Free ALC received from Libro.fn for a review!

I knew this was going to be a great read with stellar reviews from @erins_library and @floury_words, and of course they didn’t steer us wrong! Firekeeper’s Daughter is a YA thriller with some serious bite, going deeper than your average YA book. It weaves together so many themes and issues with sensitivity and a deft hand.

Daunis is an 18-year-old biracial woman, and while that is literally the first line of the synopsis, it’s one of the parts of the book I found most compelling. Boulley shows how difficult in can be to straddle two cultures, especially since Daunis’ white maternal grandparents are so unaccepting of her Ojibwe heritage from her father’s side. But her Aunt Teddy, her father’s sister, is WONDERFUL, as is Daunis’ relationships with the tribal elders. I loved her passion and commitment to continuing on their learnings, especially around traditional medicines! Another truly fascinating part of the novel.

And then there’s the rest! Drug trafficking! FBI investigations! Hockey! (Actually that’s one part of the novel I could take or leave, true of any sport in any novel). And relationships and friendships, Boulley has truly painted a rich and complex story. I was slightly worried about one of the relationships, but it actually ended up being handled in such a mature and realistic way that is rare in YA.

I think it’s quite a lengthy novel but I listened to it (great narration by Isabella Star LaBlanc!) and it flew by! I literally listened in great big 3 hour chunks, creating new chores for myself to find out what happened next 👀 A definite hit, and more than worthy of all the love it’s receiving!