About the Book
-
Author:
- Angeline Boulley
- Genres:
- Boy-Girl Romance
- Contemporary
- Mystery
- Voices:
- Cis Girl
- Native / Indigenous
- Straight
Cover Story: Bold And Beautiful
BFF Charm: Yay
Talky Talk: Learned
Bonus Factors: Strong Women, Anthropology, Teaching Through Fiction
Anti-Bonus Factors: Kidnapping, Misogynists
Relationship Status: Student-Teacher
Cover Story: Bold And Beautiful
While it doesn’t have quite the same impact as the gorgeous cover of Boulley’s first book, this is still beautiful. I love the colors and the drawing of the warrior girl.
The Deal:
(If you’re wondering where this book fits in with Firekeeper’s Daughter and if you need to remember anything from that book before diving in, let me assure you that it’s easy to pick this up as a standalone. Perry Firekeeper-Birch was only about six-years-old in Daughter, and it’s now ten years later. She is the “niece” to Daunis, our former protagonist—who is now an adult and a minor but awesome character in this novel—and while plenty of former characters pop in, their roles in Perry’s lives are fully explained without needing any prior knowledge (but, PLEASE, go read that book too).)
In the summer between Perry’s sophomore and junior year, all she has planned for herself is to relax and go fishing whenever possible. But a minor car accident means she has damage to pay off, and so now she’s stuck with her over-achieving twin sister, Pauline, working as a summer intern for the Tribal Council. Coming in late to the program means she’s been paired with the reservation’s oddball-loner museum curator, Cooper Turtle.
Perry is fully prepared to hate-work every second of these next twelve weeks. But as she learns more about the museum’s goals of reappropriating Ojibwe artifacts/remains and returning them to their native soil, she embarks on a journey of self-discovery that will change the way she looks at the world for the rest of her life.
BFF Charm: Yay
If I only knew Perry from the outside, we probably wouldn’t ever interact long enough for us to become friends; she’s impulsive and kind of a loner, with an obsession for fishing that I definitely do not share. But being inside her head allowed me to learn that she’s also incredibly brave and has a strong sense of justice, and she feels quite deeply. I loved watching her take an interest in more than her own little bubble and begin to really understand the weight of her people’s history.
Swoonworthy Scale: 3
Perry’s eye is caught by one of her fellow interns, and their romance is sweet, although not the main point of the novel. Boulley takes a more “realistic” approach to teen romances than many YA novels, and I appreciated that the hurdles and issues that cropped up were realistic and resolved in authentic ways.
Talky Talk: Learned
Boulley’s debut novel was a slow grower for me, but by its end I was so immersed in her characters and setting I didn’t want it to end. I was so excited to hear we had another novel coming so quickly, and she didn’t disappoint. Warrior Girl Unearthed is a bit more tightly plotted, which is a good thing, but it still gave the characters and the knowledge it was trying to impart lots of room to breathe outside of the main plot. I don’t think the pacing / style are necessarily going to appeal to everyone, but it would be a shame not to give the story a chance because the love Boulley has for the subject matter and her characters just shines through every page. And, thankfully, her writing chops are equally as wonderful!
Bonus Factor: Strong Women
I loved this about Firekeeper’s Daughter, and Boulley didn’t let me down in this book either. There are beautiful, strong, and empathetic souls littered all over this novel, and it’s hard to pick a favorite. That court scene may have brought a few tears to my eyes.
Bonus Factor: Anthropology
Kind of a bonus and anti-bonus factor, depending on the kind of anthropology we’re talking about. Cooper tasks Perry to learn about NAGPRA, a law that allows tribes to petition museums to return stolen artifacts and remains. In doing so, she also begins to understand just how shitty people and museums can be as they twist themselves into knots to avoid giving any of their collections back. If you’ve never contemplated the ethical and moral quandaries regarding museums and anthropological practices before, you certainly will now.
Bonus Factor: Teaching Through Fiction
I’m sure Boulley’s priority is to write a great and entertaining novel, but a no-less important, secondary goal is to teach her readers about indigenous culture, past and present, and the successes and issues that concern modern tribes and reservations. I know sometimes that can come off almost “preachy”, and will likely turn off some readers, but if you like learning new things about cultures you don’t know enough about, then fiction is great way to capture minds and sow the empathy that—let’s be real—should already be there but is often absent.
Anti-Bonus Factor: Kidnapping
Aside from the Tribal Council and museum plotlines, there’s also an underlying issue that has the community concerned: local indigenous women are going missing.
Anti-Bonus Factor: Misogynists
There are some wonderful depictions of gentle, loving, and admirable men in this novel. And, unfortunately, plenty of shit-birds too.
Relationship Status: Student-Teacher
We spent a short time together, Book, but you taught me so much, and did so in a way that didn’t feel like I was “learning” in that boring “classroom” sense. I admire the care you give your subject matter, and that you’ve opened my eyes to things I should have already learned. Miigwech.
Literary Matchmaking
Obviously I’m going to point you towards Angeline Boulley’s debut, Firekeeper’s Daughter, if you haven’t read that yet.
Stolen by Lucy Christopher isn’t an easy read, but sometimes you’re looking for something intense and dangerous.
Lizz Huerta’s The Lost Dreamer also features strong female characters and complicated history.
FTC Full Disclosure: I received my free review copy from Henry Holt and Co. I received neither money nor peanut butter cups in exchange for this review. Warrior Girl Unearthed is available now.
