Wild Ride

Emily Walters Gregor is a graduate student in 20th-century American
literature and an ESL writing tutor at the University of Minnesota.

In this stand-alone sequel to Lightning Rider, 17-year-old January
Fournier has recently moved to Banff, Alberta, with her mother and her
new stepfather, an RCMP officer. She is an outsider at her new high
school with her Metis features and her love for speeding along mountain
roads on her motorcycle, and so is excited when Willow Whitecloud comes
to stay with her family as an RCMP summer student.

Like Jan, Willow loves motorcycles and the open spaces of the Alberta
landscape. But while Jan grew up Catholic in a small town, Willow was
raised on a reserve and with a greater awareness of Aboriginal
traditions. Jan is intrigued by Willow’s sweetgrass ceremonies and
respect for all living things, and through Willow, she begins to explore
her own Metis heritage. Consequently, the serial poaching of dozens of
grizzly bears near Banff devastates Jan, and she sets out to find the
hunter with the help of her computer-whiz friend, Liam. When the death
of each bear connects the crime more and more closely with Willow,
everything that Jan has learned is thrown into question.

While the mystery plays out in a somewhat predictable manner, this
novel has many redeeming qualities. Jan, Willow, and Liam are all
compelling, complicated characters who, in the course of the story, work
through personal dilemmas, troubled relationships, and spiritual
questions relevant to both male and female young readers. The
introduction to Aboriginal traditions provided in the book is
interesting and instructive, but never didactic. Fast-paced, engaging,
and emotionally deep, Wild Ride is highly recommended.