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A review by paradoxically
Red Fox: An Experiment in Terror Novel by Karina Halle
2.0
I want so badly to like these books for some reason, but it just doesn't seem to happen. For one, Perry makes me want to smack my head against something. Dex makes me frustrated. In fact, this entire book could have been so much more, only no, it doesn't happen. You have skin walkers and a creepy setting, but the ending just seemed like a giant failure to me and I keep going back and forth with my feelings on Perry and Dex's relationship.
On one hand I root for it because, hey, male lead and female lead. It's inevitable. On the other hand, Dex has a girlfriend. That immediately makes me want to shake Perry and have her stop this wishy-washy crap that makes her pant after Dex and then sternly remind herself that he has a girlfriend and then go back to attempting to get herself into situations that may or may not lead to some kissing. Or something. Just... just go for him. Or at least stop pretending otherwise. It's not cute. As for Dex--you have a girlfriend. Knock it off or dump the girl.
Then there are situations that happen that don't seem to have lasting consequences when they should. A The fact that (BIG SPOILER) It's like big things just sort of happen and are important and then the next page it's gone.
I feel like I could tolerate the books more if I enjoyed Perry and Dex's relationship, but... as I said above, ambivalence. Dex just seems kind of skeezy, and I already mentioned my annoyance with how Perry handles the relationship. The plot could have made up for it, but while it was sort of creepy in parts, it never took off. The big bads flopped in my eyes and the resolution wasn't satisfying. This was mostly Dex and Perry's relationship taking baby steps, and if you're not that enthused about the relationship in the first place then this book isn't going to make things much better. 2 stars.
On one hand I root for it because, hey, male lead and female lead. It's inevitable. On the other hand, Dex has a girlfriend. That immediately makes me want to shake Perry and have her stop this wishy-washy crap that makes her pant after Dex and then sternly remind herself that he has a girlfriend and then go back to attempting to get herself into situations that may or may not lead to some kissing. Or something. Just... just go for him. Or at least stop pretending otherwise. It's not cute. As for Dex--you have a girlfriend. Knock it off or dump the girl.
Then there are situations that happen that don't seem to have lasting consequences when they should. A
Spoiler
near rape scene? What near rape scene? It's like it never happened past the first 'omg what happened'.Spoiler
Randy is apparently dead? Gone somehow? Hahaha... Randy who?I feel like I could tolerate the books more if I enjoyed Perry and Dex's relationship, but... as I said above, ambivalence. Dex just seems kind of skeezy, and I already mentioned my annoyance with how Perry handles the relationship. The plot could have made up for it, but while it was sort of creepy in parts, it never took off. The big bads flopped in my eyes and the resolution wasn't satisfying. This was mostly Dex and Perry's relationship taking baby steps, and if you're not that enthused about the relationship in the first place then this book isn't going to make things much better. 2 stars.