A review by circleofreadersdruid
Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley

5.0

Firekeeper’s Daughter surpassed my expectations. 

Wing your way back to the year 2004 and meet Daunis, college freshman, hockey star, and science whiz. The author, Angeline Boulley, says she always wanted to write this story of an Indigenous Nancy Drew, and y’all, it’s so heart-wrenchingly beautiful. I ignored chores and glued myself to the couch to immerse myself in this YA thriller. It’s set on Ojibwe land in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where locals are battling the ravaging effects of the meth epidemic. The writing was exceptional: lyrical, thought-provoking, and compelling. I didn’t guess the whodunnits at all and the main character, Daunis, was incredible. Some people object to depictions of drugs, sex, and violence in a book aimed at teens, but Fireman’s Daughter’s heroine models how we should want our future leaders to behave.  I admired her strong sense of self, her love for her family and community, and her willingness to learn and grow as a person. I found her maturity both refreshing and realistic. I can’t wait to get my hands on the second book, Warrior Girl Unearthed, set 15 years later and told from the perspective of Daunis’s little cousin.

The cover art is gorgeous and features Moses Lunham and Rich Deas.