in her hometown and on the nearby Ojibwe reservation. Daunis dreams of studying medicine, but when her family is struck by tragedy, she puts her future on hold to care for 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, certain details don’t add up and she senses the dashing hockey star is hiding something. Everything comes to light when Daunis witnesses a shocking murder, thrusting her into the heart of a criminal investigation. Reluctantly, Daunis agrees to go undercover, but secretly pursues her own investigation, tracking down the criminals with her knowledge of chemistry and traditional medicine. But the deceptions—and deaths—keep piling up and soon the threat strikes too close to home.

Now, Daunis must learn what it means to be a strong Anishinaabe kwe (Ojibwe woman) and how far she'll go to protect her community, even if it tears apart the only world she’s ever known

Sadly, I have had to DNF this book at 15%, something I really, really hate doing. I always want to give books a chance as some of my favourites have taken time drawing me in but I’d hoped by this point, I’d be sucked in - but this wasn’t the case.

I’ve found it very hard to get into the book. I felt that the book was just very wordy and I’d find my attention drifting elsewhere. It could be that this just isn’t the right time for me to read and enjoy this book - so I really hope that others do and support this debut!

Sadly, Firekeeper’s Daughter just missed the mark for me. Perhaps I’ll come back to it in the future with fresher eyes and hopefully enjoy it then.

Thank you again to NetGalley and Oneworld Publications for an advanced copy of this book.

Thank you so so much for accepting my request to read this ARC. I mean, I knew I was going to enjoy this book but this exceeded my expectations. The writing is simple but rich, I immensely enjoyed the characterization. I came away from this book very enlightened. I'm a Nigerian so I had no idea what to expect but while reading, I kept researching and I love when a book makes me want to know more. Firekeeper's Daughter is freaking awesome! Holding myself from dropping spoilers.

Preview/sneak peek and ARC provided kindly by Netgalley!! Thank you!!

4 stars

This was really good! Very different to my usual reads, as I don’t usually reach for contemporary focused books (or urban fantasy etc). But this was really good! I’ve never read a book surrounding indigenous Canadians, so I was so happy to be approved for this ARC :)

My only gripe is that I really dislike text-speech in books, I just don’t like it. But that’s such a small issue, and it’s a personal thing.

I recommend giving this a go!!

Firekeeper’s Daughter follows Daunis who after witnessing the murder of someone close to her becomes an informant in order to help the investigation, unlocking secrets along the way about those close to her and putting her in danger.

I really enjoyed the writing style of the book, especially the way the characters were written and the focus on relationships between them and in their community. The main character Daunis, is biracial and has to deal with those around her who view her as too little or too much of one side of her family – it was really interesting to learn about her culture and I loved the focus on community and her relationship with her family and the elders in her community. There are various side characters who impact the story, and it was interesting to see different themes in the book, I loved the female relationships she had with her friend, her aunt and her friend’s grandma.

The plot of the book focuses on Daunis who helps a FBI investigation into meth within her community especially as deaths keep piling on, I really enjoyed the way the mystery and suspense was build up and the little reveals throughout the story. A lot happens in the book; her own investigation, everything with hockey and the romance and I really liked the pace of the book because nothing felt rushed or dragged out. Some of the reveals were predictable but I enjoyed the way things were handled and the ending itself was good.

4/5

Daunis Fontaine is linked to the Ojibwe tribe, though has mixed race parenting which causes problems for her fitting in with either community. She is a fierce ice hockey player though and hangs out with this crowd, along with her half-brother, Levi, and this is where she meets new boy Jamie, Over the course of the book, it becomes clear that Jamie -and Levi - may not be all they claim to be and she is gradually drawn into the drug riddled side of her community, with devastating consequences for her and those around her.

It is told in first person which makes you feel you are really there with Daunis. Themes covered by the book include relationships, friendships, rivalries, families and love, which would appeal to all teens but due to frequent drugs references, I feel it is best suited to older teens onwards, There is now, thankfully, a good choice of BAME fiction for young adults and this sits really well with them, highlighting the prejudices faced by native Americans, as well as shedding light on some of their beliefs and traditions. I found the plot line and characters very engaging and really enjoyed some of the twists as the story unfolded.

I will be looking out for more titles by this author!

Many thanks to Netgalley for an advanced digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This was an interesting book as I did not know anything about the culture of Native Americans and this provided insight into this. I liked how the main character Daunis was of mixed heritage and showed how she did not feel she fitted into either world.

The first part of the book I found slow but it was vital to show what Daunis's world was like. I liked how Daunis had to question what she believed after her friend was shot and she started working for the FBI.

I like the tension between the Native Americans and those from the white heritage, and how both would not accept the other.

Firekeeper's Daughter contained a diverse mix of characters with both strong, redeeming qualities and flaws. This was the first book I had ever read set solely in and based around a Native American community and I was incredibly excited to educate myself further on the history and heritage that the writer offers a beautiful insight into.

Boulley does a fantastic job of integrating language, tradition, custom, belief, history and community into this novel in a way that educates readers without it seeming like education.

As this is focused towards a young adult or even new adult audience, when the main character, Daunis, goes through a period of self exploration and transition the opportunity for the reader to explore both culture and womanhood is there - part of the charm is that the reader can learn and embrace with her.

For around the first 20% of this story, I thought I knew roughly where it was going. I loved the writing style but was sure it would be a "same old" retelling. It is safe to say that I was completely incorrect, and was compelled from then onwards.

An exciting and compelling read.

I really enjoyed this book. It does have some highly emotional topics which are my favourite to read about

Firekeeper's Daughter is a young adult novel about a Native teenager who ends up trying to find out who's involved in a series of meth-related deaths in her community. Daunis is eighteen and is just about to start college, but after witnessing a sudden murder, she's asked to become a confidential informant for the FBI to investigate drug distribution. Using her knowledge of chemistry and Ojibwe medicine, she starts to look around and ask questions, but the threat gets closer to her and she must fight to help her community.

A thriller aimed at the older end of the young adult age range (the plot has drugs, violence, and sexual assault), this is a complex story that combines interesting characters with a sense of history and Native traditions. There's also complicated morality at stake, especially in terms of Daunis herself helping the FBI whilst being aware of the treatment of Native people by institutions and law enforcement in America. Daunis' family relationships and mixed heritage are also a very important part of the book, and her determination to protect her family and community from further drug-related death and pain motivates her to help the FBI. At the same time, she gets closer to the undercover agent posing as a new hockey player, which draws her back into the world of hockey that she swore to keep out of.

The story is gripping, with twists and turns, though the book is quite long and at times the pace felt a bit slow for me. However, I thought the ending was well done, especially the sense of reality rather than a fairytale ending that made light of how the justice system might actually work. The book is an enlightening look at a Native community, highlighting stereotypes and how people can approach who they are in different ways, but mostly with a focus on the thriller narrative.