So many great aspects of this book but ultimately ended up being a mediocre read overall.

I thought the plot was such a cool idea. Living in a real world/VR gaming world was SO COOL. But I do wish we had more time to learn about the world and the ins and outs.

I loved the characters I wanted more time with them and learning about them and seeing them grow. I am hoping the sequel will deliver in this aspect.

The representation and social themes were incredibly down and much needed!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this advanced reader's copy and the opportunity to read this early. Review has been posted on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

This book is set in the future as an indigenous teen girl is caught between the real world and the virtual world where she is the best player. In the real world she’s very shy and self-conscious who face is a lot of stresses as a teenager however in the virtual world she is her alter ego completely confident dominant and strong.

Feng is a Chinese teenage boy who comes to live in the indigenous residence with his aunt who is a doctor on the Rez.

When these to meet in real life the mediately relate to each other as outsiders and as avid gamers. Both face difficult challenges within their life and learn to trust each other throughout.

I think this is a really good story but it did not wow me. My absolute favourite part of the book as a whole is all the indigenous references, especially Anishinaabeg culture and language. I feel like I am always learning something new and this book was no exception. It is a great book for young readers to get an insight on indigenous culture and language even though it is set in the future. There are a lot of indigenous topics discussed including cultural genocide and the treatment of indigenous people in North America.

I think the ending was lacking. It was not super exciting and there are a lot of questions that were not answered by the end of the book. I just feel like they were gaps in the story and things were missing. It also felt like there was no general plot line. It was just two teenagers going through life and facing the different issues that popped up as they went. The characters felt a little underdeveloped and the romance line felt like it really didn’t need to be there at all. I didn’t have any feelings for the romance that was building between the characters and it just felt forced.

Thank you to Penguin Teen and Netgalley for providing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

DNF @ 46%
I really wanted to like this but it just didn’t speak to me. Maybe I'm too old, but I thought the writing was a bit clumsy and I didn't feel like the characters were realistic. I'm glad the book exists and I hope others can take away more from it, it just wasn't for me.

In WALKING IN TWO WORLDS we meeting Bugz an indigenous teen who spends her time between the real world and a virtual world. In real life Bugz is shy and lacks self confidence but in the virtual world she is a dominant force.
Bugz befriends Feng a young teen from China who was sent to live with his aunt the new doctor. Though they have many things in common a series of events occur that tests their friendship.
I liked WALKING IN TWO WORLDS especially Bugz. I did find some of the gaming scenes confusing but not enough to stop reading..
Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced digital edition of this book.
Rating 3.5⭐️

4.5/5⭐ to Walking in Two Worlds by Web Kinew. Thank you very much to Penguin Teen Canada and Netgalley for an egalley copy to review! Even writing this review a number of months after finishing this delightful adventure of a book, the story has stuck with me. If you are looking for a YA Contemporary with sci-fi elements with an Indigenous main character by an Indigenous author you should definitely check this book out!! Walking in Two Worlds takes place on "The Rez" (the MC's words) in a near-future North America. We follow Bugz, an Indigenous teen who is trying to find her place both in her home community and in the online world she inhabits. There is a whole other virtual alternate reality through a videogame/online type platform and Bugz has done very well for herself on there - growing a pretty massive following while also integrating her culture into gameplay. I found myself learning so much about Bugz' culture through this book during her gameplan and in doing life with her family. Two examples are with the animals she develops & interacts with in her gameplay and ceremony she takes part in with her community. In all this, there is a character, Feng, who moves onto the reserve with his aunt from China after getting in trouble with the authorities. He had actually been a part of a rival alt-right gang who have been trying to take Bugz out of the game, which definitely causes some conflict between him & Bugz when they meet, but they learn and grow from each other. There are great discussions around mysogny both in the context of this dangerous online gang, but Bugz also brings it up in light of some of the traditional ceremonies she's participated in. She feels torn "Between Two Worlds", where her online and physical lives contrast each other, as well as her contemporary take on Indigenous traditions vs what her parents and elders say. This made Bugz a very compelling character, and she really kept me pulled into the story. That and the gameplay!! Not only the platform itself, but I personally found the gameplay scenes fascinating! Walking in Two Worlds is unlike most other teen books I've read, and I truly think it deserves more hype.

One of my personal favourite reads of 2021, 'Walking in Two Worlds' was interesting in its story and characters. There was no shortage of richness in either aspect and it was a joy to read. My only criticism would be the sometimes uneven pacing, but other than that, I thought it was great. I would recommend it to fellow readers without hesitation.

A near-future story of a young Anishinaabe teen video gamer who rebuilt her culture in virtual reality. Bugz is a great character, but the pacing of this felt uneven to me and I wanted some of the story elements to feel a little stronger. A good quick read, especially for teens dedicated to gaming, feminism, decolonialism, and body positivity, but ultimately a little light.

My Thoughts:
This YA fantasy takes place after the current pandemic on an Anishinaabe reservation as well as in the "Floraverse." The two worlds that Bagonegiizhigok, "Bugz" and Feng walk are both in real life as well as in the virtual world. Like Ready Player One, life in the virtual or "Floraverse," is an ideal creation of the players where they can change skins, change identities, find clan and get followers even if in real life, they do not have friends.

For Bugz, she has found a way to give life to her culture and gain energy from sacred places both in the real world as well as in her created world. As the internationally top ranked warrior in the Floraverse, she is able to bring the creatures of her cultural stories to life like the Thunderbirds and Mishi-pizhiw, the underwater panther. Although the natural enemy of the Thunderbird, although these creatures try to fight with each other, Bugz is able to use them as her warriors against the Clan:LESS, an all male "misogynistic neo-alt-right mob" of warriors led by Alpha who want to find her power source and take her down. The fact that Feng, who is moved from China to live with his aunt on the same reservation is a member of Clan:LESS is the source of friction that is his own "two worlds" that he has to navigate.

As a middle grades YA fantasy, it is a fast read and I appreciate the resources at the back of the book for Indigenous youth to find mental health services. I wanted to see more of Bugz' older brother Waawaate and have his story more developed as well as the relationship between Bugz and her parents, but perhaps another story.

If students like this book, and want books for older YA, give them books by other Indigenous YA authors like Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger, Firekeeperʻs Daughter by Angeline Boulley and Huting by Stars Cherie Dimaline. If they are looking for younger or more middle grades, try Ancestor Approved by Cynthia Leitich Smith or Rez Dogs by Joseph Bruchac. For a nonfiction book, I like Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians but Were Afraid to Ask: Young Reader's Edition by Anton Treuer. For adult fiction, definitely There, There by Tommy Orange. I am still processing that read.

From the Publisher:
An Indigenous teen girl is caught between two worlds, both real and virtual, in the YA fantasy debut from bestselling Indigenous author Wab Kinew. Perfect for fans of Ready Player One and the Otherworld series.

Bugz is caught between two worlds. In the real world, she's a shy and self-conscious Indigenous teen who faces the stresses of teenage angst and life on the Rez. But in the virtual world, her alter ego is not just confident but dominant in a massively multiplayer video game universe.
Feng is a teen boy who has been sent from China to live with his aunt, a doctor on the Rez, after his online activity suggests he may be developing extremist sympathies. Meeting each other in real life, as well as in the virtual world, Bugz and Feng immediately relate to each other as outsiders and as avid gamers. And as their connection is strengthened through their virtual adventures, they find that they have much in common in the real world, too: both must decide what to do in the face of temptations and pitfalls, and both must grapple with the impacts of family challenges and community trauma.
But betrayal threatens everything Bugz has built in the virtual world, as well as her relationships in the real world, and it will take all her newfound strength to restore her friendship with Feng and reconcile the parallel aspects of her life: the traditional and the mainstream, the east and the west, the real and the virtual.

I really wanted to like this book, I really did, but I just didn’t.

I love Wab Kinew and I think the idea for the story is awesome but I just couldn’t get around the writing style, it sadly really distracted me from enjoying the book to the fullest.

This would be about 2.5 stars out of 5. I found the characters kind of annoying. There were certain plot points that were brushed over and ones that seemed kind of pointless. I don't want to sound mean but the girl kind of felt off. Overall very mediocre book that I really wish I could have loved.

Bugz is an Indigenous teen who is caught between two worlds. She’s one of the top players in a virtual world, where she can be the confident girl who commands attention. In the real world, she has to deal with racism and sexism in her community. Feng is a Chinese teenage boy who was sent to live with his aunt in Bugz’s community. He is also part of the virtual world, but he is part of the group against Bugz’s character. Bugz and Feng get to know each other in both the real and virtual world, until a betrayal threatens their new friendship.

This story was set in the future, years after 2021. Bugz’s parents mentioned the pandemic and how it changed their lives as teenagers. A lot of the world became more digital after that, including the virtual world that Bugz played on.

There were some tough subjects in this novel. Bugz and Feng had to deal with racism, in person and online. Bugz faced sexism within her own family and community. There were also instances of self harm and cancer. These were intense scenes but were also integral to telling a realistic story.

Walking in Two Worlds is a great young adult Indigenous story.

Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for an egalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wab Kinew's Ya novel introduces us to Bugz, a shy and self-conscious Indigenous teen who is caught between the world of virtual reality and her real world. Personal family crisis mixed in with a growing number of gamers who wish to crush the virtual civilization that Bugz has created kept me turning the pages.

The vocabulary of the virtual game world will no doubt entice readers who are in the gaming world. There were a few places that I was confused but overall I felt it was an interesting read.


Publication Date 14/09/21
Goodreads review published 14/11/21

There are some solid ideas at play here but the writing is rather scattered. Too many elements pulled in but never resolved.And the resolution was sort of confusing.

As an English teacher, I had some minor issues with the uneven pacing and lackluster writing of this YA novel. However, I think it would be a great text to use in the classroom.

I think that the use of video game vernacular will engage even the most hesitant of readers, allowing students to feel a sense of familiarity and ease.

And the underlying messages within the text are so relevant and relatable.

The novel has such an interesting perspective on self-image, mainly explored through the contrast between the protagonist's avatar and her appearance outside of the virtual world.

She is treated vastly differently based on her appearance.

The novel ultimately encourages readers to accept themselves as they are, despite the backlash Bugz receives from Feng and the alt-right due to her perceived "catfishing."

And the way that Bugz uses her Indigenous roots and ways of knowing to build her way to the top sends such an inclusive and necessary message.

But at times, the novel felt too "after school special," trying to navigate a plethora of other teen issues without giving them the attention required to make any meaningful impact.

Such is the case with the subtle references to self-harm and projected grief.

Nevertheless, this novel is sure to spark great conversations amongst young readers.

In this light, near-future science fiction, we follow Bugz, an Anishinaabe gamer at the top of a virtual reality game called the Floraverse. She is an expert at creating legendary creatures in the game, and she cherishes the opportunity to preserve her culture in this space. Our villains are a group of misogynistic, white gamer bros whining about their lot in life (so not much has changed). The pandemic is a historical event, the first in a wave of many throughout the decade, apparently (a depressing eventuality that I had trouble moving past). Prepare yourself for frequent artifacts of that history in scenery and conversation because I was a bit overwhelmed by it.

The book features some important conversations about race, gender, and genocide. Bugz has her own experiences with racism and sexism, some on the page and others merely referenced, but her love interest, Feng, also adds to the complex tapestry. As an Uyghur, Feng was sent to a government school in China to make him fit the cultural mold, something Bugz can relate to Indigenous residential schools. However, Feng is still subject to the brainwashing he experienced and has decided to support the gamer bros in the virtual world. This conflict puts a damper on an initial crush developing between the two characters, but their insta love does not falter as much as I would expect.

I am disappointed not to love this one. For one thing, the world-building only shows up a quarter of the way in after I had been struggling to understand the virtual/augmented reality setting. Even as a gamer, I floundered. The plot started to feel repetitive as Bugz uses similar tactics against the gamer bros in each new overwhelming attack. The battle scenes are long and follow similar patterns. Much less time was spent on the many major humanistic aspects of the story. Bugz has a brother with a terminal case of cancer, a would-be boyfriend who hung out in an alt-right group for years, and bullies that lead her to consider self-harm. Feng has brainwashing, bad friends, and strained family relationships to work through. Some of these specters are rapidly banished at the very end without buildup and others are left open-ended, so I was generally dissatisfied.

A specific and major concern I want to spotlight is Bugz's internalized fat-shaming and the way her weight is a near-constant topic in the story. The complicated conversation around virtual reality and body image is a valuable topic well-suited to this story's environment. However, the barrage of negative comments was jarring and two-dimensional. As a woman lucky enough not to have severe body image issues but still in a constant struggle over my weight and appearance (thanks, society), even I was triggered by the degree and tone of hatred. The nasty comments of others result in some apologies but not in what I would consider a heartfelt desire to change their mindsets. Bugz's journey results in an abrupt bout of self-love in the final pages that was not only unrealistic in terms of all her self-directed vitriol previously but I think also sets unfair expectations for others' journey with their bodies.

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Walking in Two Worlds is Indigenous author, Wab Kinew's, YA Fantasy debut. Set in the near future, following two teenagers, Bugz and Feng, this narrative swerves between our world and a VR-gaming world both teens are involved in, known as the Floraverse.

Bugz, an Indigenous teen, who grew up on the Rez, is shy and self-conscious in our world, but in the Floraverse, she's strong and confident. She's also the most powerful and popular player in the 'Verse.

Feng is a Chinese boy, recently sent to live on the Rez with his Aunt, the new family practicioner there. Feng was forced to flee China after his online activities suggested he was leaning towards extremist sympathies. He plays in the same game that Bugz dominates and is actually part of a group called, ClanLESS, who is promoting her downfall. Violently.

When Bugz and Feng meet at school, they hit it off right away. He doesn't recognize her from the 'Verse, as her persona there looks a lot different than she does in real life. As they build their relationship, it is finally revealed to him who she is. He's impressed. Instalove ensues and Feng's loyalties are put to the test. Can Bugz overcome the odds stacked against her?

Clearly, this is an over-simplification of the plot, but I think it is best to just go in knowing you will get great representation, exciting gaming elements, eye-opening commentary on some aspects of the Indigenous experience, as well as heartbreaking examinations of social anxiety, self-confidence and feelings of being powerless, voiceless or helpless.

Certain details of this story hit me hard, but it was a mixed bag. While I genuinely appreciate the level of creativity Kinew brought to this story, including some really great current social issues, I couldn't help but feel that Bugz and Feng played second fiddle to all of that.

It felt like they weren't built-out as much as they could have been. Maybe it was because the book was fairly short, but the insta-love was too heavy for my taste and their personalities felt very flat. I wanted to know them more and I don't think Kinew had the chance to really allow them any growth.

The gaming elements were quite well done. I thought it was exciting and vividly-described. Even though I knew that was a virtual reality, it still hurt my heart when events happened in the game that had a negative impact on Bugz. The game is so much a part of her life. It is where she feels the most strength; the most like her true self. That was impactful. Well done by Kinew.

Towards the end, there were a couple of plot points that didn't sit quite right with me; for example, an event involving ClanLESS in real life. I believe I understand the symbolism behind that being included, but it just didn't make practical sense. Also, I was hoping for more personal growth from Bugz. I will admit to being a little unsatisfied with her trajectory.

With this being said, this is a very good story. It's fast-paced and I really feel like I got a lot out of it. My hope is that this makes it into a lot of school libraries in the United States and Canada. I think YA-Readers will really relate to a lot of the topics explored within this story and the representation is so needed.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Penguin Teen, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I had a lot of fun spending time with Bugz and shed a few tears along the way. I really hope that Wab Kinew continues to write in the YA-Fantasy space. I would love to read more from him!

Read if you like: science fiction that takes place in the future, video games.
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Bug is a successful gamer, but in the real world, she is a self-conscious Indigenous teen. Throughout the novel she tries to reconcile her online persona with her real world personality, all while battling personal and family trauma.
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I loved how the author incorporated traditional elements into the video game, and that the reason Bug was so successful in the game was because she knew how to love and respect the land and the animals. The book also looks at the impact the pandemic had on Indigenous populations.
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The book also includes a character named Feng, who moves from China. His family was impacted by the Uyghur genocide in China.
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CW: sexism, racism, body image issues, bullying, cancer/illness of a family member, white supremacy, Uyghur genocide, and pandemics.

Definitely a lot to like here but the pacing felt off in a lot of places and the middle seemed to drag. Still enough good things to round up to 4 stars.