An interesting and suspenseful read. I really enjoyed the characters, they were written so well. I would recommend if the description interests you.

Beautiful cover, compelling concept - frustrating delivery. Couldn't tell if it was acculturation or appropriation, but Lauren didn't feel like the right person to tell this story.

Jenny, our main character, is a bored and lonely housewife. Her neighbor, a First Nations woman, turns up missing, leaving her children behind. This calls into question many issues, such as what happened to her and, more importantly, why does no one, including the authorities seem too concerned? Fireweed explores the reality of missing women and the often-ignored experiences of the Indigenous in the context of more privileged feminism. It delves into the challenges faced when confronted by systemic obstacles. I do understand many other reviewers had issues with the racist and stereotypical references in this story. I just want to put out there that it perhaps was the intention? I don't think we are supposed to like Jenny. She is supposed to be ignorant and very one dimensional. I am of Indigenous heritage and very much could identify and relate with some of the more racial elements used in this book, and not in a good way. Thank you to Astra Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC. This book publishes April 29, 2025.

Fireweed by Lauren Haddad is a compelling and thought-provoking novel that offers an exploration of race, class, and gender through the lens of a flawed but complex protagonist, Jenny Hayes. The story revolves around Jenny's investigation into the mysterious disappearance of her neighbor, Rachelle, and the complicated dynamics of missing women along the "Highway of Tears" in Northern British Columbia.

While the book is gripping in its portrayal of Jenny’s struggle with self-preoccupation and the complexity of good intentions, it occasionally feels heavy-handed in its messaging. The narrative, though rich with detail, sometimes veers too much into introspective analysis, which can slow the pace. Jenny’s character, despite her well-meaning actions, is frustrating at times due to her limited understanding of the very community she tries to “help.” The exploration of privilege and colonialism is effective, yet it leaves readers questioning their own responses to stories of marginalized groups.

The novel’s atmosphere is haunting and immersive, offering a raw look at the harsh realities of life in this industrial part of Canada. The themes of systemic oppression and the well-intentioned but flawed responses to these injustices are poignant and necessary, though they may leave readers uncomfortable with the reflection they provide.

Overall, Fireweed succeeds in addressing vital social issues but may not be for everyone due to its sometimes slow pace and introspective tone. However, for readers who enjoy socially conscious fiction that challenges perspectives and evokes deep reflection, this book is a strong and important read. A solid 3.5 stars.

I have mixed feelings about this one, which I think others will as well, which makes for a intriguing book. The writing style was fine, but it was hard to get totally on board with the plot and intentions of the characters, as others have mentioned.

I requested a review copy of Fireweed as its premise sounded unique and I was interested to read mystery/thriller from such a perspective.

The reality of this novel was very different from how it is being marketed. I was shocked and saddened by the prolific use of degrading slurs included within the text. I understand the author was trying to convey the prejudice faced the character of Rachelle, however the number of these references was completely unnecessary. I was hoping to read a novel where a white character understands the complexity of the situation however, I didn’t feel this was the case.

I found the stream of consciousness style was not done well - it was very difficult to follow at times and ultimately negatively affected my enjoyment of reading.

I went in to this book with high hopes, unfortunately they were not realised. I do however like the cover.

It has been a while since I have regularly thought about a book I’ve read months after reading it, but this was one of my top books of 2024.

It has the feel of a Gillian Flynn book where you want to just shake the main character out of completely blowing up their life, but knowing that even that would not stop them from the runaway train of a life that they continue to lead. The story is quite simple, but the world building is very realistic for small-town anywhere. I am sure there are bits of Canadian culture that I did not understand, but felt transported into rural everywhere by the story,

I found the arc of Jenny to be very interesting. She is the epitome of a white-savior who only begins to care about the plight of others when it is literally in her backyard. She allows her need for answers (of which she is not entitled to) to overshadow any and all indigenous individuals that she comes across and continuously centers herself as the most important character in her journey. As is pointed out in other reviews, the story of the missing and murdered women becomes a tertiary plot point in within the story. This feels very deliberate as it is reflective of how non-white folks are treated in North America. Jenny feels like a reflection of the attention span of news media and community efforts for non-white folks throughout the country.

I will definitely be buying a hardcopy of this book from my local bookstore.

🛍️ARC from NetGalley

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the Arc of Fireweed in exchange for an honest review!

I'm very torn on my rating for this book. I think fireweed is well written and the atmosphere is executed very well: the book is monotone and oppressive, just like the main character's life. I was on edge a lot of the time and actually had to put the book down on certain scenes because I couldn't deal with them. So writing-wise, this is between 4 and 5 stars for me.

However. I am a white, European woman with basic knowledge on first nations people and their struggles in Canada, and I can't help but feel like I am exactly the target audience for this book. That started bothering me towards the end. The main character is a white woman. The people she surrounds herself with are white. The indigenous people - the disappeared women she comes into contact with - are part of /her/ story. This book is mostly about her learning the truth behind her own prejudices against native people. The stories of the highway of tears are mostly a way to make that happen. Her character arc gets a (slightly unsatisfactory) end. Other's do not.

I personally didn't know a lot about the highway of tears. This book has made me want to learn more about it. I also connected with the books message about women's issues, sexism and sexual violence in general. That's good, but it's also something that i can appreciate because of my whiteness. I'm privileged to not know these stories and experiences firsthand. I realised more and more how frustrating this book must be to read as a woman of colour. It kind of felt like a 'care about people of colour 101' course. Wait, the police cares less when a woman of colour goes missing, really?! That realisation may be groundbreaking to the main character, but it shouldn't be to readers at this point.

I don't think it's impossible to tell this story from a white person's point of view, and like I said - this book might speak to other white people and help them challenge their own stereotypes, ignorance and prejudices. But the characters of colour need more agency. At the end of the day, it is mostly their pain and experiences that are the heart of this story, and yet the only person who's character arc is fulfilled is the white main character.

This unfortunately ended up being a DNF for me around the 25% mark. While I think the concept Haddad presented was an intriguing one, I felt it wasn't executed well.

I didn't and will not read this title based on reviews I have read about the narrator and some of the writing. Generally, I would give it a try but with a lack of time and based on the feedback, I think I'll pass on this title thanks to reviews mentioning, "The timing of the book’s release, set for April 29, 2025, feels off to me too. It’s just a week before the National Day of Recognition for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls" and "I would like to believe that the purpose of this was to try to challenge white readers who may hold unconscious bias or racist attitudes toward Indigenous folks to recognize the problems with these types of beliefs, but this likely good intention, for me, landed with a cringe-inducing thud" but Thanks to NetGalley and Astra Publishing House for the ARC.

If there's going to be a book about how people are treated differently from their peers - I love a nitty-gritty look at situations most people avoid discussing. I read Demon Copperhead this January as well, and if you liked that award-winning book - you'll love Fireweed!!

Expanding your reading repertoire into Indigenous literature has always been so eye-opening, but FIreweed, for me, took on a new element, and that's the educational opportunities afforded to different communities. I've always been a proponent of digging deeper where stereotypes lay - and Fireweed does that through the eyes of a young, imperfect heroine with a strong drive.

Fireweed forces us to examine whether our motives are genuinely pure. It's a fast read you won't want to put down!

This could have been a well written, well researched, sad, thrilling story documenting the horrific history of missing and murdered indigenous women on the Highway of Tears but instead this book was distasteful and self centred. Reading quotes like, “a lot of them spoke like that as if they weren’t from here,” “she wasn’t like the others, Rachelle was subtle, refined,” and the idea of residential schools being a good thing was extremely aggravating. Especially with the publication date so close to MMIW day.
I understand that main character is meant to be an ignorant white woman: a product of her racist environment - is an explanation for the disrespect of indigenous people in this book but I think it’s more of an excuse for poor writing from a non indigenous or Canadian writer. This can also explain why the descriptions were overly Canadian. Repeatedly mentioning specific details like Canadian tire, timmies, pretro-can. What’s meant to assist in the realism of the story, actually does the opposite and pulls me out of it. Fireweed was way too repetitive. I probably could have just read the books description and moved on because it told me everything I needed to know.
The only “good thing” about the book is that it drives home First Nations erasure. A white woman goes missing and everyone loses their minds, but a coloured person does and its swept under the rug.

While it’s clear the author intended to handle the topic of missing and murdered indigenous women with care, the execution is absolutely not there. The characters are all caricatures, and while the plot and pacing work well as far as narrative structure go, the plot is also seriously problematic in places. In the end, MMIW become the backdrop for a white woman’s journey of self-discovery.

Oh to be in the head of such an unreliable narrator! The other reviews scared me off at first, but I found the author's choices to be interesting ones. There's not much in the way of lessons learned or resolutions, which maybe feels a bit unsatisfying, but there is a definite arc and a lot of suspense. Mostly it's all just really sad.

Unfortunately, this one did not work for me and I had to give up halfway through.

I make it a point to continue to read into the lives of people who are treated unfairly in the world, and this was supposed to be a book that shed a light on the injustices done to Indigenous Women. It did not do that. It is disappointing that yet another book centers a white woman when it should focus on the true issue.

Do not recommend.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.



This is going into the DNF folder because it just couldn't hold my attention any longer. I got through almost 50% before I decided that the most honest review I could give was that I simply couldn't finish it. I just wasn't invested in the characters.

The book focuses on a First Nations widowed mother and her white neighbor who decides to buck the ingrained racism of her fellow friends and family by moonlighting as Nancy Drew when she goes missing.

I get that this book was trying to highlight the alarming prevalence of vanished indigenous women and the inability (unwillingness) by law enforcement to do anything about it.

What ends up happening is it only furthers the stereotypes that native peoples are for some reason trashy welfare queens, living off the system in slums of their own making.

In the ends, it wasn't compelling enough to keep me engaged.

Two stars.

DNF. Stopped reading because I was tired of reading about indigenous issues framed from a white woman. Not sure if that was intentional to show how white people tend to center themselves but it was too distracting and infuriating.

Thank you NetGalley, Lauren Haddad, and Astra Publishing House for the ARC!
3.5 rounded up!
Not going to lie, I can't wait for this one to cause a stir when it's published. Based on the reviews so far, it seems like a lot of people have a problem with this book. Some things I agree with, others I think need a little more exploration and discussion.
For one, Jenny's character is SUPPOSED to be ignorant. She does all the wrong things that we, using our own knowledge of the issue-brought to our attention on social media, would not do. At the same time, no one is listening to her and she also experiences some of the violence that is wrought around the area. Jenny's actions aren't always right, but they make sense for her character- despite any character growth we may have seen. It's disappointing for sure, especially for her missing neighbor Rachelle, but again- to me it made sense. There seems to be certain gendered expectations that Jenny can't help but continue to adhere to- especially since it's the norm in a place that she's spent her entire life in. She becomes a sympathetic character in her naivety, but that doesn't mean we have to support her thoughts and actions as the reader.
People also have issue of Jenny's story taking precedence over Rachelle, but isn't that also the point? Once again, like the missing white girl who get's all the news coverage at the same time as Rachelle's disappearance, stories of missing indigenous women are pushed to the backburner. The inaction is intentional. For most of the book, Jenny seems to be Rachelle's only hope and that's a bad thing. Jenny's story being at the forefront shows this. Does every book that talks about the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls movement need to so blatantly discuss the larger systemic issues that we're already aware of at this point? The issue is ALSO people like Jenny and her community! I would have a problem if the publisher marketed this book with Jenny (and the author) being a voice for the indigenous community but I don't think it's doing that. I think there are (and should be more) books out there for that.
I think this book is nuanced in a certain way that may not work for everyone and that's perfectly fine! I will say I think the end wrapped up too quickly, almost as if the author didn't know where she wanted to end things. I think a little more exposition could've really driven the point home, and that's where some may be also taking issue. I think moving forward, this book should be very carefully marketed and recommended. I have to say, I would not recommend it within any context of the MMIWG movement. Maybe as an ARC reviewer I'll have some sway, but I'm not sure about the publishers decision to publish this one so close to the National Awareness Day for Missing or Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Again, super curious to see more discussion on this one once it is published- the discourse should be interesting!

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for sending me a copy of this title. I wasn't able to get into the book and will have to DNF it.

Thank you to Net Galley for the digital ARC!

Content warnings: anti-indigenius racism, sexism, sexual assault, abusive relationship dynamics.

This book has so many different threads coming together. Told from the perspective of a white Canadian housewife who suspects her indigenous neighbor to have been abducted, the author uses this unreliable narrator to put forward a lot of ideas that may make readers uncomfortable, namely spouting racist troupes and being self-involved to the point of parody. Her experiences (and centering of both herself and a missing white girl) illustrate larger themes of the dismissal of the movement to find and acknowledge missing and murdered indigenous women, but it is painful to read.

At times it rings false only because she also brings a lot of nuance to her narration -- noting uncomfortable, abusive dynamics and patterns, making intelligent observations on class and sexism to herself, and having a lot of worldly knowledge for someone who often is so ignorant. The contradictions are a bit jarring--it feels like the best parts of her could just be the author's notes from somewhere else, relevant to the story but not the character.

A few layers that drive this point home with metaphor-- the author is a herbalist and often uses the language of plants and nature in her narrative. The title of the book is Fireweed, a native Canadian red plant depicted as a weed or something to be uprooted, discarded, that grows in her neighbor's yard and appears several times throughout the book. The narrator later admires its beauty and learns it can be made into a healing salve. She reflects on a teaching that what defines a weed is often just perspective, but doesn't quite make the connection to a lasting mindset shift.
Relatedly, the white narrator's name is Jenny -- providing a parallel allusion to creeping jenny, an invasive plant native to Europe.

I think this book can spark a lot of conversations about the racist treatment of indigenous women and how their lives are devalued, but it's a sort of artifact-- a text that makes its point both indirectly and with force. The author knows what she's doing in centering a white person's perspective (a sort of meta commentary on the ubiquity of a white gaze) but it's not exactly a pleasant read.

Based on a lot of the other reviews on goodreads, it sounds like a lot of people did not respond to this format or the main character. I too felt the dissonance, but recognize it's in service of exposing a painful truth. Perhaps it will inspire people to educate themselves on MMIW and then deliberately seek out indigenous perspectives.

Review also posted on Goodreads.