What readers think of Firekeeper's Daughter, plus links to write your own review.

A very nice book.

FIREKEEPER'S DAUGHTER is billed as a young adult novel. I'm an adult and YA novels usually bore me. But FIREKEEPER'S DAUGHTER didn't. As a matter of fact, it kept me reading late into the night. What a pleasant surprise!

Told in first person by the main character, Daunis, this book is the story of an 18-year-old girl who is half white and half Native American. After her best friend is killed by an ex-boyfriend high on meth, Daunis becomes a confidential informant for the FBI, trying to help solve the drug problem that is hurting her community and friends. FIREKEEPER'S DAUGHTER is a nail–biting mystery/thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat as Daunis becomes dangerously involved in drug operations both inside and outside her tribe.

I read a borrowed copy of this book. Now I plan to buy it so I can attend an author event and have Angeline Boulley sign it.

18-year-old American bi-racial Daunis Fontaine has an Ojibwe father who is deceased and a white mother. She believes that she doesn't belong with either the Sugar Island Ojibwe Tribe or her white peers because of her mixed ancestry. As an unenrolled tribal member, she cherishes her tribal background and adheres to its traditions. When Daunis sees a shooting, the agent, Jamie, is able to get her out of the area before the police show up and ask for her assistance in their investigation, which is far larger than she could have ever anticipated. I found Firekeeper's Daughter to be a genuine mixed bag. I liked reading about the Ojibwe way of life, including their practices, beliefs, and environment. Daunis came across as someone who wanted to be treated fairly and with respect, but she was quick to criticize other people and make assumptions about them without actually knowing them, so I found it difficult to like her. I put the book aside for a time and gave it another go a few weeks later because the plot started out slowly and I did question if I would be able to finish it. After the shooting, the pace goes up tenfold as the thriller/mystery portion of the book begins, and this is where my attention rested. Within the primary plot, there are so many intricately linked subplots. They were all beautifully related to one another and important to the plot. Being a witness to some of the drug trafficking, sexual assaults, drug use, and killings that happened, particularly to the indigenous women, was heartbreaking at times. Along with exposing you to these horrors, the book also provided you with information about the struggles faced by indigenous groups and the extent to which their cultural legacy has been and is still being destroyed. I see that a Netflix series based on the book is on the way. This could work because it's simple to picture what happens in each scene as you read. I just hope that, unlike some adaptations, they do the book justice.

"Firekeeper's Daughter" by Angeline Boulley tells the story of meth processing in the Native American community. They have a strong sense of values and history and tell their children to think seven generations ahead when making decisions.

They list the novel as "young adult," but it pushes the limits of the genre. The nineteen-year-old protagonist has intercourse and a few pothead friends. Unfortunately, she also survives a vicious sexual assault so list your trigger warnings accordingly.

Because drugs lead to murder, one questions the usual assertion that the bad guys qualify as non-violent criminals. Daunis, our hero, goes undercover when the deaths hit too close to home.
When we question the identity of the criminals, the number of characters seems just right. We know the shady ones from the wise ones. Like any thriller, you question what the young girl does to put herself in danger but feel for her simultaneously.

Boulley has an M.P.A. and worked as Director of the Office of Indian Education. Amidst some whodunit, cliches is a world of culture that will inform the best-read of history buffs. I am happy that I read this.