The Everlasting Road
The Everlasting Road
Bugz felt the pit of her stomach jump. She had to close her eyes to center herself again. Ever since she’d activated him in Mishi-pizhiw’s nest deep below the water’s surface, this virtual version of Waawaate had been able to learn every trick she’d shown him. Most of the time, as in this case, he not only learned the technique but figured out a way to do it faster and better than Bugz. It was almost scary how quickly he learned. But she wasn’t about to be outdone.
Bugz refocused on the crest of red flowers and, using the power of her intuitive understanding of the block-chain gaming engine that powered the Floraverse, brought it back to catch up to the bot’s blue one. From then on, as in any good sibling rivalry, Bugz and the Waawaate-bot battled move for move, each trying to steer their own wave of flowers closer and quicker beneath them so they might control the group’s flight path.
The combined effect of the dueling floral racers was of a tower of concentric red and blue spirals shooting up to the heavens at rocket speed. This double-helix recalled the shape of a giant strand of DNA, and it pushed the three ever higher into the clear sky above Lake of the Torches.
During the flight, Feng whispered to Bugz, “Don’t you think you should rein him in? What if he gets out of control . . . a singularity sort of thing?”
Nearing the edge of space, Bugz simply smiled at Feng and looked back at the bot she was engaged in this back-and-forth with. She didn’t see a virtual being or an AI, much less a threat to her online world.
Bugz only saw her brother.
After her brother Waawaate dies of cancer, Bugz returns to the world of the Floraverse where she enjoys plotting, attacking, and using her skills and talent to overcome the members of Clan:LESS, her long-time virtual enemies. And Bugz has been working on a secret weapon, a bot designed to look just like her deceased brother and who will be at her side during her virtual battles. Little does she know that the bot will turn out to be far more than she bargained for. Meanwhile, her friend Feng is also dealing with unexpected personal issues as he finds out that his parents are alive and are trying to contact him. While welcome on one hand, this news may change Feng’s life completely, and he must be ready for the upheaval.
The Everlasting Road is a sequel to Wab Kinew’s earlier novel, Walking in Two Worlds, and the characters and settings will be familiar to readers. This is a coming-of-age novel in which Bugz must overcome both physical and emotional obstacles in order to gain more self-confidence and self-esteem. The Waawaate-bot is a manifestation of her grief over her brother’s death, and it is only when Bugz deals with this in the virtual world that she can also gain more control of her emotions in the real world.
Feng, meanwhile, continues to be Bugz’s steadfast friend and companion who is ready to support her in the Floraverse and in real life. The news of his parents’ reappearance shocks and surprises him, but this steady and solid character appears able to cope with whatever comes his way.
Waawaate also appears in the novel as he makes his way along the everlasting road toward the spirit realm. Elders and others have provided advice for him as he follows his dangerous path to his new reality. The everlasting road of the title refers to “the path you walk on in through life…and…the path that souls take after they leave this world.” (p. 87) In the final pages, Kinew pulls together Bugz, Feng, Waawaate and the bot in a clever and unexpected step toward the denouement of the novel.
The Everlasting Road has a multitude of themes nicely woven together in a story which is packed with action and emotion. Kinew mentions residential schools and likens the children’s loss of parents and community with Feng’s Uighar background which also forced him away from everything he knew and cherished as a child. Kinew introduces readers to the Anishinaabe way of life and opens a window on a lifestyle and way of approaching the world which may seem new and different to his readers.
Bugz must learn to handle overwhelming grief in the story, and her efforts show just how difficult this is. She turns out to be a positive and inspiring character who learns to cope with reality despite setbacks and emotions which threaten to derail her. Feng’s earlier grief over the split with his family echoes Bugz’s feelings, and both characters illustrate Kinew’s theme of the importance of fitting in with one’s community and having family love and support.
The Everlasting Road has aspects of both fantasy and science-fiction. The AR and VR elements give it a futuristic feel, and the many scenes within the Floraverse use technology as an important part of the setting and the plot. The book could also be classified as an adventure as well as a drama, a coming-of-age story, and a glimpse of life as an Anishinaabe teen. In other words, there is something for everyone, whether indigenous or not, in this exciting novel.
Both Bugz and Feng are able to work through their problems and emotions in the pages of the story. For teens who are encountering similar life issues, Kinew has included a list of culturally safe resources available both in Canada and in the United States.
Readers see Bugz and Feng in the midst of their life journey, and hopefully Kinew will choose to continue this series so we can get to know them better and learn more from their experiences and wisdom.
Ann Ketcheson, a retired teacher-librarian and high school teacher of English and French, lives in Ottawa, Ontario.