A review by valandthegianttbr
Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
mysterious
fast-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
4.5
wow i loved this!!!! angeline boulley blew me away with firekeeper’s daughter, so i was absolutely thrilled to get my hands on an arc of warrior girl unearthed.
while i think reading firekeeper would add depth to warrior girl (lots of easter eggs & callbacks!!), i also don’t think it’s truly necessary to enjoy this sequel. like firekeeper, i learned so so much about Ojibwe traditions but i really appreciated how grounded this felt in the present-day. warrior girl is set a decade after firekeeper in the same community, now tackling the issues of repatriation of tribal artifacts & missing & murdered indigenous women, girls, & two-spirit. it’s got the same fast pace, hairpin turns, & fiery characters you love (but often question their decisions!!)
you can really tell how much boulley has grown as an author in this sequel. her characters feel way more age-appropriate (our protagonist is 16) & there weren’t as many totally out of left-field moments. there’s definitely still a LOT of action packed into this book & it probably wrapped up a bit too neatly again, but it felt way more balanced & i was hooked every step of the way.
you can absolutely feel the urgency & emotion from the characters as they fight for their belongings (& ancestors — literal skeletons!!!!) to be returned & for their missing sisters, mothers, & daughters to be found. i definitely teared up multiple times!!! the story really highlights the injustice of our systems, especially against indigenous communities, in a way that is accessible & riveting.
this really blew me away as an engaging, educational, & emotional look into indigenous traditions & culture. i love learning from books that also are so riveting i can’t put down & warrior girl unearthed definitely fit the bill!! i seriously can’t sing its praises enough!!
while i think reading firekeeper would add depth to warrior girl (lots of easter eggs & callbacks!!), i also don’t think it’s truly necessary to enjoy this sequel. like firekeeper, i learned so so much about Ojibwe traditions but i really appreciated how grounded this felt in the present-day. warrior girl is set a decade after firekeeper in the same community, now tackling the issues of repatriation of tribal artifacts & missing & murdered indigenous women, girls, & two-spirit. it’s got the same fast pace, hairpin turns, & fiery characters you love (but often question their decisions!!)
you can really tell how much boulley has grown as an author in this sequel. her characters feel way more age-appropriate (our protagonist is 16) & there weren’t as many totally out of left-field moments. there’s definitely still a LOT of action packed into this book & it probably wrapped up a bit too neatly again, but it felt way more balanced & i was hooked every step of the way.
you can absolutely feel the urgency & emotion from the characters as they fight for their belongings (& ancestors — literal skeletons!!!!) to be returned & for their missing sisters, mothers, & daughters to be found. i definitely teared up multiple times!!! the story really highlights the injustice of our systems, especially against indigenous communities, in a way that is accessible & riveting.
this really blew me away as an engaging, educational, & emotional look into indigenous traditions & culture. i love learning from books that also are so riveting i can’t put down & warrior girl unearthed definitely fit the bill!! i seriously can’t sing its praises enough!!