Thank you to Angeline Boulley, NetGalley, and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for this ARC. As always, it’s an honor to read what Boulley writes.

Boulley hooked me with The Firekeeper’s Daughter and have now completed all books she has written. Sisters in the Wind might be my favorite out of the three. Maybe. FKD is just so good. This story is one that ropes you in from the beginning with its mystery and intrigue. We get to revisit old characters that we know and love. We have our hearts broken. We become outraged at the injustices of the past and those still ongoing. We grieve with the characters. We find family and belonging. This newest book is a work of art that makes you feel deeply. Miigwech.

Oh my goodness, I love this book. I started reading it before bed one night, thinking I'd start it by reading a couple of chapters - fast forward a few hours later because I couldn't put it down until I couldn't keep my eyes open any more.

I really love Lucy and my heart breaks for her and the children like her that are lost to a white system. I have experience in Australia's child 'protection' system and Boulley even captured what it's like here in relation to the system and how it treats Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. Especially the workers who think culture first policies put in place are a waste of time and only generate more paperwork.

At the end of this book, i was sobbing.

I will definitely be pre ordering this book and adding it to my collection.

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for providing me with a free copy of this book for my honest review.

Once again, Angeline Boulley has written a transformative YA novel with intriguing characters and a suspenseful plot that highlights the importance of human relationships. I would highly recommend this to anyone, especially those who enjoyed her first two novels.

Lucy is on the run. After a very messed up step-mother relinquishes her, she spends time in some very messed foster placements. Now someone from her past is after her, including some people who might know who her birth mother is.
Although this story is and sad and full of things that should never to happen to a child, I could not put this story down. It was enthralling. It goes back and forth between the present and Lucy Smith’s past, but I never felt confused.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for this DRC.
#SistersintheWind #NetGalley

“Some girls don’t survive.”

This book was my most anticipated release of this year and in a shock to no one, it was a 5 star read for me. Boulley weaves into the mystery of the book important Indigenous issues in a way that is accessible to an audience who could be unfamiliar with these issues before picking up the book. I loved being able to see more with Daunis as this book takes place in between Firekeeper’s Daughter and Warrior Girl, Unearthed.

The way that Lucy’s past and present were interwoven throughout the book made it impossible to put down. I just wanted to keep reading and find out what comes next. The writing style as always kept me hooked into the story and connected to the characters. Angeline Boulley is an auto-buy author for me and I can’t wait to see what she writes next.

CW: sexual harassment, religious trauma, foster care, death, kidnapping, and missing people.

Thank you to MacMillan and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

If Angeline Boulley has no fans, I am dead. Amazing. Enticing. Unputdownable. Love this author, love her books and easily devourable. COmplex, human, flawed characters and the return to characters from TFD made this book outstanding.

I loved both Firekeeper's Daughter and Warrior Girl Unearthed, so I was prepared to appreciate this book also. However it far exceeded my expectations--I read it straight through (stopping for bathroom breaks and lunch), and because I was reading it on my kindle, I could walk on my treadmill on a rainy day. Ms. Boulley has a way of creating characters that somehow always find their way to trouble and then rise to the occasion in order to get themselves out. I thought it was interesting and really absorbed me into the book by having Daunis and Jamie from her first book as main characters in this one. Her first two books dealing with drugs in the native communities and repatriation of bones and artifacts seem to focus on problems of the Indigenous peoples, in Sisters in the Wind, although there are soooooo many references to the Native people of and around Sugar Island (I looked it up--it is a real place), she expanded the problem of illegal adoption that was a more universal situation. Although this book did not end as I would have hoped, I do think that it ended the right way for the story and for the point that I think the author was trying to make. My only complaint (more an observation) is that while I understand where the cover comes from (I believe Lucy's hair is described as spiky a couple of times in the book), I really don't know how my students will react to the cover--I think the Firekeeper's Daughter is more appealing.

I think I have said this in every review of Angeline Boulley’s amazing books, but she just does such an amazing job of informing her readers while they’re just enjoying a story. This book packed so much information about ICWA and the flaws in the foster system. She even had a whole section of quotes from the 1974 US Senate Subcommittee on Indian Affairs transcript that Lucy was reading as she did research. I had a visceral reaction to Lucy’s case worker telling her to pretend she was Mexican because her being native complicated things for everyone. That pissed me off sooo freaking much.

This was so heartbreaking and frustrating and Boulley always had me guessing as to what was going to happen next. Lucy made many questionable decisions that annoyed the crap out of me, but I had to keep reminding myself that she’s young and has been hurt over and over so she probably wouldn’t make the same decisions I would. Also, Daunis and Jamie were too perfect in some situations. Like they figured things out in Lucy’s life and it was never really explained how they knew or how did they find Lucy at the end?? I felt like it was a little too perfect and just used to move the plot in the direction Boulley wanted, but oh well.

Overall, it doesn’t beat the rush I got reading Firekeeper’s Daughter, but it was still a nice addition to the series. The ending (and honestly most of the book) was rather explosive 💥 (pun 100% intended)

Powerful, heart wrenching, phenomenal. I’d expect nothing less from Angeline Boulley. Having Daunis and Jamie back made my heart happy, but what really made this book was the protagonist Lucy, and how Boulley let her story unwind.

I was fortunate to receive an advanced copy of Sisters in the Wind from Netgalley. After loving both Firekeeper's Daughter and Warrior Girl Unearthed, I was so excited to read the latest from Angeline Boulley. I loved this story just as much as the others. As with the author's other novels, Sisters in the Wind tackles sheds light on really important issues. I won't write too much as I do not want to spoil any of the plot, but know this is a story of love, family (both the one we are born into and the ones we choose for ourselves), friendship, and survival. It is beautifully written and also has some of our favorite characters from Boulley's previous books. I highly recommend it.

I couldn’t put this down once I started this book.
It’s just Lucy and her dad for the longest time. Then he’s diagnosed with cancer. He marries a teacher whom he believes will be a great stepmom for her if he passes. However, Lucy’s stepmom, Bridgett, is not who she portrayed to her dad. Fed up with the real Bridgett Lucy runs away and ends up in foster care. She meets Devery in her first placement who teaches her the ins and out of foster care. Her second placement is with a family who’s son is bad news for her and all other girls placed in their home. Her third home is at Hoppy Farm, where you will never go hungry. At first it seems like a dream placement; you work, get paid and Mister and Missus were right you never go hungry. However, something seems off with the number of pregnant teens coming through that Lucy can’t put her finger on. It’s not until her foster brother Boyd fills her in about his bonuses that she figures it out. She snoops for proof of the illegal happenings and once she finds it she runs. Living under the radar working in mount pleasant where her dad went to college. However, they found her and sent her a warning bombing the diner. Unfortunately she had stayed late to have cake with Nancy whom both are leaving when the bomb explodes. Jamie and Daunis come help her recover while the investigation is underway and tell her about her long lost half sister Lilly.

Angeline Boulley's books never miss but this one was particularly special & personally resonant. Her MCs are always inspiring while also being flawed & vulnerable. I'm still surprised her books are routinely shelved as YA when I feel like her themes & writing style are more elevated than much adult fiction, particularly in the mystery / thriller genre in which she tends to write. She's cemented herself as an autobuy author for me.

Lucy is in foster care after her father dies from cancer. She is now on the run because she knows something about her foster placements and they don’t want it to get out. While she is recovering from a bomb blast at her work, Daunis and Jamie keep watch over her and slowly she begins to build a relationship with them. Can they save her from the secrets she knows before it's too late?

Sisters in the Wind by Angeline Boulley, Lucy’s father, a white man, rarely spoke about her mother. He married, then died leaving Lucy with her strange stepmother who told Lucy that her mother was Native American. And age fourteen, Lucy entered a harrowing stint in foster care placements. When she aged out, she was wary of “helpers,” especially after a bomb went off in the diner where she worked. Books saved Lucy in this fine novel of identity, justice, end the meaning of family. The connections to Boulley’s stellar The Firekeeper’s Daughter make this thriller a must read for its fans. It’s partly set in the Harbor Springs, MI area which will appeal to those who love it.

This is my new favorite of the three Boulley books! Wow! I loved the use of flashbacks, former characters from the first two books, and exposure to the foster care system as well as corrupt adoptions. Lucy is a strong protagonist with a motif of fire and ash surrounding her, which is such a powerful symbol and use of plot development. The use of Michigan history, allusions, and settings is so well done. I loved it from the first page to the last, and definitely got emotional reading it. The message that we all carry good and bad with us, and should never shame others into thinking you can only be good or bad, is so well done and acknowledges the way that some Christians do that in a toxic manner. I definitely recommend reading this book, as a true finale to The Firekeepers Daughter.

Firekeeper’s Daughter is one of the best books I’ve ever read, so I was excited when this book was announced. Lucy Smith is raised by her white father, who hides her Ojibwe heritage from her. After his death, she is left in the care of a horrible step-mother and is eventually entered into the foster system. During her time in the system, Lucy experiences both good and bad placements and even uncovers something sinister. Now in hiding from someone dangerous, Lucy comes in contact with a Mr. Jameson and his friend, who inform her of her heritage and offer her a way to reconnect with her Ojibwe family. Though untrusting at first, a life-threatening event leads Lucy to lean on this pair. Through their growing relationship, she discovers more about herself, her maternal family, and her heritage—all while trying to survive both a past that haunts her and a very dangerous threat.

*MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD* I had a feeling going into this book that we may see some characters from Boulley’s previous book, so I was happy when Jamie and Daunis were united once again through the pages of this novel. I was an emotional wreck most of this book because I never thought I’d get to see their story continue. It felt very nostalgic to be in their world once again. Lucy’s story takes us through her tragic life as a foster kid, which was difficult to read. I was touched by some of the bonds created and led to anger by the actions of some of the families Lucy had to live with. Seeing that paralleled with the love and acceptance she receives from Jamie and Daunis was beautiful. Boulley knows how to write a story that has a good mystery to uncover, action that keeps you on the edge of your seat, and relationships that make you feel all the feelings.

YA + literary + political: yes, please! There are plenty of books that are two of the three, but Boulley is a rare author that pulls off all three. She reminds me a bit of the early novels of Barbara Kingsolver before she went from literary to Literary--as in Boulley doesn't include fantastical elements that make the book feel like it's as much about the author as the novel. No offense to BK! I love her earlier work, but find the later stuff impenetrable. Same with Ruth Ozeki, tbh. I hope Boulley doesn't eventually go that route. In Sisters in the Wind, Boulley gives us a third entry in Daunis Firekeeper from The Firekeeper's Daughter's universe.

Her new protagonist is Lucy Smith, who was raised by her father, a white, devout Christian, until he died, leaving her with a wicked stepmother. Due to the wickedness, Lucy ends up in foster care, which is uncaring, at best. Lucy knows nothing about her mother, who was never part of her life. Lucy is lied to about her Ojibwe heritage, which the foster system definitely doesn't want to know about because it's a pain, meaning they'd have to connect her with her people.

A stranger to Lucy (but not to readers of The Firekeeper's Daughter) finds Lucy where she works at a diner, and they make a shaky connection. Lucy doesn't trust anyone, and for good reason. She's got some bad people after her. The story is affecting and educational--and a story of surviving and finding love, which is essential in our troubled, troubled times.

When her father is sick with cancer:
Years later I realized we'd used medical information like kindling to stay warm because the logs that might have provided more lasting comfort seemed too heavy to carry.

The first time her dad brings her stepmother-to-be home:
I was the "weird kid" in school who had skipped a grade and rarelyspoke except to give correct answers. My classmates routinely referred to me as a geek, a nerd, a brainiac, and a humanoid replicant. One boy called me an "awkward turtle," which thankfully never caught on. But during that first Pizza Thursday with my dad and Miss Mapother, I considered the possibility that I was more socially adept than either of them.

An old friend of Lucy's used to say
You waste more energy fighting the sad than sitting with it.

That's worth remembering, when it comes to any emotion!

On how rich white people have historically been able to adopt native kids (because Jesus)
"God has ordained that the child have opportunities which the parents could not offer.

And Daunis drops this piece of hard-earned wisdom:
"I'm not perfect. I'm as flawed as anyone. But I learned a long time ago that we can love imperfect people, and that includes ourselves."

The story is told from the pov of Lucy Smith, a teen left in the hands of the foster care system after an unexpected change in her family situation. Lucy is asked to deny her Native American heritage and placed in a series of non-native homes. She is intelligent and caring but she behaves in some very unexpected ways.
Lucy's foster situations become worse over time to the point where she feels she urgently needs to find a way out. A shocking event puts her unexpectedly in touch with people who have her best interest at heart. Some of the characters reappear from Boulley's previous books.
The story is suspenseful, compelling, and overall fast paced. The main characters are multidimensional and interesting. The detail in the story enhances it but doesn't overwhelm it.
Everytime I read a book by Angeline Boulley, I learn about Native American culture and the laws affecting their lives. If you liked her previous books, I'm sure you'll enjoy this one as well. I definitely recommend it!

I absolutely love Angeline Boulley's books, and this one was absolutely fabulous! Lucy was adopted and we see a the before and after of Lucy being on her own. She had to build up a shield to protect herself when she was young, but now that shield is slowly slipping given the people she has encountered and finding out about herself. This was beautifully written and takes place in between Boulley's two other books. Honestly there were so many situations that had me not able to put this book down. I believe Boulley will be an auto buy author for me!

Read this if you like:
•thought provoking reads
•past & present story lines
•cameos from past books

Oh my heart. Angeline Boulley writes the best books. Lucy goes into foster care after her father dies. She learns firsthand how foster kids are treated let alone indigenous foster kids. When tragedy strikes, a lawyer wants to help her recover but also connect her to her birth mother. She learns about her heritage & culture along the way. She learns the importance of ICWA. Lucy has been through so much & feels like she can’t outrun the past or fully trust anyone.

I haven’t flew through a nook like this in months. There are a lot of difficult topics discussed in this book but they are so so incredibly important to read about and learn about. This is a book that will stick with me for years to come, just like Firekeepers Daughter did. I hope Angeline writes more in this universe. Thank you Fierce reads for my arc!