Walking in Two Worlds by Wab Kinew

There is both a depth and a playfulness in the telling of this YA story about Bugz and Feng. They live in a post pandemic, futuristic world where young people live not just in a virtual reality but also in an augmented reality. They constantly see the world through their phones.

The main characters, Bugz and Feng are gamers and online enemies. They come from two different cultures and continents and yet they find a commonality in the suffering of their people and their need to belong. While Bugz wants to rebuild, Feng wants to forget.

While the story largely occurs in a gaming world, you don’t have to be a gamer to read this book. It is beautiful, intense, and has difficult themes to process from body shaming and self harm to racism and assault. But there is a great restorative arc that will have you rooting for Bugz and Feng and their respective journeys.