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A review by thesaltiestlibrarian
A Game of Fox & Squirrels by Jenn Reese
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
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
5.0
Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC. The opinions expressed herein are mine alone and may not reflect the views of the author, publisher, or distributor.
I couldn't put this one down. When I had to, I was thinking about picking it up again.
If you go into A GAME OF FOX & SQUIRRELS expecting a cute adventure romp, OH-HOOOOO BOY, are you in for a surprise.
Sam and her sister Caitlin are moved to Oregon to live with their aunt and her wife on their little farm after an incident lands both of their parents in police custody. Sam is convinced that soon enough they'll get to go back home to Northern California, especially because school is starting up soon and she has a library book that will come due in a few weeks. That means they're going back, right?
Right?
In among the totes in her new room, Sam finds a card game called Fox & Squirrels. The goal is to survive the winter and collect as many nuts as you can, and if you draw one of the three types of foxes, survival becomes a bit harder. Then one day Ashander the fox shows up to talk to Sam. He has a few...tasks that he'd like her to complete. As a reward, he'll give her the Golden Acorn that can grant wishes, like putting her life back to the way it was before the incident. Everything will be fine if she just does what he asks and follows the rules, right?
...right?
If you thought that a kids' book about a quest couldn't also serve as a parable about how abusers work, then you're sorely mistaken. My biological father was abusive, and only in the past couple of years did I recover a memory of being hit by him. As for memories of every other time before he left us, all I get is sounds and emotions and blackness, like a play happening behind a closed curtain. The damage has been done in Sam and Caitlin's lives, and they quickly discover that this new home doesn't require masks or apologies or a rule of silence. No one can ever know is the mantra they lived by in Northern California.
This book absolutely killed me. The way Jenn Reese paralleled Ashander and an abuser was beyond brilliant, and I found myself racing too far ahead to keep up with my own desperate need to finish this book. I absolutely can't wait to see what she comes up with next, because if this is any indication, there's a long and promising career ahead of her. Holy crap. Every school should be handing out copies of this book. Or at the very least (and realistically speaking) should have it available to read.
I couldn't put this one down. When I had to, I was thinking about picking it up again.
If you go into A GAME OF FOX & SQUIRRELS expecting a cute adventure romp, OH-HOOOOO BOY, are you in for a surprise.
Sam and her sister Caitlin are moved to Oregon to live with their aunt and her wife on their little farm after an incident lands both of their parents in police custody. Sam is convinced that soon enough they'll get to go back home to Northern California, especially because school is starting up soon and she has a library book that will come due in a few weeks. That means they're going back, right?
Right?
In among the totes in her new room, Sam finds a card game called Fox & Squirrels. The goal is to survive the winter and collect as many nuts as you can, and if you draw one of the three types of foxes, survival becomes a bit harder. Then one day Ashander the fox shows up to talk to Sam. He has a few...tasks that he'd like her to complete. As a reward, he'll give her the Golden Acorn that can grant wishes, like putting her life back to the way it was before the incident. Everything will be fine if she just does what he asks and follows the rules, right?
...right?
If you thought that a kids' book about a quest couldn't also serve as a parable about how abusers work, then you're sorely mistaken. My biological father was abusive, and only in the past couple of years did I recover a memory of being hit by him. As for memories of every other time before he left us, all I get is sounds and emotions and blackness, like a play happening behind a closed curtain. The damage has been done in Sam and Caitlin's lives, and they quickly discover that this new home doesn't require masks or apologies or a rule of silence. No one can ever know is the mantra they lived by in Northern California.
This book absolutely killed me. The way Jenn Reese paralleled Ashander and an abuser was beyond brilliant, and I found myself racing too far ahead to keep up with my own desperate need to finish this book. I absolutely can't wait to see what she comes up with next, because if this is any indication, there's a long and promising career ahead of her. Holy crap. Every school should be handing out copies of this book. Or at the very least (and realistically speaking) should have it available to read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship