Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley Review

Title: Warrior Girl Unearthed

Author: Angeline Boulley

Genre: YA Mystery/ Thriller

Publisher: Rock The Boat

Pages: 400

Release Date: 4 May 2023

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Hello fellow Booklovers! I'm back with a review for Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley. Beautifully crafted and emotionally gripping, Angeline Boulley takes us back to Sugar Island once more, as we explore life ten years on from the events of Fire Keeper’s Daughter. As we follow the POV of Daunis’ endearingly impulsive, justice seeking niece, Perry.

Synopsis

 From the New York Times bestselling author of Firekeeper’s Daughter comes a thrilling YA mystery about a Native teen who must find a way to bring an ancestor home to her tribe.

Perry Firekeeper-Birch was ready for her Summer of Slack but instead, after a fender bender that was entirely not her fault, she’s stuck working to pay back her Auntie Daunis for repairs to the Jeep.

Thankfully she has the other outcasts of the summer program, Team Misfit Toys, and even her twin sister Pauline. Together they ace obstacle courses, plan vigils for missing women in the community, and make sure summer doesn’t feel so lost after all.

But when she attends a meeting at a local university, Perry learns about the “Warrior Girl”, an ancestor whose bones and knife are stored in the museum archives, and everything changes. Perry has to return Warrior Girl to her tribe. Determined to help, she learns all she can about NAGPRA, the federal law that allows tribes to request the return of ancestral remains and sacred items. The university has been using legal loopholes to hold onto Warrior Girl and twelve other Anishinaabe ancestors’ remains, and Perry and the Misfits won’t let it go on any longer.

Using all of their skills and resources, the Misfits realize a heist is the only way to bring back the stolen artifacts and remains for good. But there is more to this repatriation than meets the eye as more women disappear and Pauline’s perfectionism takes a turn for the worse. As secrets and mysteries unfurl, Perry and the Misfits must fight to find a way to make things right – for the ancestors and for their community.

Review

Having recently finished reading Fire Keeper’s Daughter (which had me uncontrollably sobbing at times) I was soo excited dive head first into Perry’s story given we last saw her aged six. And just like her debut novel, Boulley masterfully weaves a heartfelt and thought provoking tale that explores another aspect of injustice, highlighting the real and highly relevant issues that still affect native communities today.

From the racial discrimination and indifference towards violence perpetrated against the native community, to the sheer lack of empathy for the many indigenous women and girls who go missing (or are murdered) each year— Boulley perfectly captures the bubbling rage and unrelenting despair that soo many of the characters (and real life people) have had to endure.

I loved the vibrancy and complexity of almost all of the characters we meet, and the detail into their personal lives and backstories added soo much depth — but I admit, I was particularly impressed with Perry, whose strong sense of justice, unwavering compassion and love for her family (as well as community and identity) really showcased her resilience and strength. I know I could never be as strong (or resourceful) if placed in the same situation and was utterly invested in watching her succeed.

Another firm favourite was Shense who, like Perry, very much tells it like it is. A young single mother, she’s just trying to give her daughter the best life possible and works hard to make that happen. I loved her level of commitment, both to her family and the community—not to mention her sense of humour which had me giggling on more than one occasion.

I loved getting to see some of my fave characters (such as Daunis) from Fire Keeper’s Daughther return, and definitely helped to bring this nuanced and incredibly descriptive world to life.

Overall, an incredibly engaging and informative read that words really cannot do justice—not to mention how perfectly it showcases the love Boulley has for her community heritage.

It is quite emotional at times (I do suggest checking TWs before reading), but I guarantee that this is one novel that you won’t want to put down.

Also, a huge thank you to Rock The Boat/ One World Publications for the amazing physical copy.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

About The Author 

Angeline Boulley, an enrolled member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, is a storyteller who writes about her Ojibwe community in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. She is a former Director of the Office of Indian Education at the U.S. Department of Education.

Angeline lives in southwest Michigan, but her home will always be on Sugar Island. Firekeeper's Daughter is her debut novel, and was an instant #1 NYT Bestseller, and has since been optioned for a Netflix series by the Obamas' Higher Ground production company.

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