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book review || Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley
video review ||
5 by 5: YA Mysteries || 5 YA Mystery Reviews
Right out of the gate, I want to say that this starts v slow-paced. Probably the first 100 pages are very focused on establishing Daunis’ identity, her relationships with those in the town, and the setting. We focus on who Daunis is within the community and some of the tragedies she’s already experienced in her young life before we step into the mystery. However, she’s very in tune with her Ojibwe roots, practicing her religion and upholding many traditions.
I really enjoyed the writing, particularly Daunis’ thoughts, I love watching how her brain works. She loves science and is constantly making connections between what she knows to things being discussed or taking place. She’s also still well characterized as a College Freshman, being a bit immature, holding onto certain aspects of her youth, while tackling very adult issues. That being said, she’s not like other girls, being very athletic and academic-focused. She tends to hate on most other girl characters who are her age, and I’m not a fan of that.
I really enjoy how the story unfolded to teach about the Ojibwe way of life in the tribe - talking about the culture, the politics, the struggles, and the beauty in it. There’s a fair amount of the Ojibwa language utilized in the story as well, sometimes being translated to English, other times giving you context clues to follow.
