Warrior Girl Unearthed

A Publisher's Lunch Best YA of 2023!
An Instant New York Times bestseller!
A #1 Indies Bestseller!
An Amazon Best Book of the Year!
Winner of the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award!
A BookPage Best Book of the Year!
An Indigo Teen Staff Pick of the Month!
An Indie Next Pick

Goodreads Choice Award: Nominee for Best Young Adult Fiction (2023)

"A riveting, culturally focused thriller. Boulley has become a must-read author." -NPR

SIX STARRED REVIEWS FOR WARRIOR GIRL UNEARTHED!!!
*"This novel is many things at once: a coming-of-age story of twins who are each struggling to find their places, a murder mystery, a culturally driven exploration of home and belonging, and the same thoughtful, expansive, and careful examination of what it means to be Anishinaabe as Boulley offered in the previous novel." -BCCB, starred review

*"Heightened tension, dynamic action scenes, a complicated heist and plenty of revelations [make] Warrior Girl Unearthed an edifying and deeply moving read." -BookPage, starred review

*"A compelling narrative about one teen's attempt to undo some of the injustices her community and people have faced." -School Library Journal, starred review

*"Another powerful, suspenseful page-turner from Boulley"-The Horn Book, starred review

* "A thrilling and empowering read" -Publisher's Weekly, starred review

*"A page-turning heist grounded in a nuanced exploration of critical issues of cultural integrity." -Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"[I]ncredibly engaging...This quick follow-up to Boulley's best-selling, award-winning Firekeeper's Daughter carries over all the same intrigue, tension, and heartbreak." -BookList

#1 New York Times bestselling author of Firekeeper's Daughter Angeline Boulley takes us back to Sugar Island in this high-stakes thriller about the power of discovering your stolen history.

Perry Firekeeper-Birch has always known who she is - the laidback twin, the troublemaker, the best fisher on Sugar Island. Her aspirations won't ever take her far from home, and she wouldn't have it any other way. But as the rising number of missing Indigenous women starts circling closer to home, as her family becomes embroiled in a high-profile murder investigation, and as greedy grave robbers seek to profit off of what belongs to her Anishinaabe tribe, Perry begins to question everything.

In order to reclaim this inheritance for her people, Perry has no choice but to take matters into her own hands. She can only count on her friends and allies, including her overachieving twin and a charming new boy in town with unwavering morals. Old rivalries, sister secrets, and botched heists cannot - will not - stop her from uncovering the mystery before the ancestors and missing women are lost forever.

Sometimes, the truth shouldn't stay buried. Pick this up if you love: high stakes heist, will-they-won't-they romance, family secrets spanning decades

1. Before reading, what did you know about stolen tribal relics and artifacts? How did it compare to Perry's story?

2. What was the meaning behind Warrior Girl appearing in Perry's dreams?

3. The book discusses identity, community, lost history, grooming, injustice, violence toward women, and more. What themes and topics stood out to you the most?

4. There is often a struggle between Cooper, a rule follower, and Web, who isn't afraid to break rules no matter the cost. Discuss how modern versus traditional ideals impact her tribe.

5. At the beginning of the book, Perry is determined to have a laid-back summer. However, she becomes motivated to fight for her tribe. How did Perry's character change throughout the book?

6. What did you think of Perry's planned heist?Would you have done anything differently?

7. Throughout the book, Lockhart constantlycalls the artifacts his "treasures." What is the significance of this?

8. What do you think of Perry and Warrior Girl's connection? How did it affect Perry in her journey?

9. While the journey to return Indigenous ancestors and relics is at the forefront of this story, the plight of missing Native women is a crucial part of Perry's story as it circles closer and closer to home. Did you anticipate who was behind the crimes against women? Were you surprised to find out the truth?

10. Discuss the pros and cons of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. Were you aware of before reading this book?

11. What was the significance of the seeds that Perry stole? Why do you think the author chose to have this happen and have them be pumpkin seeds?

12. Perry remarks on the differences between the connection the elders and the younger generation have to their Anishinaabe roots. How do the Anishinaabek work to bridge this gap in the book?

13. What is a wiindigoo? Why did the author choose this mythical creature as a comparison to the person responsible for the missing Native women as well as others?