(2) YA Fifteen-year-old Ezra Cloud wishes he were on the rez at Nigigoonsiminikaaning First Nation with Grandpa Liam. Instead, he is stuck in northeast Minneapolis, being bullied by Matt Schroeder. When Matt's house burns down just hours after they have a fight, Ezra's father worries about suspicion falling on his son and decides that Ezra should go to the rez to be with his grandparents in Canada while the police investigate. As Ezra learns more about Ojibwe culture and activities (including hunting and trapping), he begins to heal from the loss of his mother a year earlier and let go of his long-held anger toward his father. He also learns family secrets that change how he understands himself and those around him. In his introspective and compelling debut YA novel, Treuer weaves Ojibwe history and traditions with contemporary concerns for Ojibwe teens. Readers also bear witness, via the grandfather character's memories, to the violent impact of the residential schools on families and children. Back matter includes an Ojibwe glossary and an author's note that acknowledges changes made to real-life stories and customs for narrative effect.

Reviewer: Nicholl Denice Montgomery | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2024

(4) YA After she experiences several house fires, Jenny moves to New Mexico, where she makes new friends and falls in love...but sets wildfires when upset. Several murders occur, and Jenny receives cryptic notes indicating knowledge of her mysterious past. In this tense yet ultimately predictable mystery, Jenny is an unreliable narrator who harbors many secrets, and nobody is really who he or she seems.

Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam