MAY 2023 - AudioFile
Isabella Star LaBlanc, a Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota narrator, accurately delivers Native intonations and rhythms while narrating a second book about an Indigenous heroine from Sugar Island, Michigan. Sixteen-year-old Perry Firekeeper-Birch is often compared unfavorably to her anxious, academically driven, compliant twin. LaBlanc portrays Perry's growth after she's forced into a summer internship. She captures Perry's development from a reticent and resentful teen to a warrior girl who is dedicated to defending her Ojibwe ancestors by repatriating their artifacts and remains. She also vows to stand up to racial prejudice, tribal politics, and the victimization of young women. Then she becomes caught up in a murder investigation, a heist, and a kidnapping. LaBlanc excels at weaving a gripping plot, Perry's snarky wisdom, and a lyrical blending of languages. S.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
★ 04/03/2023
Black and Anishinaabe high schooler Perry Firekeeper-Birch tackles issues surrounding U.S. repatriation laws as well as Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women in this page-turning companion taking place 10 years after Firekeeper’s Daughter by Anishinaabe author Boulley. After dropping off her twin sister Pauline at the Sugar Island Ojibwe Tribe’s summer internship program, where she will be working with the Tribal Council, Perry is ready to begin her summer of slacking off and fishing with Pops. But when her aunt foots the bill for car repairs, Perry is forced to get a job at the program to pay her back. She’s working at the tribal museum when she discovers that a local university has been taking advantage of legal loopholes to hold on to deceased Anishinaabe remains. Determined to return them to their rightful homes, Perry devises a ploy with the other interns, uncovering a deadly mystery involving missing Indigenous women along the way. Conversations surrounding colorism contribute to the characters’ authentic renderings, and Perry’s snarky first-person narration propels this intelligent heist narrative, culminating in a thrilling and empowering read. Ages 14–up. Agent: Faye Bender, Book Group. (May)
From the Publisher
PRAISE FOR WARRIOR GIRL UNEARTHED
An Instant New York Times bestseller!
#1 Indies Bestseller!
A 2023 Amazon Best Book of the Year So Far
An Indigo Teen Staff Pick of the Month!
An Indie Next Pick!
"A riveting, culturally focused thriller. Bouklley has become a must-read author." -NPR
SIX STARRED REVIEWS FOR WARRIOR GIRL UNEARTHED!!!
*"This novel is many things at once: a coming-of-age story of twins who are each struggling to find their places, a murder mystery, a culturally driven exploration of home and belonging, and the same thoughtful, expansive, and careful examination of what it means to be Anishinaabe as Boulley offered in the previous novel." -BCCB, starred review
*"Heightened tension, dynamic action scenes, a complicated heist and plenty of revelations [make] Warrior Girl Unearthed an edifying and deeply moving read." -BookPage, starred review
*"A compelling narrative about one teen’s attempt to undo some of the injustices her community and people have faced." -School Library Journal, starred review
*"Another powerful, suspenseful page-turner from Boulley"-The Horn Book, starred review
* "A thrilling and empowering read" -Publisher's Weekly, starred review
*"A page-turning heist grounded in a nuanced exploration of critical issues of cultural integrity." -Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"[I]ncredibly engaging...This quick follow-up to Boulley's best-selling, award-winning Firekeeper’s Daughter carries over all the same intrigue, tension, and heartbreak." -BookList
PRAISE FOR FIREKEEPER'S DAUGHTER
A PRINTZ MEDAL WINNER!
A MORRIS AWARD WINNER!
AN AMERICAN INDIAN YOUTH LITERATURE AWARD YA HONOR BOOK!
A REESE WITHERSPOON x HELLO SUNSHINE BOOK CLUB YA PICK
An Instant #1 New York Times Bestseller
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
A TIME Magazine Best YA Book of All Time Selection
Amazon's Best YA Book of 2021 So Far (June 2021)
A 2021 Kids' Indie Next List Selection
An Entertainment Weekly Most Anticipated Books of 2021 Selection
A PopSugar Best March 2021 YA Book Selection
"This is one bold, uncompromising and elegantly crafted debut." ―Courtney Summers, New York Times-bestselling author of Sadie
"Intricate and moving. Boulley takes the reader on an incredible journey with the assurance of a veteran novelist." ―Tochi Onyebuchi, award-winning author of Beasts Made of Night and Riot Baby
“A rare and mesmerizing work that blends the power of a vibrant tradition with the aches and energy of today’s America. This book will leave you breathless!” ―Francisco X. Stork, acclaimed author of Marcelo in the Real Worldand Illegal
"A crime suspense fiction [with] a lot of layers, Indigenous culture, and it's really beautifully written." ―Georgia Hardstark, co-host of My Favorite Murder podcast
"[An] absolute powerhouse of a debut." ―NPR
“Another YA novel that’s absolutely page-turning required reading for adults...Our heroine is so smart, so thoughtful, and so good.” ―Glamour
"Raw and moving. . . Boulley has crafted a nuanced and refreshing protagonist." ―Cosmopolitan
"Sure to be on one of the year's best YA novels" ―POPSUGAR
"A gorgeous insight into Anishinaabe culture and a page-turning YA thriller with a healthy dose of romance thrown in,Firekeeper’s Daughter hits all of the right notes." ―Hypable
"Immersive and enthralling, Firekeeper’s Daughter plunges the reader into a community and a landscape enriched by a profound spiritual tradition. Full of huge characters and spellbinding scenes, it gives a fascinating insight into life on and off the reservation, with Daunis as a tough and resourceful heroine through every vicissitude." ―Financial Times
"Hitting hard when it comes to issues such as citizenship, language revitalization, and the corrosive presence of drugs on Native communities, this novel will long stand in the hearts of both Native and non-Native audiences." ―Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
"Though Firekeeper’s Daughter contains gripping action sequences and gasp-inducing twists, it’s Daunis’ mission of self-discovery, which begins as a low and steady growl and grows to a fierce, proud roar, that has the most impact... Though it both shocks and thrills, in the end, what leaves you breathless is Firekeeper’s Daughter’s blazing heart." ―BookPage, Starred Review
"Boulley, herself an enrolled member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, writes from a place of love for her community and shares some key teachings from her culture, even mixing languages within the context of the story. She doesn't shy away from or sugar-coat the very real circumstances that plague reservations across the country, and she tackles these through her biracial hero who gets involved in the criminal investigation into the corruption that led to this pain. An incredible thriller, not to be missed." ―Booklist, Starred Review
School Library Journal
★ 05/01/2023
Gr 9 Up—Perry Firekeeper-Birch wrecked the Jeep and had to join her twin sister, Pauline, in a summer internship offered by their tribe to pay for repairs. The summer is harrowing, with local Indigenous women going missing, and the murders of Black people by police that have the twins concerned for their father's safety. Perry's internship begins with Cooper Turtle, curator of the Tribal Museum. Perry is less than enthused, but after visiting a local college and seeing the bones and artifacts of her ancestors stored there, she finds her passion—to bring her ancestors back to Sugar Island. Cooper helps educate her on the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). Impatient with the red tape involved with NAGPRA, Perry repatriates seeds from a college backlog collection and loses Cooper's trust. Bouncing around different tribal departments for the rest of her internship, Perry is encouraged by the sub-Chief to lead her sister and friends into a heist to repatriate a private collection. Their plan takes a dark turn, and Perry finds herself in the hands of a predator. Though a sequel to Firekeeper's Daughter, it can be read as a stand-alone. VERDICT Perry's dreams, desires, culture, traditions, and actions create a compelling narrative about one teen's attempt to undo some of the injustices her community and people have faced. Strong first buy.—Tamara Saarinen
MAY 2023 - AudioFile
Isabella Star LaBlanc, a Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota narrator, accurately delivers Native intonations and rhythms while narrating a second book about an Indigenous heroine from Sugar Island, Michigan. Sixteen-year-old Perry Firekeeper-Birch is often compared unfavorably to her anxious, academically driven, compliant twin. LaBlanc portrays Perry's growth after she's forced into a summer internship. She captures Perry's development from a reticent and resentful teen to a warrior girl who is dedicated to defending her Ojibwe ancestors by repatriating their artifacts and remains. She also vows to stand up to racial prejudice, tribal politics, and the victimization of young women. Then she becomes caught up in a murder investigation, a heist, and a kidnapping. LaBlanc excels at weaving a gripping plot, Perry's snarky wisdom, and a lyrical blending of languages. S.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2023-03-14
Ten years after the events of Firekeeper’s Daughter (2021), Boulley’s thrilling debut, readers return to Michigan’s Sugar Island in this stand-alone novel.
It’s 2014, and Perry and Pauline Firekeeper-Birch are 16 and still devoted to their Auntie Daunis. The twins are participating in the Sugar Island Ojibwe Tribe’s summer internship program: Academically driven, anxiety-prone Pauline is thrilled to be working with the Tribal Council, while impulsive, outspoken Perry, who would rather be fishing, is initially less than excited about her assignment to the tribal museum. But the girls’ shared passion for their heritage and outrage over acts of desecration by greedy individuals and institutions lead them, some fellow interns who are dealing with varied life circumstances, and even some elders to carry out a daring, dangerous plan to right a terrible wrong. First-person narrator Perry’s voice is irresistibly cheeky, wry, and self-aware, and her growth is realistic as, without losing her spark, she comes to understand why her beloved mentor believed that “doing the right thing for the right reason, with a good heart and clear intentions, matters.” Boulley, an enrolled member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, sensitively and seamlessly weaves in discussions of colorism (the girls’ father is Black and Anishinaabe), repatriation of cultural artifacts and human remains, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, and more into a story with well-developed characterization that is both compellingly readable and deeply thought-provoking.
A page-turning heist grounded in a nuanced exploration of critical issues of cultural integrity. (Thriller. 14-18)
