Looking for Smoke by K.A. Cobell
on June 4, 2024
ISBN: 0063318679
Genres: Mystery, Realistic Fiction, Suspense
Format: Young Adult
Goodreads

If you’re a fan of teens solving crime like One of Us Is Lying, Promise Boys, or A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, this debut is for you. While it has many similarities with these popular titles, what makes Looking For Smoke stand out is how it’s rooted in Indigenous culture and traditions. For example, the novel opens with the main characters at a Powwow where they are recipients of a giveaway. Unlike what many of us think of when we hear giveaway, this one is a Native American tradition where family members honor a dead relative by giving things away to others in need. Shortly after the giveaway the teens realize that they haven’t seen Samantha, one of the recipients. A few of them go looking and find her murdered. As the other recipients of the giveaway, they all become suspects. Told in alternating points of view this story will have you guessing who you can trust, what’s real, and who’s really behind the string of disappearances of Native women in the town. These disappearances also exemplify and bring up the important issue of MMIW (missing and murdered Indigenous women) which is thoughtfully highlighted in this story. Content warnings include domestic violence, parental neglect and abandonment, abuse, addiction, drugs and alcohol, violence, and murder. This book has five stars from me!

Reviewed by Katy Jones, Gardiner Area High School librarian, Gardiner