A review by backlogbooks
Scary Stories for Young Foxes by Christian McKay Heidicker

General disclaimer: this is less of a review and more of my notes so i can describe the book in the future. 

a creepy, heart-pounding middle grade novel about young foxes trying to survive the harsh wilderness, told through the framing device of another group of young foxes trying to make it through the scariest stories 

• this book pulls no punches! seriously, many young foxes die, and I was never assured of the remaining foxes safety, so the danger feels immediate 
• great worldbuilding; the foxes have a culture that makes sense with the way animal lifecycles work, and it feels very developed/lived in 
• great job of not anthropomorphizing the animals 
• the beatrix potter reveal knocked me out! and speaks to the last bullet point about not anthropomorphizing animals
• the framing device was helpful for reducing tension for a quick breather, especially when there wasn't space in the scary stories themselves for a breath 
  • but aren't long enough to mess with the overall momentum of the stories