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4.24 AVERAGE
4.24 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was one of my favorites and I loved the suspense
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
I really, really liked this (even though it used the dreaded verb “padded” about two dozen times; blech). The narrative felt fresh while being referential in all the right ways, the structure was tight and creative, and the characters were fun and lovable and heartbreaking. My 11yo worried it would be too babyish, but aside from the fact that it wasn’t particularly scary (nor did it intend to be), he really got into the drama of these tiny foxes growing up into young adult foxes right before our eyes. I’ll definitely read more by this (hometown SLC*) author.
*One of the storylines smacked of a polygamous cult leader trying to make a teen girl his next wife, and heeeey, I see what you did there, my guy.
*One of the storylines smacked of a polygamous cult leader trying to make a teen girl his next wife, and heeeey, I see what you did there, my guy.
This was really fun--unique and captivating. I am not sure about sharing this one with animal-loving children though. It is brutal in places and could be upsetting. But, still... so fun.
It is difficult to pin down exactly what I think of this one. On the one hand, it is a quite unpleasant and disturbing book. It is a children’s book and, as a child, I would have absolutely hated it. One: I was easily frightened and hated scary stories. Two: I was much more vested in animal characters than human ones and much more upset when bad things happened to animals. So eight-year-old Stacy likely wouldn’t have made it past the first few pages of this one. Even thirty-nine-year-old Stacy considered stopping after the first two stories.
And that would have been a shame. Because it is also a quite beautiful and brilliant book. It is very well written. The illustrations are lovely. Much of the brilliance (and trauma) lies in the fact that the horror, while still sticking to traditional horror forms, is all true to life. Foxes likely do face most of this kind of brutality pretty regularly. But when the foxes are anthropomorphic and relatable, it makes for a gruesome read. It is reminiscent of “Watership Down”, but I liked this one considerably more.
Great choice for all those kids who crave disturbing stories. Just make sure they can handle baby animals being in constant peril and dying terrible deaths. For the more tender-hearted children: wait awhile.
Side note: I will not easily forgive this author for making Beatrix Potter into a villain. Not cool Heidicker, not cool.
And that would have been a shame. Because it is also a quite beautiful and brilliant book. It is very well written. The illustrations are lovely. Much of the brilliance (and trauma) lies in the fact that the horror, while still sticking to traditional horror forms, is all true to life. Foxes likely do face most of this kind of brutality pretty regularly. But when the foxes are anthropomorphic and relatable, it makes for a gruesome read. It is reminiscent of “Watership Down”, but I liked this one considerably more.
Great choice for all those kids who crave disturbing stories. Just make sure they can handle baby animals being in constant peril and dying terrible deaths. For the more tender-hearted children: wait awhile.
Side note: I will not easily forgive this author for making Beatrix Potter into a villain. Not cool Heidicker, not cool.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I absolutely loved this story. It is a middle-grade horror story told from the perspective of young foxes. I loved how the book was structured, in sections almost like anthologies. I also loved how each of these stories was almost a play on a horror trope, but in a way that they could relate to foxes. Throughout, the author uses beautiful imagery to illustrate the different scenes and horrors that these young foxes come into contact with. Though heart-wrenching at times, this book was beautifully done and I cannot wait to pick up the second to see how the author applies these concepts to different settings.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes