Wab KinewBesprekingen

I decided to read the first book in this series prior to reading this book when I received this book as an ARC. While the first book seemed like it could have been a standalone book, this installment seemed to be a good addition to the series. It delved into the depths of the grief Bugz felt after losing her brother. I really enjoyed this book.

“The Everlasting Road” by Wab Kinew is a beautifully written and thought-provoking novel that delves into themes of culture, identity, and resilience. As a reader who had not read the first book in the series, I was pleasantly surprised by how easily I was able to follow along with the story. Kinew's writing is so engaging and descriptive that it transported me effortlessly into the world he has created.

What truly made this reading experience special was the fact that my fiancé, who is Native, also found great enjoyment in the story. The representation of Native culture and the exploration of Indigenous perspectives in the narrative resonated deeply with both of us, sparking meaningful discussions about heritage and tradition.

Kinew's characters are richly developed and their emotional journeys are compelling, drawing the reader in and evoking empathy. The way Kinew weaves together past and present, blending history with contemporary issues, adds layers of complexity to the narrative and elevates the storytelling to a profound level.

Overall, "The Everlasting Road" is a powerful and moving read that stays with you long after you have turned the last page. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a poignant exploration of cultural identity, beautifully crafted characters, and a story that resonates on a universal level.

I received this book to review and I wanted so much to like it. I liked the characters, I liked learning about their lives. In fact all of the book that took place in the real world I really enjoyed. I like learning about the folklore and culture of our hero. However this is a science fiction story, and it was not good science fiction. I understand wanting to place the main character in a futuristic setting both as a way to physically manifest the folklore aspects and to show the culture is still alive in today's world. There was so much to like, but every time we returned to the virtual reality aspect i wanted to put the book down and walk away. There is much better science fiction out there if that is what you are looking for, and to me that was very off-putting.

I guess it will be a while before there is another book in this series. The author, Wab Kinew, is now the Premier of Manitoba after his New Democratic Party won a majority in the 2023 fall election. The Ethics Commissioner then told the premier he should not write any more books while in office or promote his existing books. So, it will probably be at least 4 years before he writes more books. (Frankly, I don't know how he had the time to write while leader of his party and an active politician with a young family but he's a very driven man.)

This is the second of the Floraverse books but I must confess I didn't read the first one. However, that didn't seem to be a problem with figuring out the plot. Bugz is a young Anishinaabe girl living on a reserve in what I think is probably North-western Ontario. As the story opens, she is grieving for her older brother who has recently died of cancer. Bugz is heartbroken but she has a plan that she hopes will allow her to continue to engage with her brother. She is a master in the online game set in the Floraverse and she has used her special powers in that universe to create a bot that looks just like her brother. As an AI construct he can learn and improve his skills and that creates a problem. Bugz confides in her best friend, Feng, who is also playing the game. Feng lives with his aunt on the reserve but he is originally from China and a member of the Uighur Muslim minority. He had to leave when his parents were taken to jail and he hasn't heard from them in a long time. Feng and Bugz help and support each other both in the game and out of it. Soon, their relationship moves past friendship in real life. In the game, however, they have to find some way to rein in the bot she Bugz created.

This book is geared toward the Young Adult readers which I am not. I am also not a gamer so I probably missed out on some things but I enjoyed learning about Bugz Anishinaabe culture and Feng's background. I think the author has found a great way to connect with young indigenous people and I hope this book gets into public and school libraries where they can access it.

This book is great for 3rd-5th grade students. It has very colorful and beautiful illustrations. It tells an amazing story of Indigenous People and their successions and accomplishments. This is a very positive and encouraging book and I would definitely have it in my future classroom.

This book is good for students at an intermediate level. It is about a celebration of 13 indigenous heroes from throughout history. The book showcases their accomplishments and heroics through words and beautiful illustrations. I would introduce this book to my classroom to show my students the incredible things these heroes have done and how they affect our world today.

Have to start this review off by saying that if you read the first book and are hesitant to read this one: do it! I enjoyed this a lot more than the first book. my main issue with the first book was that it felt like there were lots of good ideas, but none of them got to ne fully fledged out because the author was trying to cram too many things into a shorter book, without picking one to be the main plot line. In this sequel you can clearly feel how teh author's writing has improved and the plot is much more clear, as well as the entire AR/spirit world concept being better explained.

I too started reading this book with a little apprehension as I finished teh first book less than a week before and did not really feel that it needed a sequel, the way it ended was actually my favourite part of the book and felt fit for a standalone. So I was already going in with a not-so-open mind. I think the beginning of the book was a little weak but that was likely not helped by my mindset. Luckily teh flow picked up and I was happy to get to know more about how the Floraverse works and Bugz unique place within it. The characters were a big highlight of book one, and I am very glad they got to be more fleshed out in this sequel rather than being overwhelmed by too many plot points again.

Bugz is still very much a moody teenager who makes rash decisions, but being able to see her and Feng's character growth from being around each other was nice. I was especially happy that Feng got more humanity infused into him, a little less like a lifeless side character than book one. Waawaate's part in this book was also beautiful, I won't spoil it but I think it was a very special wat to help readers learn and appreciate certain parts of native cultural aspects in a way that blended well with the story rather than reading like an informative pamphlet the way some books can.

My only real complaint is chapter 46, if you know you know. If you don't know I'll just say it felt like it was tossed in to tie up a loose end between to wonderful, heartfelt chapters.

With all that said I would definitely be interested in delving into The Floraverse more, but I sort of hope this is the end of Bugz story for us. Would love a prequel explaining the game even more or a sequel the pov of another character later on.

Finished "The Everlasting Road" by Wab Kinew. A compelling sequel delving into Bugz's journey post-tragedy, wrestling with grief in the Floraverse. The AI brother twist adds complexity, but the storyline occasionally feels formulaic. Kinew successfully intertwines Indigenous themes, providing cultural depth. Despite some predictability, it addresses relevant issues. While not surpassing the first, it's a solid installment. A good blend of VR, emotion, and culture. Suitable for YA enthusiasts seeking diverse narratives.

Thank you Library Thing and Tundra Book Group for this ARC.

I thoroughly enjoyed this return to the Floraverse series by Wab Kinew. After the death of her older brother, Waawaate, Bugz secretly works on a bot within her virtual gaming world. The bot looks just like her brother and acts like him. However, the bot soon grows too powerful and Bugz has to deal with him before he takes over the entire Spirit World (within the game).

In the meantime, Feng and Bugz are still dating. Feng is dealing with new discoveries about his parents. Clan:LESS is still on the rampage. Bugz and Feng must take a stand against them.

I absolutely loved the first book in this series and the sequel was a great follow up. I really enjoy Wab Kinew's writing style and the worlds he creates in his books.

It took me a bit to get into this book but once I did it was so good: I particularly enjoyed the blending of game metaphors and Anishinaabe mythic figures, while weaving through stories about grief and griefers and AI and love and loss. Although this is a series it felt standalone enough, but I do want to go get the first book out now!

A sci-fi adventure with an Indigenous twist. When Bugz loses her brother to cancer, she decides to recreate an AI version of Waawaate in the virtual Floraverse, a popular Virtual Reality game in which she is renown as the top player. What started with good intentions and a way for Bugz to deal with her grief, suddenly takes a turn for the worse as Waawaate transforms into a powerful evil adversary. Traditional knowledge, the importance of family, and resolving conflicts all play important roles in this fast paced tale. I highly recommend this book for middle grade and YA readers looking for works by Indigenous authors.

The four stars is mostly due to stormys ending. Not saying she can't have a full life or love again but just feels off for me. Overall with Feng waawate pov bugs the support of the rez her parents and the grief reflected in her creation I think its a good ending. I feel more connected to the culture. I wish I got to know fengs fate. A real kiss is better than virtual. For the sequel it did okay. As usual honest about struggles of life even a futuristic one.

In The Everlasting Road Bugz returns to the virtual world of the Floraverse, where she has both fans and enemies. In order to maintain her strength in the Floraverse, and to help her cope with her brother Waawaate's recent death, she creates an AI replica of him as a virtual warrior. But dealing with her grief this way prevents her from dealing with the life and love that surround her — as well as dealing with her detractors and critics. How will Bugz find healing and stay on her Path?

I found this novel difficult to follow; perhaps I needed to have read Book 1 in the series, Walking in Two Worlds, before starting this one. But for readers looking for complex, contemporary Indigenous stories, this novel is a fast-paced place to start.
½

I read this book without having read the first in the series and found that it was still highly enjoyable - definitely can be a stand-alone! The Everlasting Road is an engaging young adult fiction (not quite sci-fi but has some futuristic tech elements) that focuses on both adolescent and Indigenous issues in an accessible and heartfelt way. It also touched on themes of grief, family, healing and current events related to the Uighur Muslim population. Definitely learned a lot about different cultures in this read! I also thought the author created a pretty fascinating (scarily possible) cyberworld where a large part of the book took place which highlighted pitfalls of social media and online presence.

Having not read the first book, I struggled to get into this. The book is choppy and there's no segue between the floraverse and the real world, the characters are just there in the next chapter. I enjoyed learning about Anishnaabe culture and there are some clever concepts plot-wise but the writing is inconsistent, particularly Kinew's action scenes where there's a tendency to tell instead of show. I hope Wab keeps doing kids books because I'm quite sure he'll be turning out blockbusters with a little practice (and a more invested editor?) but this reads like the publisher put this out before it was ready because they knew the author's name would propel sales and I find myself disappointed by the result.
I received a free copy of this book for review.

Bugz, a player who gained fame in the virtual world Floraverse, is reeling after the death of her brother. She tries to keep him with her by building a virtual version of him, but that goes terribly wrong as the AI has a mind and mission of its own.
Bugz has an incredibly supportive family and she leans into her Anishinaabe community. Her friend/boyfriend Feng is also dealing with his own issues in a subplot about his family and the Chinese government.
The book flips between the virtual and real world. It took me awhile to get through the book. I'm seeing this book is book 2 of the series, after reading, and that might help explain why the narrative didn't engage me - maybe I was dropping in in the middle.½

This was a good story. It wasn’t great. I did feel like one thing lacked closure at the end, but otherwise it was enjoyable.

I thought there was an opportunity to do more with the Waawaate AI which was squandered. I was more let down by what felt like wasted potential than anything the book actively did wrong. Bugz’s grief over the loss of her brother and the way she copes were a central point in the narrative. And I did appreciate the commentary on how people judge others grieving process as it was conveyed through members of Bugz’s community judging her for grieving “wrong” or appearing to move on too quickly. Bugz’s creation of an in-game bot that looks and was supposed to act like her brother seemed like another way to dig into Bugz’s experiences of grief and loss in a deep way. Instead, the Waawaate-AI has a very generic evil, rogue AI plot line that felt divorced from and shallow compared to the characters struggles in the real world.

I definitely recommend reading the previous book first (Walking in Two Worlds) as this does not stand on it's own. It would be too confusing by itself. I found the book entertaining and thoughtfully written. It has great representation for an under-represented group (Indigenous teens). It was a little younger read than I was expecting, maybe even for a slightly younger audience than the first book in the series. My 12 year old neighbor read both books and she loved them, so don't discount this series for those in the 10 to 13 age bracket. There's good character development and the story moves along fast enough to keep you engaged. Overall, I think this is a good series for YA's & younger. I think it's a little too young for adults though.

This is a wonderfully empowering book for all children to read and learn from. It informs Indigenous and non-Indigenous children of what they and those around them are capable of. The author includes 13 Indigenous heroes in this beautifully illustrated book. Good for ages 8+.

This is a wonderfully empowering book for all children to read and learn from. It informs Indigenous and non-Indigenous children of what they and those around them are capable of. The author includes 13 Indigenous heroes in this beautifully illustrated book. Good for ages 8+.

Primary-Intermediate
Book in verse about many indigenous heroes from across history.
Would be great for biography reports.

I would read this to primary. This book is about indigenous people and their accomplishments. I would read this to show kids they can do whatever they want to in life.

Grades 7-10 /* Starred Review */ 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). In the virtual realm of the Floraverse, Bugz is an unbeatable warrior with seemingly limitless power to create mythical creatures and hardcore weapons. Her only real enemy is Clan:LESS, a group of alt-right gamers who despise women in gaming and who want nothing more than to rule the Floraverse. In real life, Bugz is an Anishinaabe girl living with her family on the rez, where she also feels out of place because of certain gender-based traditions. When she meets Feng, a Uyghur Muslim boy who has fled China, Bugz realizes she isn’t the only one feeling trapped between two worlds . After finding out that Feng is a member of Clan:LESS, though, Bugz has to fight even harder to figure out her place in both the Floraverse and the real world and to sort out her relationship with Feng. Kinew (Go Show the World , 2018) explores real-world teen struggles with identity, toxic masculinity, and complicated family and cultural dynamics, as well as generational shifts relating to (and relying on) technology, all set against the backdrop of a post-pandemic, high-tech future. -- Rob Bittner (Reviewed 10/15/2021) (Booklist, vol 118, number 4, p52)

This is a book that is meant to inspire readers by identifying and informing readers of amazing/famous Native American peoples. This book includes brief biographies of all of the people mentioned at the end of the book. This book is written from the perspective of a Native American author. This book would be best for third through fifth graders.