Member Reviews

I requested and received this book for consideration for the Printz award. Thank you for sending the book!

I cannot provide a review or rating per the committee rules, so I will not be able to provide one here. I will rate it five stars, as I do for all Printz books, because I am required to do so for Netgalley's feedback system. Please note that this does not reflect my actual rating for the book.

Thank you!

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This book was just absolutely heartbreaking at times. This is a debut novel and I can’t wait to read more from this author.

This book is about the disappearance and murders of several indigenous women and the fight and investigation to find out who killed them. I feel like the author did a great job of shedding light onto the ongoing problem of indigenous women going missing and being killed.

This book grabbed me from the very beginning and my heart was breaking for these girls and their families. This was definitely a 4.5 star read for me.

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What an amazing and thrilling summer read! This book addresses several sensitive topics in an informative and respectful way and masterfully intertwines mystery and the pressing reality of the Murdered and Missing Indigenous Woman movement. The multiple points of view in this story slowly reveal the secrets of this tight-knit community and will have you gripping the edge of your seat.

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This book focuses on the MMIW, or Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women, issue faced by Indigenous girls, women and two spirit people. A Blackfeet teen goes missing, and the tribal police don't take the investigation seriously, until a missing second native is found, and the FBI steps in.

KA Cobell brings in her own indigineity into the story, with deft characterization of each of the several narrators who are caught up in the investigation. She also weaves in the toll of drugs on the reservation, as well as poverty, the justice system, and beautiful depictions of Indian Days celebrations.

Excellent work; will recommend for high school library acquisition.

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Actual Rating 4.5

First off, congratulations to the author for writing such a wonderful debut! The characters were well written, and I enjoyed Mara as a protagonist. Through her we got to explore themes relating to identity including being caught between cultures and fitting in. I also enjoyed that it was told from multiple POVs, as this was a great way to explore the grief of other characters and rounded out the plot well.

There are excerpts from a podcast included between some of the chapters throughout the book. This was an excellent addition as the author used these to smoothly include important background and history that was relevant to the plot without relying on info-dumping. Similarly, the podcast was used to highlight the dangers that Indigenous women face and the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) Organization beyond how these topics came up in the primary plot. Again, this was really well done and managed to be quite informative without bogging down the plot or detracting from the tension. There were also a few short chapters included from the POV of an unknown character, which added to the tension. I only had one little complaint – there was something about the antagonist and their reveal that just didn’t quite work for me or wasn’t as impactful/satisfying as I wanted it to be. I couldn’t tell you what though, so don’t let this deter you from checking this one out.

It was honestly so satisfying to read a YA mystery that included meaningful information and topics and wasn’t just trying to get in as many twists as possible. And this book would probably even be enjoyable for readers who don’t typically seek out YA, as it avoided many of the pitfalls of the genre. Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

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This review is based on an uncorrected E-proof ARC, courtesy of Netgalley.

Mara Racette lives on the Blackfeet Reservation with her parents, but she's never quite fit in as anything but an outsider. When a classmate's older sister goes missing, Mara is asked to participate in a traditional Blackfeet giveaway ceremony in honor of the missing girl. The ceremony goes awry when another teenage girl is found murdered, and Mara finds herself embroiled in finding the truth alongside new tentative friendships with Loren, Brody, and Eli. The MMIW (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women) movement is brought to the forefront in this gorgeous YA novel. Two missing and murdered Blackfeet women bring local conflicts and suspicions to a frenzy. Can the local authorities be trusted to objectively investigate the cases?

The novel uses shifting first person accounts to tell the story; I'm not sure it was the most effective method for this particular book. The chapters are very shortThis review is based on an uncorrected E-proof ARC, courtesy of Netgalley.

Mara Racette lives on the Blackfeet Reservation with her parents, but she's never quite fit in as anything but an outsider. When a classmate's older sister goes missing, Mara is asked to participate in a traditional Blackfeet giveaway ceremony in honor of the missing girl. The ceremony goes awry when another teenage girl is found murdered, and Mara finds herself embroiled in finding the truth alongside new tentative friendships with Loren, Brody, and Eli. The MMIW (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women) movement is brought to the forefront in this gorgeous YA novel. Two missing and murdered Blackfeet women bring local conflicts and suspicions to a frenzy. Can the local authorities be trusted to objectively investigate the cases?

The novel uses shifting first person accounts to tell the story, which I'm not sure was the most effective method for this particular book. The chapters are very short, which makes the plot somewhat choppy. I also never felt really connected to any of the characters, but I'll admit that may be the slow pace at which I read this one. There is beautiful imagery describing the ceremonies and rituals of the Blackfeet people, which play a very active part in this mystery/thriller. I've read more engaging thrillers that center the MMIW movement, but this is an excellent YA novel in the canon. Family ties run deep and loyal, and even in the close-knit community of the reservation, everyone has secrets.

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Waiting for the audiobook to become available was a good idea. I definitely enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. Looking For Smoke reads somewhat similar to The Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley, Both are really well done and bring up conversations about Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women that most people don't talk about. Where this book differs is there are several more POVs that are connected to the characters that were murdered. I think those POVs and the radio stories interspersed between bring the story together.

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I was NOT expecting the reveal at the end of this book! 😱

Now, I felt like this was a bit slow for a mystery/thriller. There were a lot of side plots going on, but it’s YA so we have to have a little romance and some family drama.

There were also a lot of POV and sometimes that was hard to keep track of. We get like four people’s POV throughout the novel.

The ending though? Solid. At first I thought they were going to leave us hanging with a loose thread but nope, wrapped up in a perfect bow.

This was well written and had me guessing the entire time. The reveal threw me cause like I said, I was NOT expecting it.

If you like thrillers I recommend picking this one up!

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What a great debut that wanted to shed light on what happens to missing indigenous women. The story does start out slow, but as the ball gets rolling you become engrossed in each of the four teenager's lives. It's crazy to hear what they had to go through, and even though this was a fictional story I'm sure some of these things truly do happen! I'd highly recommend, especially if you want to read more about indigenous peoples.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

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This thriller was a compelling page-turner that I thoroughly enjoyed. The detailed setting and the timely discussion about missing Indigenous girls added depth and relevance, making it both enlightening and moving. This is a must-read for fans of the genre, combining an engaging mystery with a critical social issue.

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Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an egalley of Looking for Smoke! This was a very well written mystery. I usually have some idea of what happened but I honestly had no clue what happened or who did it. My interest was held the whole time as the story unfolded.

I am aware of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women but did not know the full extent of the stats and while Looking for Smoke is a work of fiction the issue itself is very real.

I definitely recommend reading Looking for Smoke.

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Looking for Smoke is fiction but is based on the very real the epidemic of missing Indigenous women and girls. In 2020, there were 5,295 reports of missing American Indian and Alaska Native women and girls, according to the National Crime Information Center. The murder rate of Native women is three times that of white women.

Author KA Cobell is a member of the Blackfeet Nation and set Looking for Smoke in the Blackfeet Nation reservation in Montana. Cobell hopes Looking for Smoke will bring attention to the epidemic. She says in her author’s note that this was a story that needed to be told without trivializing or sensationalizing the pain many Native people are enduring. She wanted to send a message that was not easily forgotten.

And it’s hard to forget Looking for Smoke.

Cobell’s choice to make Mara an “outsider” gives non-Native readers an entry point. She then fills in with Loren, Brody and Eli, going deeper into many of the issues that face their community. But it’s not just the issues she delves into, but the sense of extended family, their community, their traditions. You gain a deep understanding of how devastating and far-reaching the consequences.

The story unfolds from the four points of view, with plenty of twists and turns and lots of atmosphere along the way. Looking for Smoke is a complex thriller that does, in fact, stick with you. I look forward to reading more from this author.

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I get so excited for new authors when they hit it out of the park with their debut novels! Pop off K.A. Cobell! This story was powerful and truly demanded my attention from the first page. Although it is considered a YA novel, it is smartly written and incredibly informative. As an OwnVoices author, Ms. Cobell has written a murder mystery with heart and substance. I learned so much about the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) movement, which advocates for the end of violence against Native women. The data shared in this novel is staggering: 𝙁𝙊𝙐𝙍 𝙄𝙉 𝙁𝙄𝙑𝙀 Native women have experienced violence, and their murder rate is 𝙏𝙀𝙉 𝙏𝙄𝙈𝙀𝙎 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙉𝘼𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉𝘼𝙇 𝘼𝙑𝙀𝙍𝘼𝙂𝙀!!! Can we just take a moment to digest that? That is absolutely horrifying and unacceptable. Thankfully, more light is being shed on this tragedy: President Biden selected May 5th as Missing Murdered & Indigenous People day, and more and more people are recognizing the seriousness of these crimes happening right here in our backyard. We can not just stand by and allow this to happen to these women, and must spread awareness in any way we can.

Many thanks to partners, Harper Collins and NetGalley for this gifted review copy. What an important read!

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This book absolutely blew me away and kept me guessing the entire time. It left me stunned and unable to stop thinking about it even weeks later.

The writing and pacing was impeccable, especially for a book with so many POVs. Each character had their own distinct voice and this story truly needed to be told from multiple perspectives to give the necessary insight into their situations and create even more tension and suspense.

I still can’t believe that this was a debut and I anxiously await more from K.A. Cobell.

I cannot recommend this book enough. Please just go read it, and tell a friend, to tell a friend that they need to read it too!

Thank you so very much to Heartdrum, HarperCollins Children’s Books, and NetGalley for this eARC. All opinions are my own.

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Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest reviews. All opinions are my own.

This book was amazing!

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4.5 rounded up

This book was a really good mystery. It shined a specific light on the MMIW movement (more information here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missing_and_Murdered_Indigenous_Women). It follows 4 POVs of teenagers in the community who are faced with suspicion and fear after one of their classmates if found dead.

I thought that the author did a really great job at balancing the emotions of wanting to clear their names, fear for their community but also wanting to protect themselves even at the cost of their connections at time. I think the book introduces enough hints that you can figure it out if you pay attention, but also unfolds really well if trying to guess the ending of the mystery isn't your thing.

The four main characters are all connected to the victims in different ways and seeing each person's background unfold really made the story feel fleshed out.

Disclaimer: I received a finished copy from the publisher. A review was not required and all thoughts are my own.

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I was so hype to read this one, but I'm DNFing at 11%. I was completely un-invested in the characters - it just didn't do much for me. It also felt super weird when the grandmother asked one of the main characters if she killed their best friend and forced her to say out loud that she didn't kill her in order to believe her? That was so bizarre and just seemed like a weird thing to have happen, and I was uninterested in reading after that. Thanks anyway for the ARC.

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Looking for Smoke is one gripping story! A wonderful debut novel by author K. A.
I think the author did a fantastic job terrific job writing about a difficult but important subject matter. Missing & murdered indigenous women. It's a story that held my attention from start to finish. Cobell's writing takes you right into the Blackfeet tribe with multiple POV gives readers chapters that flow at a quick pace it tackles a lot about life as a member of the Blackfeet community and that lack of justice missing indigenous women cases receive unlike white women they don't receive national media attention and most cases don't go reported nor are there properly investigated with the ample resources.
The sad reality is expressed in this story in a very eye opening way missing &/or murder, generational trauma, mental health, drugs, foster care, bullying, & other aspects make this work of fiction sadly a reality for too many.
You'll be able to spot this gorgeous book cover easily in any book store.
I'm looking forward to reading more future novel from K.A. Cobell.

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**I received an electronic ARC from the publisher through NetGalley.**

KA Cobell presents Looking for Smoke, a YA thriller centered on the mystery surrounding the murder of girls on a Blackfeet reservation. Readers follow shifting perspectives between Mara- new to the reservation, Brody- whose brother may have gotten into more than he bargained for, Eli- who is trying to care for his sister despite the absence of his father, and Lauren- whose sister is missing and presumed dead. Each perspective presents more information about the secrets surrounding life on the reservation and raises the question of how much you would give to protect those you love.

Cobell's novel, while fictional, provides very real commentary on the issue of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. Cobell raises awareness to the MMIWG2S crisis in Indigenous communities, but does not hesitate to present the difficulties experienced both by the persons directly affected and by the families and friends of those missing. Cobell handles these issues as well as issues of alcohol abuse, drug abuse, distrust of law enforcement, and others with compassion and care, but it is necessary to consider the weight of these topics before starting this book.

Each perspective character had a very different lived experience and the theme of identity ran strong throughout the book. Cobell nicely balanced her pacing of both the action and the flow of information while managing to give enough bread crumbs for the reader to solve the mystery along with the characters.

Overall, I felt that Cobell was incredibly successful in execution of her debut novel, and hope that Looking for Smoke gets all of the attention it (and the cause it champions) deserves.

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Told through the perspective of four Blackfeet teens as well as snippets from a true crime podcast, Looking for Smoke is a deeply moving debut novel that brings attention to the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) movement. Cobell crafts a compelling, masterful story full of complex characters you’ll find yourself rooting for and twists that will keep you guessing. Absolutely riveting!

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