Reviews with content warning for Rape - Firekeeper's Daughter

The Firekeeper’s Daughter immediately hooked me in and was a beautiful read from start to finish. I feel like it’s categorized as YA due to the age of the protagonist, Daunis, who has just graduated high school. But the themes that the narrative touches on are extremely mature. Daunis’ story covers a LOT - an Anishinaabe community grappling with the violent after-effects of colonization, loss of loved ones, drug abuse, missing and murdered indigenous women, and SA - but each topic is handled with deep care and complexity. I cried throughout this book both from the depth of pain that Daunis and her Ojibwe community experience, and from the depth of love and connection that the community holds in equal measure. The Firekeeper’s Daughter is fundamentally a story about love and the strength that we find within ourselves when we know that our community has our back. It reads like a love letter to Indigenous women and the cultural teachings that colonization could not erase. As a non-native person I am so grateful for all that Boulley shared about Ojibwe culture through Daunis and her elders, friends, and family. Miigwech!

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alison33445's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

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anishaaa's review against another edition

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dark informative slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This is a fantastic book and the ten years of work are evident. Though the writing wasn't for me throughout, I loved the homage to Boulleys culture and her love for her home shined throughout. This book feels important, and I can see it being a modern classic for the way it uses addiction in small (esp Indian) communities as a backdrop for a story full of heart. I can't put my finger on why the writing didn't work for me, it may just be too slow paced and overly detailed.

The slow pace almost put me off at the beginning. It's paced almost like a horror or thriller, and speeds up quickly towards the end. The slow pace places you in the community and introduces you to the characters so deeply it's like you know them.

Loved the audiobook, if only just to hear the obijiwe language spolen correctly instead of of my brain butchering it.

3.5 star experience, increased to 4 for the importance of this story being told. I'll definitely pick up the second (companion?) book.

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whiskeywoman79's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Fiction / Young Adult / Indigenous / Mystery / Romance

TW: sexual assault, rape, suicide, death of a loved one, addiction, drug use

Woah. I started this earlier this year and I was not in the right head space to finish it, I was ready now. This was a heartbreaking story but also a story of resilience.

I don't think that my thoughts and personal takeaway from the story are helpful to the conversation, please see the reviews from #ownvoices or #firstnation or other Indigenous reviewers

"There is healing medicine in those kisses."

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kittybeemartin's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This book was absolutely incredible. I'm usually a fantasy reader but I was SO invested in this story.

Overall: 5⭐️

Romance: 5💕 I will say that I think people who are not used to reading true YA might be disappointed at the end of the love story part of this book but I felt it was completely authentic. Remember that our FMC turns 19 in this book. She's just a kid.

Audio: 4🎧 the performance was incredible but the sound quality was a little rough

Spice: 1🫑

A note for sensitive readers: check your TWs! This book contains a lot of talk about substance use and a SA (more info about that in the spoiler)

There is an on page SA to the FMC. It is not graphic and easily skipable but it is definitely there and she processes her feelings afterward. There is community talk of SA and there is no legal justice for what was done to her.

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