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Firekeeper's Daughter

By Angeline Boulley

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An Instant #1 New York Times Bestseller! A Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club Pick! A Printz Medal AND Morris Award Winner!

Soon to be adapted at Netflix for TV with President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama's production company, Higher Ground.

“One of this year's most buzzed about young adult novels.” —Good Morning America

With four starred reviews, Angeline Boulley's debut novel, Firekeeper's Daughter, is a groundbreaking YA thriller about a Native teen who must root out the corruption in her community, perfect for readers of Angie Thomas and Tommy Orange.

Eighteen-year-old Daunis Fontaine has never quite fit in, both in her hometown and on the nearby Ojibwe reservation. She dreams of a fresh start at college, but when family tragedy strikes, Daunis puts her future on hold to look after her fragile mother. The only bright spot is meeting Jamie, the charming new recruit on her brother Levi’s hockey team.

Yet even as Daunis falls for Jamie, she senses the dashing hockey star is hiding something. Everything comes to light when Daunis witnesses a shocking murder, thrusting her into an FBI investigation of a lethal new drug.

Reluctantly, Daunis agrees to go undercover, drawing on her knowledge of chemistry and Ojibwe traditional medicine to track down the source. But the search for truth is more complicated than Daunis imagined, exposing secrets and old scars. At the same time, she grows concerned with an investigation that seems more focused on punishing the offenders than protecting the victims.

Now, as the deceptions—and deaths—keep growing, Daunis must learn what it means to be a strong Anishinaabe kwe (Ojibwe woman) and how far she’ll go for her community, even if it tears apart the only world she’s ever known.

Return to Sugar Island in Warrior Girl Unearthed...

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512 pages

Average rating: 8.21

843 RATINGS

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Moonie

Nov 15, 2024

10/10 stars

Love. Love. Love.

Anonymous

Sep 01, 2024

10/10 stars

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.

Ali Nurmikko

Aug 27, 2024

10/10 stars

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.

chel c.

Jul 09, 2024

9/10 stars

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!

Gina A

Apr 27, 2024

6/10 stars

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.