talonsontypewriters's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
Sometimes when I read a book I have a super unpopular opinion on, I have to wonder if either I or everyone else got a bugged copy of some kind (or if I'm just that much of a hater). Because no matter how hard I try, I just really, genuinely cannot understand the average/majority rating of this book?
The writing ranges from dry to pointedly (in other words, unnaturally) quotable, and the dialogue is somehow even more stilted and unrealistically grammatically flawless than the narration. A few spoken lines toward the end literally go on uninterrupted and with no stuttering or backtracking for 100+ words; virtually no one, let alone who's suffered recent repeated physical trauma, is that eloquent. Information is revealed in stilted blocks and repeated ten times over. I don't think any teenager -- or person at all -- in the history of cell phones has ever texted like the teenagers in this book are written as doing.
In terms of substance, there's a lot left to be desired as well. All of the individual narrative threads -- or at least most of them -- would make interesting stories, but here they're all kind of crammed into one unbalanced mess. Is the central plot supposed to be Daunis's complex relationship with her family members and community? Her desire to pursue a career in medicine/science and unite traditional and more modern "scientific" practices? Her recovering from and learning about the factors leading up to her best friend's sudden, tragic death? Her role as an undercover informant in an FBI investigation involving meth and her community (as much suspension of disbelief as that requires)? Her and Jamie's relationship? A general critical overview of the treatment of Indigenous women in American and Canadian society? It's never really decided, and so we jump awkwardly from one to the other without more natural transitions or better multitasking, leading to really overall odd pacing.
The general emotional pacing never quite hits either. A significant medical detail about the protagonist is made explicit for the first time 70% in and never serves any real relevance (and is outright contradicted or ignored at other times). Major traumatic events like the murder of Daunis's best friend and are brushed off like minor hindrances -- there's no "right" way to react to trauma, but it feels so strange for the plot to just trudge on with no in-depth reflection, as though these things (particularly the latter) have been carelessly thrown in just to add to Daunis's hardships.
The characters -- including, perhaps especially Daunis -- lack depth, whittled down to one trait (not even one that is shown, but told... multiple times). The supporting cast especially kind of blends together as a result of that weird pacing and unrealistic, stilted dialogue. I couldn't get a real sense of any of their motivations, so the culprit reveal and relationships all feel more than lackluster. In that regard, the romance is particularly egregious, even putting aside the core issues with.
Overall, quite disappointing execution of multiple interesting premises, and I remain bewildered by the overwhelmingly positive response. Perhaps it was a great book for many others, but nothing about it ended up clicking or sitting well with me.
(Also, urine, even your own, is not actually sterile! Please do not use it as a substitute for hydrogen peroxide. I know this is set in 2004 -- as little as there is to solidly ground it there -- and a lot of people believe that myth even today, but it just feels... irresponsible to include in a book like this, especially framed as an objective valuable fact.)
The writing ranges from dry to pointedly (in other words, unnaturally) quotable, and the dialogue is somehow even more stilted and unrealistically grammatically flawless than the narration. A few spoken lines toward the end literally go on uninterrupted and with no stuttering or backtracking for 100+ words; virtually no one, let alone who's suffered recent repeated physical trauma, is that eloquent. Information is revealed in stilted blocks and repeated ten times over. I don't think any teenager -- or person at all -- in the history of cell phones has ever texted like the teenagers in this book are written as doing.
In terms of substance, there's a lot left to be desired as well. All of the individual narrative threads -- or at least most of them -- would make interesting stories, but here they're all kind of crammed into one unbalanced mess. Is the central plot supposed to be Daunis's complex relationship with her family members and community? Her desire to pursue a career in medicine/science and unite traditional and more modern "scientific" practices? Her recovering from and learning about the factors leading up to her best friend's sudden, tragic death? Her role as an undercover informant in an FBI investigation involving meth and her community (as much suspension of disbelief as that requires)? Her and Jamie's relationship? A general critical overview of the treatment of Indigenous women in American and Canadian society? It's never really decided, and so we jump awkwardly from one to the other without more natural transitions or better multitasking, leading to really overall odd pacing.
The general emotional pacing never quite hits either. A significant medical detail about the protagonist is made explicit for the first time 70% in and never serves any real relevance (and is outright contradicted or ignored at other times). Major traumatic events like the murder of Daunis's best friend and
Spoiler
her being raped by a friend's fatherThe characters -- including, perhaps especially Daunis -- lack depth, whittled down to one trait (not even one that is shown, but told... multiple times). The supporting cast especially kind of blends together as a result of that weird pacing and unrealistic, stilted dialogue. I couldn't get a real sense of any of their motivations, so the culprit reveal and relationships all feel more than lackluster. In that regard, the romance is particularly egregious, even putting aside the core issues with
Spoiler
a relationship between a 22-year-old government agent (as much questionable as that is in and of itself) and an 18-year-old college student he's directly supervising in an investigationOverall, quite disappointing execution of multiple interesting premises, and I remain bewildered by the overwhelmingly positive response. Perhaps it was a great book for many others, but nothing about it ended up clicking or sitting well with me.
(Also, urine, even your own, is not actually sterile! Please do not use it as a substitute for hydrogen peroxide. I know this is set in 2004 -- as little as there is to solidly ground it there -- and a lot of people believe that myth even today, but it just feels... irresponsible to include in a book like this, especially framed as an objective valuable fact.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Sexism, Violence, Addiction, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, and Racism
Moderate: Death of parent, Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Grief, Medical content, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Infidelity, Fatphobia, Alcohol, Sexual content, Alcoholism, Cultural appropriation, Forced institutionalization, Homophobia, Car accident, and Child abuse
skylover's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Drug abuse, Racial slurs, and Grief
Moderate: Sexual assault, Suicide, and Violence
captaincocanutty's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I enjoyed this read, it is a pretty engaging book, with characters who are fleshed out and actively drive the plot.
Pros: I felt engaged with the main characters and the setting, the plot felt real and urgent, and giving the main character issues beyond the main plot made her feel more grounded and like an actual person. The writing and relationships demonstrate how people who aren't with us anymore, either in this world or the next still affect who we are in the present, how we think and the decisions we make.
Cons: There is almost too much going on, I think a few subplots could've been removed for the sake of keeping track of everyone. A few times a character would be reintroduced and I would have to rack my brain to remember why they were relevant. The push/pull between Daunis and Jamie felt kind of repetitive and I would've skimmed it down for the sake of cohesion. I also was able to guess almost half of the people involved in the meth operation in the first half of the book, which I don't like being able to do.
In the end, I would recommend this to someone who enjoys mystery/thriller type of books.
Pros: I felt engaged with the main characters and the setting, the plot felt real and urgent, and giving the main character issues beyond the main plot made her feel more grounded and like an actual person. The writing and relationships demonstrate how people who aren't with us anymore, either in this world or the next still affect who we are in the present, how we think and the decisions we make.
Cons: There is almost too much going on, I think a few subplots could've been removed for the sake of keeping track of everyone. A few times a character would be reintroduced and I would have to rack my brain to remember why they were relevant. The push/pull between Daunis and Jamie felt kind of repetitive and I would've skimmed it down for the sake of cohesion. I also was able to guess almost half of the people involved in the meth operation in the first half of the book, which I don't like being able to do.
In the end, I would recommend this to someone who enjoys mystery/thriller type of books.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Murder, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Drug use, Colonisation, Drug abuse, Violence, Death, Suicide, Addiction, Racism, Car accident, and Gun violence
gellyreads's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Drug use, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Rape, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault
miniingrid's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Car accident, Colonisation, Infidelity, Addiction, Violence, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Alcohol, Grief, Medical content, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Kidnapping, Toxic relationship, Rape, Racism, and Suicide
Minor: Torture and Slavery
taylorpg's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
The Firekeeper’s Daughter is a beautiful story, exemplifying the importance of Indigenous authors and stories in the world of literature and publishing. This book has perfectly balanced the difficulty of shedding light on important issues while simultaneously writing a story that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats for its entirety.
Our main character Daunis Fontaine is an Anishinaabe kwe (Ojibwe woman) looking forward to starting school at the local community college with her best friend, when one day everything changes. After the deaths of multiple people in her life, Daunis is contracted by the FBI as a secret informant to help stop the meth problem reeking havoc on her community, however, along the way she will uncover secrets she never wanted to learn and face the harsh reality about the people she holds dear in her community.
Our main character Daunis Fontaine is an Anishinaabe kwe (Ojibwe woman) looking forward to starting school at the local community college with her best friend, when one day everything changes. After the deaths of multiple people in her life, Daunis is contracted by the FBI as a secret informant to help stop the meth problem reeking havoc on her community, however, along the way she will uncover secrets she never wanted to learn and face the harsh reality about the people she holds dear in her community.
Angeline Boulley has seamlessly incorporated issues indigenous communities face everyday such as violence against women, complicated tribal and U.S. government relations, generational trauma, etc., while ultimately highlighting and focusing on Daunis’ core values of community, language, indigenous heritage, etc. Boulley frames these issues in such a way that they are not the focus of the story but merely factors that affect the character’s lives. The Firekeeper’s Daughter is a book where you can truly see the authors passion and commitment on every page, in every word. I highly recommend the audiobook production with narrator Isabella Star Leblanc. The story was beautifully told and the narration helped me better understand the Ojibwe words that I could not pronounce. Leblanc helped bring the story to life in ways that I personally could never do.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, and Violence
Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault
Minor: Drug abuse and Racism
wifistrokes's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
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? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Trafficking, Xenophobia, Murder, Stalking, Suicide, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Toxic friendship, Violence, Racial slurs, and Sexual assault
smemmott's review against another edition
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Murder, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Rape, and Violence
bookish_den's review against another edition
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
❤️🔥 What I liked:
•Daunis character felt very real, I can see her existing out there with how complex she was written.
•How craftily the different plots intertwined: the mystery, the romance, the community, Angeline builds them step by step so you don’t notice how much of them is driving the story and its hard to compartmentalize and define what was at its core, I dare to say the community was.
•The use of the language was so interesting, so intentional, I loved how much authenticity it added to the story.
•The audiobook was absolutely fantastic! Isabella Star LaBlanc did an outstanding job in it.
•Probably one of the most gorgeous covers ive ever seen
❤️🩹 What I wasn’t a fan of:
•Daunis character if real, felt very “not like other girls” to a point it got annoying
•Im mad at the ending, it was very open and I understood why, but im still mad at the characters for the choices they made and the ones that were made for them. I know there is a sequel set years after, im just blaming this one on me and my own ingenuity, life is imperfect and unjust, I just hated to be reminded of it. On a more objective analysis I truly feel it left many loose ends that could have been explained.
•I honestly think we could have done it without the romance subplot cause it ended up being unsatisfying and I hate that it is the main thing im left thinking of after so much more important plots happened 😩
•Some very heavy topics were handled almost casually and the grief could have been more explored, in the same way some other topics could have been cut back a bit, at times it felt dense.
🎁 Wrapping things up:
This book wrecked me, it struggled to pull me in for a long time but the emotional gut punch it packs in the last 150 pages left me breathless.
The emotional attachment I had to the characters sneaked up on me, I didn’t really felt it until an awful concoction of sadness, impotence, dissatisfaction and disappointment had me ugly crying by the end, I was listening to the audiobook and had to stop and switch to the ebook for the last chapters cause it was too raw to hear her voice for what was left.
Full of cultural richness, from beliefs to traditions and the inner workings of the community, it manages to immerse you into the native american culture as a whole and the Anishinaabe culture in particular
In my opinion a masterpiece of a book I’ll be thinking about and probably still mad at for a long time.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Death, Drug use, and Rape
Minor: Kidnapping, Car accident, Death of parent, Gun violence, Medical content, and Grief
purplepenning's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Gun violence, Murder, and Suicide
Moderate: Vomit, Abandonment, Alcohol, Confinement, Cultural appropriation, Death, Car accident, Colonisation, Medical content, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Violence, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail