Warrior Girl Unearthed
Boulley, A. (2023). Warrior girl unearthed. Henry Holt and Company. ISBN 9781250766588
Sixteen year old Perry Firekeeper-Birch has no other plans for summer than fish and relax, that is, until she is in an accident and has to repay her Auntie for the damages. After series of jobs, Perry has learned that many ancestral artifacts and sacred items are being kept by their local university through legal loopholes. Determined to get these artifacts back, Perry and her friends stage the perfect heist, only to realize that there are more sinter forces happening behind the scenes.
Perry Firekeeper-Birch is not perfect, but then again, what other sixteen year old, or anyone else, is? Perry is opinionated, loud, determined, and fiercely loyal to those she cares about, which are characteristics that many young readers can relate to. If you saw items of from your family on display without your knowledge, you would be upset too! As we continue to read Perry's ten week journey, before the start of part, readers are educated with more information the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) or with quotes that make the readers think about the situation that Natives are forced to endure. The book has a good amount of mystery too, with Native girls mysteriously disappearing being a side plot that ends up affecting the main character. Warrior Girl Unearthed makes readers angry for Natives and sympathize with them as they have to overcome obstacles other cultures do not have to. Even though Perry and her friends are not completely correct by staging (and going through) with a heist, readers do end up rooting for Perry to bring back the stolen artifacts and sacred items.
Warrior Girl Unearthed if full of references to Native culture, whether it be evident (when Perry and other members of her tribe are speaking their native language) or through other references that can been through observations (such as the strong community and family values they all have for each other). As mentioned earlier, the book also educates readers about NAGPRA, which was a law that was passed in November 1990 that directly affects Native Americans. Native American regalia is also mentioned in the book, and is always mentioned with a positive connation. By the end of Warrior Girl Unearthed, readers get a better sense of Native culture as Angeline Boulley did a great job at writing the story. One thing I will note, is that there are several instances where Perry and her friends/family are speaking the Ojibwe language, not everything is always translated, which did take away from book at certain instances.
What did readers think of this title? Kirkus reviews states that Warrior Girl Unearthed "sensitively and seamlessly weaves in discussions of colorism ... repatriation of cultural artifacts and human remains, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, and more into a story with well-developed characterization that is both compelling readable and deeply though-provoking." If you enjoyed this title, you will also enjoyed the Firekeeper's Daughter, also by Angeline Boulley, which is set in the same tribe as Warrior Girl Unearthed. After reading, challenge yourself to learn more about NAGPRA and how it has affect tribes in real life. Angeline Boulley also has a book club discussion guide to use for free on her website.
Honors and Awards for Warrior Girl Unearthed
- New York Times Bestseller
- Publisher's Lunch Best YA of 2023
- Amazon Best Book of the Year
- Winner of the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award
- Horn Book Fanfare Title
- BookPage Best Book of the Year
- Indigo Teen Staff Pick of the Month
- Indie Next Pick
Books by Angeline Boulley. (n.d.). https://angelineboulley.com/books.html
Boulley, A. (2023). Warrior girl unearthed. Henry Holt and Company.
Warrior girl unearthed. Kirkus Reviews. (2023, May 2). https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/angeline-boulley/warrior-girl-unearthed/
Warrior girl unearthed. Macmillan Publishers. (2021, July 20). https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250766588/warriorgirlunearthed
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