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A review by queer_bookwyrm
Wicked Fox by Kat Cho
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 ⭐ 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 child