A review by gwendolyn_kensinger
A Game of Fox & Squirrels by Jenn Reese

5.0

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.