"... she'd go to hell and back to defend her. She just didn't know she'd be taking someone else with her."

I was only 5% into this book when I knew it was going to be one of my best books of the year. For a debut author Cobell has mastered the craft of writing. The way her descriptions immediately put you right into the scene. Whether it was something happy and celebratory during the dancing or the horror of the final scenes. It was all done so incredibly well.

The statistics in this book of the MMIW, while something I already knew, really add impact to the story. I think adding the touch of the podcast element to the story was a nice choice. It gave Cobell the space to really tell the reader about both the MMIW and the Two Feather Project in a way that didn’t feel out of place and also gave us regular insights into the “unknown” character’s POV. I will definitely need another read through to see how many people I think the “unknown” character actually refers to but I know it’s more than one.

The villain reveal in the back half of this book felt so emotionally draining. Getting to know these characters and their backstory and really just having this empathy for them and then learning how everyone fell into place with the crimes was heartbreaking as a reader. When you’re reading about these people and really feeling for them and then to see the kind of people they truly are, it’s a betrayal even though it’s fictional.

I also like that we didn’t get all the answers. There were still questions about some of the crimes and some of the people’s involvement. Not having everything wrapped up in a neat little bow at the end definitely lends to the way this book feels real.

I cannot recommend the author’s note enough. Just hearing from Cobell and how she was able to weave real people and experiences into the story added to the real feel of it all. And if you’ve made it this far and you haven’t read the book, I do recommend that you both pick it up and do some research on the Missing & Murdered Indigenous women in both the US and Canada.

**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 and 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 the execution of her debut novel and hope that Looking for Smoke gets all of the attention it (and the cause it champions) deserves.