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Review: Warrior Girl, Unearthed by Angeline Boulley

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Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley

Warrior Girl, Unearthed
Angeline Boulley
Henry Holt & Co.
Published May 2, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Warrior Girl, Unearthed

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.

My Review

I’ll admit I didn’t really know much about this book when I asked to review it. Mostly, I knew the author’s name, because her debut, FIREKEEPER’S DAUGHTER was all anyone was talking about for a while when it came out in 2021. So I wanted to read it on the strength of that praise.

And… all I can say is that no one who was blown away by Angeline Boulley’s writing exaggerated. I mean, wow.

The story has a lot of moving parts. Perry and her sister are doing this summer internship (Perry only under duress). Girls keep going missing from their community. Perry begins learning about laws and processes governing the way that ancestral remains are identified and (ideally) returned to tribes and decides she must help return the remains of a woman knows as Warrior Girl. There’s the possibility of romance for Perry with one of the other interns.

So there’s a lot going on. The beginning builds a little bit slowly. I remember not being sure what the story was going to really be about. It took some time for me to feel like I got oriented within the story.

Once I did, though, the story took off. Roadblocks, and setbacks, and raised stakes, and twists kept coming one after another. And every single one seemed to pull the story more into focus.

All those pieces came together to show a more complete picture, and all of it illustrated a powerful theme about the value of life and the need to honor community and ancestry.

Conclusion

I loved this book. I’ve already got a copy of FIREKEEPER’S DAUGHTER, and I am really excited to read it. Some of the minor characters in this book are in FIREKEEPER’S DAUGHTER, so I’m curious what blanks reading that one will fill in. I hope there are more stories about Sugar Island and Perry’s family in the works, because I will definitely read them.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Perry and most other characters are Ojibwe citizens. Perry’s grandmother was Black.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used pretty infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. Perry wonders who her sister and her aunt are having sex with. A person Perry is close to reveals that she was raped by a man Perry knows by name.

Spiritual Content
References to Ojibwe tribal ceremonies, histories, and traditions.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Girls in the community have been going missing. One girl’s body is found. Someone discovers a murdered man’s body. Another girl appears to have died from a fatal injury. A boy and a man both suffer head injuries. A girl describes how she was tied up and escaped.

Drug Content
Perry’s twin sister eats gummies with marijuana in them to manage her anxiety. References to adults drinking alcohol.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of WARRIOR GIRL, UNEARTHED in exchange for my honest review.

Review: The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

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The Poet X
Elizabeth Acevedo
HarperTeen
Published March 6, 2018

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Poet X

Fans of Jacqueline Woodson, Meg Medina, and Jason Reynolds will fall hard for this astonishing New York Times-bestselling novel-in-verse by an award-winning slam poet, about an Afro-Latina heroine who tells her story with blazing words and powerful truth.

Xiomara Batista feels unheard and unable to hide in her Harlem neighborhood. Ever since her body grew into curves, she has learned to let her fists and her fierceness do the talking.

But Xiomara has plenty she wants to say, and she pours all her frustration and passion onto the pages of a leather notebook, reciting the words to herself like prayers—especially after she catches feelings for a boy in her bio class named Aman, who her family can never know about.

With Mami’s determination to force her daughter to obey the laws of the church, Xiomara understands that her thoughts are best kept to herself. So when she is invited to join her school’s slam poetry club, she doesn’t know how she could ever attend without her mami finding out. But she still can’t stop thinking about performing her poems.

Because in the face of a world that may not want to hear her, Xiomara refuses to be silent.

My Review

I’ve had a copy of this book for years, and somehow I hadn’t managed to read it before. When my youngest was little, I read WITH THE FIRE ON HIGH by Elizabeth Acevedo, and I loved the depth and descriptions in the book. Since then, I’ve been a huge fan of this author. So. Finally I read her award-winning, debut novel in verse.

And I loved it.

Which I suppose should not be a surprise.

As mentioned, it’s a novel in verse. Even though the lines are spare, the story is so rich with its descriptions, characters, and emotions. The relationship between Xiomara and her mom. Her brother. The priest. Her best friend, and a boy at school. They’re all so well-developed and described.

I also loved the way the story explored her feelings about her faith. It’s complicated. But Xio doesn’t really feel understood by or interested in church and the things the priest teaches in her confirmation class. Her mom has really specific expectations and beliefs about church and faith. Her brother has other beliefs and values as a devout person of faith. I liked that the story showed a spectrum of belief and experience without making the book really about those things.

Really, this is a story about a girl finding her voice. Believing in her value. Learning about love– how to love herself, how to love someone else, and how to receive love from others, too. It’s about the power of words.

So. Yeah. I feel like in a lot of ways, I’m still in awe of the story. I have a hard copy, but I also borrowed the audiobook (which is read by the author) from the library. As I read, I went back and forth between those two versions, and I really enjoyed both. I definitely recommend this book.

Content Notes on Poet X

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Xiomara is Dominican American.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. Brief description of masturbation. Xio sees two boys walking together and realizes they are a couple.

Spiritual Content
Xio’s mom is very religious and focused on Xiomara’s confirmation and piety. Xiomara attends confirmation classes but has so many questions about her faith and why they aren’t learning stories about girls like her. Her priest says it’s important to let her take time to find the answers to those questions.

Xio describes her brother as being very devout.

Violent Content
Xiomara has a reputation as a fighter. She will beat up anyone who picks on her twin brother or use her fists to defend herself.

Drug Content
References to smoking pot. In one scene, she drinks a beer with a boy.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog.

Review: Mirror to Mirror by Rajani LaRocca

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Mirror to Mirror
Ranaji LaRocca
HarperCollins
Published March 21, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Mirror to Mirror

In Rajani LaRocca’s breathtaking follow-up to the Newbery Honor– and Walter Award–winning Red, White, and Whole, identical twin sisters with a complicated relationship do everything together—until one day, they break apart.

Maya is the pragmatic twin. But when her sister threatens to reveal her secret anxiety to their parents, she feels completely betrayed.

Chaya is the outgoing twin. With Maya shutting her out, she decides to make a drastic change to give her twin the space she seems to need.

The once-close sisters can’t seem to find their rhythm, but they know that something has to give. So they make a bet: they’ll switch places at summer camp, and whoever can keep the ruse going longer will get to decide where they both attend high school—the source of frequent arguments. But stepping into each other’s shoes isn’t as easy as it sounds. Will the twins’ relationship recover?

My Review

I didn’t realize this book was a novel in verse until I began reading it. From the first pages, I was drawn in to Chaya and Maya’s lives. I got them mixed up early on because they both say similarly complementary things about each other, but as the story went on and I got to know them better, it became a lot easier to keep track of which was which, so that by the end, when they switched places, I followed those scenes with no confusion at all.

I love sister books, and I don’t often get a chance to read books about twin sisters, so I was super excited to read this one. I loved the way the sisters know each other better than anyone, but even then, they’re not immune from doubts or unable to keep secrets. I also liked some of the things their parents said to them. Their parents are obviously not perfect, and they have a rocky relationship. But they still see and notice Maya and Chaya, more than the girls even realize at first. So I really appreciated the dynamics in their family.

All in all, I think this is a great novel in verse and a wonderful story of the bond between sisters.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Maya and Chaya are identical twins and Indian American.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Mentions of celebrating Gokulashtami, Lord Krishna’s birthday.

Violent Content
Self-harm: Maya battles anxiety and begins scratching C’s into her hand using her nails in response to her anxiety.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of MIRROR TO MIRROR in exchange for my honest review.

Review: The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera

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The First to Die at the End
Adam Silvera
HarperCollins
Published October 4, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The First to Die at the End

In this prequel to #1 New York Times bestselling phenomenon THEY BOTH DIE AT THE END, two new strangers spend a life-changing day together after Death-Cast first makes their fateful calls.

It’s the night before Death-Cast goes live, and there’s one question on everyone’s mind: Can Death-Cast actually predict when someone will die, or is it just an elaborate hoax?

Orion Pagan has waited years for someone to tell him that he’s going to die. He has a serious heart condition, and he signed up for Death-Cast so he could know what’s coming.

Valentino Prince is restarting his life in New York. He has a long and promising future ahead and he only registered for Death-Cast after his twin sister nearly died in a car accident.

Orion and Valentino cross paths in Times Square and immediately feel a deep connection. But when the first round of End Day calls goes out, their lives are changed forever—one of them receives a call, and the other doesn’t. Though neither boy is certain how the day will end, they know they want to spend it together…even if that means their goodbye will be heartbreaking.

Told with acclaimed author Adam Silvera’s signature bittersweet touch, this story celebrates the lasting impact that people have on each other and proves that life is always worth living to the fullest.

My Review

As soon as I heard about THE FIRST TO DIE AT THE END, I knew I had to read it. My daughter and I STILL talk about THEY BOTH DIE AT THE END, so I couldn’t wait to tell her about the prequel.

When I started thinking about the idea of a prequel to Rufus and Mateo’s story, I couldn’t figure out how that would work. Like, how do you elevate a story that happens first? We had all these iconic moments with Rufus and Mateo and all these interesting intersections of characters because of the Death-Cast system. How would a story breathe new life into those things so they’re not repetitive?

Well. Let me say that one of the things I think this book does the best is to breathe fresh life into the idea of a Death-Cast world, and to create new twists and connections. It broke my heart all over again, and I loved every minute of it.

Two tiny notes: I’m not usually a fan of stories with lots of points of view. It gets easy to lose track of characters and their connections to each other. Though there’s a big cast, I kept track of everyone pretty easily. I loved the way that the different viewpoints added depth to the story.

Also, I loved the cameos from little Rufus and little Mateo! I was totally not expecting that, and it was fantastic.

Of the two books, I have to admit this one is my favorite, though. I remember feeling sad at the end of THEY BOTH DIE, but I fought back sobs at the end of this one. If you read and enjoyed Mateo and Rufus’s story, you do not want to miss THE FIRST TO DIE AT THE END.

Content Notes

Content warning for gun violence, domestic violence, assault, and homophobia.

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Both Orion and Valentino are Puerto Rican and gay.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used pretty frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two boys. They have sex. There’s a one line description and a couple references to it.

Spiritual Content
Valentino was raised Catholic and has been told that being gay is a sin which will condemn him to Hell. Orion’s mom says God wouldn’t come between a mother and her children.

Violent Content
Orion’s parents were killed on 9/11. He describes nightmares about seeing them afterward. One brief scene shows a shooting. Reference to and brief description of someone shot to death. References to Valentino’s sister’s car accident and some brief descriptions of it. References to and depictions of domestic violence and assault.

Valentino’s parents reject him for being gay and have said some homophobic things to him. Orion worries about walking home and people identifying him as gay and that being a problem in his neighborhood.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of THE FIRSTS TO DIE AT THE END in exchange for my honest review.

Review: MacKenzie’s Last Run by Gayle Rosengren

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MacKenzie’s Last Run
Gayle Rosengren
HenschelHaus Publishing
Published September 1, 2022

Amazon | Goodreads

About MacKenzie’s Last Run

Thirteen-year-old MacKenzie (Mac) Lawrence secretly blames himself for his father’s death in a mall shooting. In his grief and guilt, he has pulled away from everyone, even his twin sister Tessa. When their mother announces her plans to remarry barely two years after Dad’s death Mac is furious and runs away in an attempt to force her to break off the engagement.

Unfortunately, nothing goes as Mac plans. He ends up seriously injured, miles from home, unable to reach out for help, while clues he inadvertently left behind suggest he’s been kidnapped—possibly by Mom’s fiancé—and set his twin sister Tessa on a desperate search to find him. But she’d better hurry, because the clock is ticking, and Mac is running out of time.

My Review

The first thing I saw as I opened MACKENZIE’S LAST RUN to read it was the article from the paper reporting on his disappearance and police believed he was a victim of kidnapping. I thought it was an interesting choice from a writing perspective to start with that. So that, as a reader, I was kind of anticipating that event at some point. I worried that it would make the story anticlimactic.

But as I read, I found myself only more deeply hooked into what would happen to Mac and whether Tessa would be able to find him before it was too late.

I read the book in one sitting. I kept reading one more chapter all the way until the end, when I finally felt I could breathe again.

For me, not only could I not put the book down, but the story pulled me in despite its beginning. To overcome a reveal like that on the first page or use it in such a clever way made me feel even more like this book was worth reading.

I loved the way memories about Mac and Tessa’s dad were dropped in to critical moments in the story, and the way Mac’s adventure helped him face some of the things he’d been, well, running from. Both Tessa’s and Mac’s characters drew me in and had me rooting for them. Each chapter is told from Tessa’s or Mac’s point of view. I loved the balance that brought to the story and the exploration of their relationship as twins who’d lost their dad.

All in all, I very much enjoyed this book, and I hope the author writes lots more.

Content Notes for MacKenzie’s Last Run

Content warning for brief descriptions of gun violence. Some descriptions of injuries from a knife and a fall.

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Mac and Tessa are twins whose father was killed in a grocery store shooting.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Tessa’s mom makes her and her brother attend church with her. She says Mac “needs it.” Tessa is okay with church, but doesn’t seem to feel much of a personal connection to faith. In one scene she tries to pray for Mac, but worries she’s doing it wrong because she forgot to say, “Amen,” so she starts over.

Violent Content
Some description of the shooting that killed the twins’ dad.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of MACKENZIE’S LAST RUN in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Year on Fire by Julie Buxbaum

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Year on Fire
Julie Buxbaum
Delacorte Press
Published April 5, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Year on Fire

Can a single kiss change everything?

It was a year on fire. They fell in love. Someone was bound to get burned.

The Spark: Just days before the start of junior year for twins Arch and Immie and their best friend, Paige, a spontaneous kiss shakes the very foundation of their friendship. But some ties run too deep to be broken by accidental betrayal.

The Fuel: Enter Rohan, new to Wood Valley High by way of London, who walks into school on the first day completely overwhelmed by his sudden move halfway around the world. When Paige calls dibs on him—he’s too cute to ignore—Immie is in no position to argue, certainly not after taking the fall for the disloyal kiss. Too bad for Immie that Ro feels like the best kind of familiar.

The Kindling: Former lab partners Arch and Jackson, Paige’s ex-boyfriend, have never considered themselves more than friends. But sometimes feelings can grow like wildfire.

The Flames: When the girls’ bathroom at Wood Valley is set ablaze, no one doubts it’s arson. But in this bastion of privilege, who’d be angry enough to want to burn down the school? Answer: pretty much everyone.

YEAR ON FIRE explores the blinding power of the lies we tell others and those we tell ourselves, the tight grip of family secrets, the magic of first love, and the grounding beauty of friendship.

My Review

I loved this book for its complicated relationships, the unspoken fears, the drama of falling in love unexpectedly, and the celebration of the close bond of siblings. The writing also swept me away. It’s lyrical and gorgeous and there were so many lines I wanted to sit and savor.

I can’t even choose a favorite character because I liked them all. Ha. I loved the way that Arch and Immie related to each other. It was so comforting to them when they were on the same page about something and so frightening when they weren’t. I was captivated by Ro’s feelings about his parents and the uncertainty of their future as well as feeling helpless and like he had no say in moving to Los Angeles from London.

The whole story sort of circles around fires at school and rumors about who set them. I liked the way that plot slowly unspooled in the midst of all the friendship drama and tension. I felt like it was paced really well– this was a book that I read in two sittings but would have read in one if I hadn’t started the first few chapters at midnight the night before I finished it.

All in all, I think fans of WE WERE LIARS by E. Lockhart or WE ARE THE GOLDENS by Dana Reinhardt will love this book.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
YEAR ON FIRE is told from four points of view: Immie and Arch are twins. Arch is gay. Paige is “three quarters Jewish American and a quarter Chinese American.” Rohan is from England and is maybe Indian.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two boys. Kissing between a girl and boy.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Someone starts several fires at school. Arch and Immie’s dad becomes violently angry at home.

Drug Content
References to teens drinking alcohol.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of YEAR ON FIRE in exchange for my honest review.