Firekeeper's Daughter

Love. Love. Love.

All I can say is, you better be prepared to read this in one sitting, because you’re not gonna want to put it down.

September Book Club pick, but finished before September 🤭 If there is one book that I will recommend forever, it’s going to be this one. Truly a masterpiece. It is characterized as a YA/teen book, but truthfully, it has so much more depth and integrity than what I would consider a stereotypical “teen” book. I always love a Michigan read because I feel so much connection to the story. Sault Ste Marie and its beauty were definitely captured in the setting. The author is Native American, and the story follows a Native American girl and her tribe and the customs, traditions, and problems they face. The culture was written about so well with providing the reader with context, but making it so pertinent to the story. Additionally, it was so eye-opening about the internal and external displacement that Daunis felt being half Native and half white- the feeling of not fully belonging in either place. Reading about the reservation and community was beautiful and heartbreaking. Not only was this story a remarkable depiction of Ojibwe women, but it was a CRAZY thriller! I was so enraptured in the story that I was sweating. The pace was incredible and it wrapped up in the best, most frustrating way. I also loved the hint of romance and love. The book was so fully layered in its complexities of love, culture, and crime; to be so multifaceted as a story, there was nothing lacking and I find that the most compelling.

Really good book! It’s big but I finished in Iess than a week. It’s a page turner. Plot was gold. Plot twists were platinum. Love the Objiwe language and culture woven throughout. I’m a sucker, so it wasn’t the ended I wanted—still a good ending nonetheless!

It was just okay. I loved reading about the Native American culture and learning about it through the story telling. The author also shows the trauma that occurs within the community and the oppression that Native American women still experience. Unfortunately, the book was a bit too YA for me. The relationship that develops had moments of beautifully written romance but fell flat most of the time. The male interest lacked depth and it just seemed so unrealistic that a young man in his 20s would fall for an 18 year old fresh out of high school. He also seemed a bit young to be in the FBI. Also thought having the main character be apart of the undercover operation was a bit unrealistic and forced. Why were there only two FBI agents out there? That storyline just made it much more YA feeling. I also didn't like the "not like other girls" trope that the main character had. I really did want to like this book but it was very slow. I didn't get hooked untill the end but I pushed onward because the Native American elements made it worth the read. If I had known this was YA, I probably wouldn't have picked it up.