Firekeeper's Daughter

The Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley is YA mystery based in the Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) community. For a book that is being marketed as a "thriller," I really had to force myself through the middle of the book, so I think "mystery" is a better fit. When reading a book by a minority group like Native Americans, I think it's so important to distinguish between the book's merits as an #own voices read with a PoC protagonist and the book's merits on its own terms. I 100% support having more books with Native American protagonists. The Firekeeper's Daughter is a step in the right direction, and I wish more books were out there like it. Unfortunately, I just didn't enjoy the book. The Firekeeper's Daughter revolves around Daunis, a half-Native young woman who starts to investigate the community she grew up in after a series of deaths. Here is an informative quote from Chapter Two that describes the main character and her best friend: "We are descendants - rather than enrolled members - of the Sugar Island Ojibwe Tribe. My father isn't listed on my birth certificate, and Lily doesn't meet the minimum blood-quantum requirement for enrollment. We still regard the Tribe as ours, even though our faces are pressed against the glass, looking in from outside." Here is a quote from Daunis's point of view from Chapter Four about her mixed heritage: "Yet even with such deep roots, I don't always feel like I belong. Each time my Fontaine grandparents or their friends have seen my Ojibwe side as a flaw or a burden to overcome. And the less frequent but more heartbreaking instances when my Firekeeper family sees me as a Fontaine first and one of them second." When I was reading the opening chapters, I was reminded of Veronica Mars, one of my favorite TV shows. The idea of a Native American girl detective is amazing, and I was really looking forward to reading this book. I just wish the book had been executed better. The first problem I had was that there was too much exposition in the opening chapters. I understand that we're being introduced to a new world and that many outsiders don't know about life in the Anishinaabe community, but some information should be reserved for footnotes. Daunis explains way too much, and it makes her sound like a know-it-all. The second problem I had was that the prospective love interest Jamie was way too perfect. He always listens to her, always tries to understand her, and never gets angry - not even when she insults his background, not even when she punches him? It reads more like fantasy wish-fulfillment than reality. Lastly, the climax/end of the book is completely unbelievable, and not in a good way. Overall, The Firekeeper's Daughter is a fun YA mystery that should be lauded for being an #ownvoices read and introducing many of us to the realities of Native Americans living today. Although I didn't enjoy it personally, I'm sure that many readers will appreciate the book for what it is on its own terms. CW: Drug use, murder, suicide, sexual assault

I received a free electronic ARC copy of this excellent young adult novel featuring high schoolers of the Ojibwe tribe of First Americans in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. This book features a lot of ice hockey and teenage angst but is an excellent look at life in small Michigan towns and the influence of weather on the lifestyle of the community. There is a wide net of family support not often seen in large American cities, and a sense of comradery similar to that experienced in the western towns I am familiar with. But of course, down here we have football... I enjoyed this dip into winter - and have stopped whining about our low of 23 degrees one-night last week - and thoroughly enjoyed a look into the lives of these families. It was good to see examples of support and compassion expressed well during this pandemic that has us all isolated and feeling our own angst against the world. And it is soon to be adapted at Netflix for TV with President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama's production company, Higher Ground! How exciting!

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. 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.