This is the sequel to Touching Spirit Bear, which I gave a 5-star rating earlier in the year. After a conversation with a teacher about possible cultural appropriation in the book Walk Two Moons, I did a bit of research on the author and how accurately he did his own research on Tlingit culture, which he relies on in the book. The author claims he talked to a First Nation leader about the idea of exile as a substitute for the juvenile jailing, ancestor rocks, totem carving, etc. Based on a cursory glances about appropriation in TSB, responses seem mixed, with slightly more criticism aimed at Mikaelsen for not correctly representing Tlingit culture. 

This book is less steeped in the lore and culture of the Tlingit people, but the idea left a bad taste in my mouth anyways. All that aside though, if you shear the first book of all its potential appropriation and tropes, it’s one of the best exploration of toxic masculine aggression in young people that I have ever read, and I’m sad it’s muddied by poor research and work on the author’s part. All that aside, however, the second book falls short of all my expectations. 

The premise is simple: having solved the anger and violence in himself, and having made amends for permanently injuring another kid in a violent attack, Cole must return to school, a place wracked by bullying, drugs, and gangs. I liked that premise, as it took the internal conflict of the first book and had a chance to make it an external conflict that perhaps people could apply to their own school. But the characters in this book were so shallow compared to the first that it felt difficult to get invested at all. 

In addition, whereas the emotional climax of TSB was “Can Cole control his violence and make amends for his attack?”, the emotional climax of GOSB is, “Can they change the mascot of their school from a bulldog to a Spirit Bear?” The topic of mascot appropriation aside, this is such a weaker narrative question than the first book. I found myself rolling my eyes often, because while I agree that mascots are symbolically important, it just didn’t feel as sincere and life-changing as the first book forcing Cole to make amends, very slowly, for his past mistakes. 

I’m disappointed that the sequel set up such an interesting premise and just didn’t deliver. I will continue to discuss the first book and to what extent it appropriates Tlingit, and to what extent we can extract useful themes and messages from a book despite that knowledge.