Bibliographic Information:
Title: FireKeeper’s Daughter
Author: Angeline Boulley
ISBN: Audiobook (N/A)
Publisher: Findaway World, LLC
Copyright Date: 2021
Format/Genre: Audiobook; Thrillers and suspense; Book club best bets; Debut title
Awards and Honors: 2021 Goodreads Choice Award, 2022 Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Young Adult Novel, 2022 Josette Frank Award, 2022 Michael L. Printz Award, 2022 William C. Morris Award, 2022 Walter Dean Myers Award
Reading Level/Interest Level: 10th grade and up (Firekeeper’s Daughter: NoveList Plus - Powered by EBSCOhost, n.d.)
Plot Summary: The main character in this book is a 19-year-old girl named Daunis, an Indigenous girl who lives on tribal land in northern Michigan. She used to be a star hockey player who hoped to go away to college to play hockey, but after an injury she focuses on science and wants to be a traditional healer after going to college. After her uncle dies of a suspected meth overdose, she gets sucked into an investigation by a cute new boy named Jamie who plays on the high school hockey team with her brother Levi. Is her brother Levi really connected to the new kind of meth that is spreading around the various tribes? And is Jamie really who he claims to be?
Author Background: This was Angeline Boulley’s first book, and it is a doozy! It won a crazy amount of awards – it is that good. She currently lives in Southwest Michigan, but she says that “my home will always be Bahweting (the place of the rapids) in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan” (About Angeline Boulley, n.d.). And since I listened to the audiobook I should mention that it was read by Isabella Star LaBlanc. Isabella is an actress and a member of the Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota tribal nation (“Isabella Star LaBlanc,” 2024).
Critical Evaluation: This book is a masterpiece! But since I listened to the audiobook I will comment more about that. Isabella Star LaBlanc’s narration of this book was masterful. The audiobook had instances of Indigenous dialog that simply would not have been the same if I had been reading it versus hearing it. Her voice inflections were perfect, and at the perfect times. This book, or audiobook I should say, kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. It is a long one – over 14 hours, so prepare to devote some time to it. But in the end you will be glad you did.
Creative Use for a Library Program: I would use this book over the summer break with the teens, as we could break the audiobook into one hour, or maybe an hour and fifteen minute segments, over the summer, as I would want them to experience the audiobook versus reading the book.
Speed-Round Book Talk: Daunis is your average everyday teenager living on the reservation in northern Michigan. She is looking forward to going away to school. One day she is introduced to Jamie, the new kid who is playing on her brother’s high school hockey team. She typically does not allow herself to date hockey players, but people keep pushing Daunis and Jamie together. Until the day comes when she discovers that Jamie is not who he claims to be, and Daunis gets sucked into trying to get to the bottom of the meth ring that has been killing Indigenous people all over the region lately.
Potential Challenge Issues and Defense Preparation: This book has foul language, violence, rape, murder, drug use and overdoses, sex, and gambling, so there is a lot here for people who want to challenge books to complain about. Fortunately, this book has stellar reviews that any librarian can arm themselves with. It has also won a ton of awards that librarians can show any challengers that tout the worthiness of this book. I think if librarians talk to challengers about what the book is really about, and not just highlight the vices that are in this book, they should be able to turn people around.
Reason for Inclusion: This book was a mandatory read for my INFO 265 class – and I can see why. It is brilliant! And the audiobook is spectacular. A recommended read for any young adult.
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