cloudedreads's reviews
320 reviews

adventurous emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious slow-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

4.75

It will probably come as no surprise (or at least will be a common enough story) that I picked up this book after having read - and quite enjoyed - “The Ghost Bride”, another well know book by Yangsze Choo. While the latter was an introduction to both the author an the cultural concept the book was about, “The Fox Wife” felt more like a return to a familiar voice and mythology that I have already read some about. Having said all that, this story surpassed all of my expectations and has easily become the best read of the year.

The story is told in two distinct perspectives - 1st person POV of Snow, a fox lady, who has set out on the road of revenge after losing her daughter, and 3rd person POV of Bao, an old man, who works as an investigator while using an indispensable skill - being able to tell apart lies. As these two make their own distinct journeys, we get to see their paths intertwine, past and present, wowing an immersive story that keeps the reader turning page after page.

There was so much to like in this book, it’s hard to pick only a few things. For someone with a short attention span and a busy schedule outside of reading, the short chapters made it easy to follow the story and with the ending of each chapter leaving me wanting for more, it quickly became a book I always had with me (easily done with and e-book) for filling in breaks at work. The characters felt so human (even if not all of them actually were, haha) and it made me root for them the whole way. And the story behind the story - the foxes and their mythology, their appeal, their (un)balanced realities - this is definitely a book worth reading if this topic interests you, even a little.

This year was filled with plenty of okay reads, but “The Fox Wife” was a breath of fresh air, and I cannot recommend it enough.

I received an advance review copy from Netgalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The Kindred by Alechia Dow

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