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4.19 AVERAGE
4.19 AVERAGE
5 ⭐️
A great middle-grade book for gently broaching the subject of surviving child abuse.
We follow ten year old Sam and her older sister. They have been freshly relocated by child services from Los Angeles to their aunt’s house in wooded Oregon.
A great middle-grade book for gently broaching the subject of surviving child abuse.
We follow ten year old Sam and her older sister. They have been freshly relocated by child services from Los Angeles to their aunt’s house in wooded Oregon.
I had a little trouble getting into this book in the first few chapters. Once I did (around page 74) I could not put the book down. I found the setting, plot and characters (even the secondary ones) well developed.
A quick but poignant read that does a beautiful job of sharing and respecting the complexities of abusive relationships. This book was truly touching and gave such hope.
adventurous
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you Edelweiss+ for an advanced reader copy of this book for an honest review.
This book is about Sam and her sister who has been taken from her home by social services and sent to live with her Aunt and her wife who she didn't know about. There are small clues throughout the book as to why they were taken from her home, but nothing definite until the end of the book.
Sam is given a card game from her Aunt as a birthday game. Almost immediately, she starts seeing the fox, Ashander, from the game. He talks to her and tells her that he has a way for her to get home and all she has to do is past his tests. Ashander is charming, manipulative, scary, and dangerous.
Read this book! It was wonderful and so heartwarming. I cried, I laughed, and I cheered for Sam and her family.
Find out what happened to Sam and her sister. It's a wonderful way to tell a story that no one usually talks about and how to get other children to speak up.
This book is about Sam and her sister who has been taken from her home by social services and sent to live with her Aunt and her wife who she didn't know about. There are small clues throughout the book as to why they were taken from her home, but nothing definite until the end of the book.
Sam is given a card game from her Aunt as a birthday game. Almost immediately, she starts seeing the fox, Ashander, from the game. He talks to her and tells her that he has a way for her to get home and all she has to do is past his tests. Ashander is charming, manipulative, scary, and dangerous.
Read this book! It was wonderful and so heartwarming. I cried, I laughed, and I cheered for Sam and her family.
Find out what happened to Sam and her sister. It's a wonderful way to tell a story that no one usually talks about and how to get other children to speak up.
Sam and Caitlin are suddenly sent to Oregon to live with their aunts after an upsetting incident no one wants to talk about. Aunt Vicky introduces Sam a card game where a fox and squirrels comes to life to help Sam find the Golden Acorn and fix everything that’s upside down - but what if it’s not just a game anymore? What if the fox and squirrels are something much scarier and real? This book is clever and tear jerker but reminds the reader that you are never truly alone - even the bravest of squirrels can find safe family & friends.
Although the protagonist is 11, I would NOT recommend this to young readers. It’s more appropriate for at least 13 and up if not older.
Trigger warning with details - highlight trauma (contains spoilers):
- allegory for physical and emotional abuse
- child abuse is mentioned but not described in great detail. (father intentionally breaks their child’s arm, mother tells their daughters repeatedly not to say anything about the abuse, CPS workers talk briefly with the children and aunts about how they are doing; their mother disrespects boundaries and doesn’t allow the children to have doors that lock and walks in regardless of child’s requests)
- describes some PTSD symptoms including heart racing (Sam calls it the “rabbit heart”). Sam freezes when her sister accidentally drops a glass of orange juice and it shatters. Sam expresses being worried everyone is mad at her or will hurt or abandon her.
- Sam keeps trauma symptoms and fears a secret from family and friends; she gets angry when others try to say bad things about her family because she wants to be reunited. She also receives a letter from her parents but the book doesn’t say what the letter says because the letter is given to the CPS worker; the children never read it.
Although the protagonist is 11, I would NOT recommend this to young readers. It’s more appropriate for at least 13 and up if not older.
Trigger warning with details - highlight trauma (contains spoilers):
- allegory for physical and emotional abuse
- child abuse is mentioned but not described in great detail. (father intentionally breaks their child’s arm, mother tells their daughters repeatedly not to say anything about the abuse, CPS workers talk briefly with the children and aunts about how they are doing; their mother disrespects boundaries and doesn’t allow the children to have doors that lock and walks in regardless of child’s requests)
- describes some PTSD symptoms including heart racing (Sam calls it the “rabbit heart”). Sam freezes when her sister accidentally drops a glass of orange juice and it shatters. Sam expresses being worried everyone is mad at her or will hurt or abandon her.
- Sam keeps trauma symptoms and fears a secret from family and friends; she gets angry when others try to say bad things about her family because she wants to be reunited. She also receives a letter from her parents but the book doesn’t say what the letter says because the letter is given to the CPS worker; the children never read it.
medium-paced
so SO good
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Full review to come 10th April, 2020.
This is a beautifully written uplifting book with difficult themes and I recommend it very highly.
This is a beautifully written uplifting book with difficult themes and I recommend it very highly.
This is one of my new favorite middle grade books! It also kind of wrecked me. This is the story of 2 sisters who are sent to live with an aunt in rural Oregon for an unknown reason. As the story progresses we find out why and it’s heartbreaking. The author doesn’t tell you much about Sam and Caitlin's father, and she doesn’t even directly tell you much about the fox. Instead, throughout the story, there are the rules of playing the card game Fox & Squirrels. Part of the game is to win the fox’s favor by showing your loyalty.
“A happy Fox requires very little effort to please. Give the Fox a pair of matching cards, and he’ll stay happy. You can continue on with your day. Earning the favor of a charming Fox is trickier. Sometimes three cards of the same number will appease him, and sometimes he wants three cards with their numbers all in a row. It’s all about what the Fox wants in that particular moment, and no one knows what that is except the Fox! Try everything you can think of. Be as clever as you dare. Hope for the best.”
Basically the game is used as a metaphor for the abuse the girls received at home at the hands of their father. Samantha’s selective memory of past events is also woven into the narrative. I truly believe this story addressed abuse in maybe the most clever, sensitive, and most powerful way I've ever read. I highly recommend it.