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queer_bookwyrm's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
4 โญ CW: violence, murder, parental abandonment, family death, grief, attempted murder of a child
Wicked Fox by Kat Cho is an urban YA fantasy set in Seoul, South Korea. This was a great easy, light read that was really needed after the slog that was Red Rising and the sob-fest that was They Both Die at the End. This was a nice palate cleanser.
We follow Jihoon, an underachieving high school student who lives with his Halmeoni (Korean for grandmother) and helps out at their restaurant and has a penchant for gaming. Although, Jihoon is well liked and is charming and charasmatic, he doesn't let many people in (re: abandonment issues. Can relate.)
His life takes a turn when a girl saves his life in the woods after he is attacked by a dokkaebi. The girl who saves him is Miyoung, a gumiho it nine-tailed fox. Jihoon soon realizes that the legends are true. Miyoung realizes that there are things she doesn't know about being a gumiho.
I loved seeing the progression of Miyoung and Jihoon's friendship along with how that friendship grew over time with Jihoon's other friends. It also really appreciated the peak into Korean culture and language (thank goodness for glossaries at the end of the book!)
Each chapter alternates between Jihoon and Miyoung's pov with the gumiho origin story in-between. I love reading mythology from other cultures! It can tell you so much about a culture and how they relate to things through storytelling. The nice thing about this book is that with the way it ended, you don't necessarily have to read the second book unless you want to. Cho did a great job wrapping up the story in a neat way that didn't feel forced.
I'm looking forward to Vicious Spirits now!
Wicked Fox by Kat Cho is an urban YA fantasy set in Seoul, South Korea. This was a great easy, light read that was really needed after the slog that was Red Rising and the sob-fest that was They Both Die at the End. This was a nice palate cleanser.
We follow Jihoon, an underachieving high school student who lives with his Halmeoni (Korean for grandmother) and helps out at their restaurant and has a penchant for gaming. Although, Jihoon is well liked and is charming and charasmatic, he doesn't let many people in (re: abandonment issues. Can relate.)
His life takes a turn when a girl saves his life in the woods after he is attacked by a dokkaebi. The girl who saves him is Miyoung, a gumiho it nine-tailed fox. Jihoon soon realizes that the legends are true. Miyoung realizes that there are things she doesn't know about being a gumiho.
I loved seeing the progression of Miyoung and Jihoon's friendship along with how that friendship grew over time with Jihoon's other friends. It also really appreciated the peak into Korean culture and language (thank goodness for glossaries at the end of the book!)
Each chapter alternates between Jihoon and Miyoung's pov with the gumiho origin story in-between. I love reading mythology from other cultures! It can tell you so much about a culture and how they relate to things through storytelling. The nice thing about this book is that with the way it ended, you don't necessarily have to read the second book unless you want to. Cho did a great job wrapping up the story in a neat way that didn't feel forced.
I'm looking forward to Vicious Spirits now!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Murder, Abandonment, Death, and Grief
attempted murder of a childbookishcb_21's review
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Oh. My. Wow! I really loved this story and couldnโt wait to see what happened after each chapter. This story involves a gumiho (Miyoung) and how she survives by feeding off of the energy from men. However, her survival takes a turn when Jihoon discovers her secret after she rescues him from a goblin attack. From there, this story took me on a wild adventure and I seriously canโt wait to start the sequel! ๐
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Murder, and Violence
Minor: Domestic abuse
chattycali's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I enjoyed this book a lot. It was an awesome adaptation in Asian Myth, and it didnโt gloss over the characters struggle with evil and good. The love story was slow, but sweet.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Gore
aseel_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I had so much fun with this!! I loved the plot and the premise (this is the second book I've read about the fox lore in east Asia)!! I thought the characters were sweet, funny, and wholesome. my biggest issue is something in relation to the romantic plot, it was insta-love and I hate that so was the reason the book didn't get 5 stars
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Death of parent, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Violence, Physical abuse, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
junkxe's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Violence
thecourtofreading's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
"not all predators are monsters. but if you beat them enough, theyโll bite."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and Bullying
Moderate: Violence and Blood
Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death
yaelaed's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Abandonment, Blood, and Violence
madarauchiha's review
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
โค๏ธ ๐งก ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ my about / byf / CW info carrd: uchiha-madara ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐งก โค๏ธ
It's a fun, lighthearted romance balanced with medium drama. I think if I was in the age group for this, I would be spellbound and thrilled. I still did enjoy this book, but it's not entirely my cup of tea regarding reading levels. I do recommend this book if you need something lighthearted and sweet after a heavy topic book. It's long enough to let you forget. At times I felt it dragged but that may be due to being outside the intended reading age audience. But do keep in mind this is aimed towards children [teens], so you definitely need to shut your brain off a bit before plunging in.
The romance is cute puppy love and I thought it developed naturally and very well. There were plenty of plot twists that felt organic and unforced, which I appreciated considering the length of the book. I think the length is well suited to the plot, and not padded out unnecessarily.
Also! I appreciate that the portrayal of police is accurate and that the entire cast is Korean. Like, chefs kiss, thank you, wish I had such books growing up as an asian american child.
Content warnings:
minor: animal death,
medium: alcohol abuse,
major: violence, body horror, peer abuse / childhood bullying, unhealthy relationships, child abuse, murder, child abandonment, orphaning, child abuse, police, smoking tobacco, underage smoking,
It's a fun, lighthearted romance balanced with medium drama. I think if I was in the age group for this, I would be spellbound and thrilled. I still did enjoy this book, but it's not entirely my cup of tea regarding reading levels. I do recommend this book if you need something lighthearted and sweet after a heavy topic book. It's long enough to let you forget. At times I felt it dragged but that may be due to being outside the intended reading age audience. But do keep in mind this is aimed towards children [teens], so you definitely need to shut your brain off a bit before plunging in.
The romance is cute puppy love and I thought it developed naturally and very well. There were plenty of plot twists that felt organic and unforced, which I appreciated considering the length of the book. I think the length is well suited to the plot, and not padded out unnecessarily.
Also! I appreciate that the portrayal of police is accurate and that the entire cast is Korean. Like, chefs kiss, thank you, wish I had such books growing up as an asian american child.
Content warnings:
minor: animal death,
medium: alcohol abuse,
major: violence, body horror, peer abuse / childhood bullying, unhealthy relationships, child abuse, murder, child abandonment, orphaning, child abuse, police, smoking tobacco, underage smoking,
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Body horror, Bullying, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, and Drug use
Moderate: Alcoholism
Minor: Animal death
girlonbooks's review
adventurous
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
๐ต๐ต๐ต๐ต (four stars as rated in Jihoon's motor scooter)
Eighteen year old Miyoung is a gumiho - one of the fabled nine-tailed foxes that survive by consuming the energy of men. While searching the woods for a wicked predator on which to feed during her monthly full moon hunt, she stumbles upon a goblin attacking a boy of her same age named Jihoon. In a frantic move to save him Miyoung makes a fateful mistake, putting her own life very literally in the hands of Jihoon. In the wake of this traumatizing event, Miyoung struggles to distance herself from the boy who could ruin everything for her. After all, companionship is a risk she can't afford to take with goblins on the loose. Jihoon, however, isn't ready to give up on the girl who saved him so easily. While their fragile relationship blooms Miyoung and Jihoon are faced with a series of impossible decisions. And the outcome could cost one of them everything.
I have been trying to put my finger on exactly what about this book resonated with me so heavily and I think it comes down to Miyoung. We get to see so much conflict from our protagonist about who she is and what she does. I also love that Jihoon never misunderstands this about her. He makes no excuse for her actions and yet he is genuinely sympathetic to her lack of options. I think that's really special. Admittedly, though, this book does read like a bit of a soap opera at times. The back-and-forth between our MC's might give whiplash to those less experienced in angsty teen dramas. I for one, adored every bit of it and would go so far to say that - in this aspect at least - Wicked Fox may very well be one of the MOST realistic depictions of teenage emotions that I have read in my lifetime. Also, there is so much dang cuteness between our protagonists that it easily outweighs any and all possible faults. I am already working Vicious Spirits into my summer reading list!
I am completely new to the concept of the gumiho - though apparently there's a pokemon based on one and a Korean TV show called My Girlfriend Is A Gumiho that I low-key can't wait to watch. In any case, let me assure you that this book is a blast even with ZERO prior knowledge of Korean folklore. In fact, the story is interspersed with snippets of legend about the gumiho that are just brilliantly done so even the total novice can keep up. Pro tip: if you're like me and can't read a foreign language word without learning how to properly pronounce it, you may want to keep google at the ready for this one (or just watch this video of Kat Cho's Wicked Fox pronouncation guide) since several key Korean words are used to describe Miyoung and Jihoon's familial relationships especially. I truly respect and appreciate Kat Cho's decision not to translate certain words in an otherwise English text. It give us a far richer and more authentic experience of the characters and I also just think it's rad of her to expect her English speaking readers to learn a couple new words for a darn change! Incidentally, my favorite new word is "dubu" which means tofu in Korean and is also the name of Jihoon's fluffly little white dog. Because how cute is that!? I mean, COME ONโฆ
"Night and darkness made a believer of everyone."
- Kat Cho, Wicked Fox
โจ Rep in this book: Korean cast of characters, own voices
โจ Content warnings for this book: violence, murder, blood, medical stuff, hospitalization, estrangement from a parent, death of a family member, violence toward an animal
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Death, Blood, and Violence
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Animal cruelty
bookplaits's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Bullying, Violence, and Physical abuse
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