Walking in Two Worlds: A Memorable Read with Insightful Characters

In this YA fantasy novel written by Canadian author Wab Kinew, an Indigenous teen girl, Bugz Holiday, tries to balance her two lives – real and virtual. Told in two different perspectives, Walking in Two Worlds is the first book in a duology. In the real world, Bugz lives on the Rez (reserve) and is shy and socially awkward. She constantly compares herself to others. But in the Floraverse (shortened to ‘Verse), a famous video game universe, she is the most well-known and powerful gamer. When she meets Feng, who just moved to the Rez, she is at first wary of him. In the ‘Verse, Feng is part of Clan:LESS, a ruthless misogynistic group of people led by Alpha, a cruel leader. Feng and Bugz can’t help being drawn to each other, both on the Rez and in the ‘Verse, especially after they discover they’re not so different. They both find solace in each other’s company, and ultimately become great friends.  

Wab Kinew did an impressive job of creating characters that are realistic and relatable. The characters are depicted in such a way that you can relate to them and to the problems they face.

Kinew delved into the thoughts of the characters, describing their emotions thoroughly. He made sure that the readers could comprehend what Bugz and Feng were going through, and it was very clear that these characters weren’t flawless, rather they continued on and fought despite their flaws.

In Bugz’s case, I liked how it was shown that she had to face many different problems, both in the ‘Verse and on the Rez. In the real world, Bugz always second-guesses herself. She’s constantly worrying about how she looks and whether people think she’s fat. Bugz has problems with her physical appearance, and it often spurs on her anxiety. It’s seen even more when her Versona (her virtual counterpart) looks completely different from Bugz. “After spending years cursing her belly fat, and studying her profile in the mirror, Bugz had poured a ridiculous amount of resources into perfecting her Versona with a lean, trim waist.” (Kinew, Chapter 7) Many people can relate to Bugz’s anxiety and the way she feels about her body image.

Feng is an intriguing character. He was taken from his parents as a young child and later sent to live on the Rez with his aunt. He is also part of Clan:LESS, which is something that he and Bugz often argue about. Feng sometimes feels conflicted when it comes to them. He knows Clan:LESS is not a good group of people and he doesn’t agree with their sexist beliefs, but he considers them his family. He spent most of his life without his parents, so when he discovered Clan:LESS, he was overjoyed to find people who would have his back, to find a place where he felt he truly belonged. He has many friends there, but he also deeply cares for Bugz and values their friendship. The contradictory feelings that Feng often feels makes his confidence and assurance waiver, but this also makes his perspective much more interesting to read.

My favorite character in this novel is Stormy. She is a side character, so she might be considered one of the non-important characters. Although it’s true that the author didn’t delve too deeply into Stormy’s personality, to me, she was truly amazing.

For the first big half of Walking in Two Worlds, Stormy was seen as a bully, alongside another girl, Chalice. Together, they often made belittling comments about Bugz and took advantage of the fact that they were older and slimmer. They tried to make Bugz feel worse about herself – knowing that Bugz had issues with her physical appearance. The bullying was mostly from Chalice, though, and at a time when Bugz felt betrayed and hurt, Stormy was there to comfort her. I admired Stormy’s kindness and compassion, as well as her understanding of Bugz’s heartbreak. There is a sort of gentle, wise aura that seems to envelop you when Stormy talks. She was there as a friend to support Bugz when her brother, Waawate, became sick. I really liked Stormy because in Bugz’s time of need, she really stepped up and was there to make her feel better, telling her that it’s okay to feel sad sometimes. I only wish Stormy had been given a chance to grow as a character, and that I’d gotten to discover more than just a glimpse of her.

Usually, when reading a book, I always reach a point where I can guess the ending. In Walking in Two Worlds, it wasn’t the case, because the main character already was the hero – at least in the virtual world. Bugz was a fierce warrior who fought against Clan:LESS’s tyrannical actions, and always managed to beat them, even if she was largely outnumbered. This made it harder for me to guess the ending, since I wasn’t sure where the story was going. Would there be a final battle? A big reveal? I was desperate to know how Walking in Two Worlds would end, even riveted because for once, I had no idea what would happen.

Walking in Two Worlds is set in the near future. It is quite a few years after the Covid pandemic, and technology has advanced quite a lot. One example is the Floraverse. The Floraverse was built during the pandemic for everyone to use. Hackers made an augmented reality (AR) platform that governments couldn’t monitor. Then they distributed it all across a blockchain. It is amazing how Wab Kinew managed to invent such an elaborate universe, especially one set in the future.

It’s not like other science-fiction novels, with aliens, spaceships, and mind-blowing inventions. It’s much simpler and actually very realistic. I enjoyed this even more than what you’d usually see in sci-fi books.

Walking in Two Worlds is one of those few novels that incorporate real-life issues and talk about them. Walking in Two Worlds puts emphasis on problems that a lot of people can truly relate to, like Bugz’s body image issues. It also talks a lot about Indigenous culture and its importance to Indigenous People, such as passing down their traditions and beliefs. In the Floraverse, Bugz has an army of supernatural creatures that she creates, like the Thunderbird and Mishi-pizhiw (an underwater panther), which are based on Anishinaabe culture.

There is one thing that I particularly loved about Walking in Two Worlds and that was the pacing. I found that the story of Walking in Two Worlds unfolded wonderfully and calmly. There was a certain clarity that came with the way that all the chapters followed each other, how they all lined up with new information. I always find it better when the plot steadily unfurls (unless it’s a fast-paced thriller). This way, readers have the time to take in all the information and never feel like the story is leaving them behind.

Walking in Two Worlds has an amazing story to tell. Wab Kinew created a wonderfully descriptive and immersive book, full of poignant but humorous moments. At first glance it might not seem very special, but I can’t count how many times I found myself inexplicably drawn to this novel. A thought-provoking and astonishing book, that is the beauty of Walking in Two Worlds.