Bibliography:
Kinew, Wab. Walking in Two Worlds. Random House USA, 2022. Tundra Book Group, ISBN 9780735269019
Plot Summary:
Teenage boy named Feng has been brought from China to live with his aunt, a doctor, on the Rez, after it was discovered that he may have extremist tendencies due to his internet behavior. When Bugz and Feng first meet, they instantly connect as outsiders and fellow gamers, both in the real world and in the virtual one. They discover that they have many similarities in the real world as well as in the virtual world as their bond deepens via their virtual experiences. For example, both must make decisions in the face of temptations and traps and must deal with the effects of trauma in their families and communities.
It will take all of Bugz's newly discovered strength to mend her friendship with Feng and bring her parallel aspects of life—the traditional and the mainstream, the east and the west, the real and the virtual—into harmony because betrayal threatens everything she has created in the virtual world as well as her relationships in the real world.
Critical Analysis:
Teenage Native American Bugz is torn between two worlds. She's a star in a virtual setting where she can be the assertive girl who commands attention. She has to cope with sexism and prejudice in the real world in her neighborhood. Teenage Chinese boy named Feng was assigned to live with his aunt in Bugz's neighborhood. He participates in the virtual world as well, although he is a member of the opposition against Bugz's persona. Until a betrayal puts their new relationship in jeopardy, Bugz and Feng learn to know one another both in the physical world and online.
In creating a civilization where hope becomes the motivation behind both society and the individuals themselves, Kinew surpasses in this book. Even the name of the Floraverse is lyrical and lovely. In spite of the avarice that wants to ruin it, Kinew is able to take readers into this organically generated world where fantastical creatures are plausible, everything appears to be in its purest form of color, and peace prevails. The 'Verse's influence is so potent that it might as well be a character by itself. However, as a result, non-'Verse characters experience a lack of growth that prevents the reader from completely understanding some of the choices the characters ultimately make. The novel's last words of optimism sounded hurried rather than sincere after only 296 pages.
Review Excerpts:
"Kinew’s first novel for teens stands out in the field of speculative fiction with its respectful, celebratory, and nuanced exploration of cultures and communities all too often at risk of erasure (particularly Indigenous communities)." —STARRED REVIEW, Booklist
"This smart, entertaining speculative novel gives readers a unique and moving portrait of young life — and the possibilities for gaming life — from a tribally specific corner of the world." —Publishers Weekly
"A thrilling, high-tech page-turner with deep roots." —Kirkus Reviews
"Walking in Two Worlds is overall a powerful reading experience, thought-provoking, and emotional by turns." —Quill & Quire
"Walking in Two Worlds is a novel which defies easy classification . . . there is something to both entertain and educate any readers lucky enough to meet Bugz and Feng and to live and walk, even for a short time, in the two worlds in which they live." —CM: Canadian Review of Materials
Connections:
Kinew also explores reeducation schools, body image and the toxic masculinity of the world of online gaming.
Books in the same genre: Slay, Ready Player One or Warcross.
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