Tsundoku reviewed Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley
Debut author Angeline Boulley crafts a groundbreaking YA thriller about a Native teen who must …
White Person reviewing an Indigenous YA / NA book
5 stars
Content warning CW: Gun violence, death drugs, sexual assault, racism, slurs, and microaggressions; minor homophobia;' spoilers for the entire book
I don't normally read thrillers, but my buddy @magicalmilly@elekk.xyz recommended it to me because the author is also Ojibwe (A cousin, I believe?).
It references the directions in which journeys go for Boulley's nation. So basically there's 4 parts. Does that make it not a 3-act structure? Is it the 3-act structure with the directions / divisions forced upon it? I don't think so. Admittedly I read the last 50% in one day, but it felt like while it possibly wasn't 3-act structure, I also didn't feel like the book was dragging by not conforming if that makes sense?
If it's not clear what I mean, if you consume a lot of western media, you get used to things happening at the 20 to 25% point, 50% point, 75% point, etc. There's a little more to it than that, but usually you go "that's dragging" if nothing has happened when you expect it to.
I did not have that happen. but once again, I did not like, take a pen to this to tear it apart, I read it for pleasure, and also I had to return the book because other people want to read it.
What I really liked, is how with your YA expectations you are expecting the relationship to work out. (The relationship is between a 18-19 year old college student and a 22-year-old undercover FBI agent). The relationship does not work out (though they part amicably), and it's very clear what the flaws in the relationship are, basically that the FBI guy has no sense of identity, so he also really sucks at being an undercover FBI agent because he gets too close to people he's working with.
Unless I read it wrong, Daunis does not get justice for the sexual assault or much of anything that happened to her, because of how violence against women on Tribal land works (The afterword gives some really depressing statistics) I highly recommend reading the afterword.
The Sexual Assault is handled extremely tastefully, and it doesn't go into really much of any detail, but it's central to the plot so you will keep being reminded of it.
I will probably try out the show when it comes out on Netflix, if only to show support, but I am garbage at watching shows, so I have no idea if I will watch the whole thing. This is being made in part thanks to the Obamas, so Hey, thanks, Obama!