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maregred's review
adventurous
dark
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, and Body horror
zghutcheson01's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I don’t love the writing style since I feel like certain sentences just missed whole words and there’s a lot of repetitive sentences but I love a good standalone “we have to go into the wild woods” book. Most plot points are predictable but it’s a nice little book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
tinkeringcheck's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
A fantastic concept with lovely fairy tale-esque descriptions and a very fun main character in Fox. I found his voice delightful and his perspective as - well - a fox very well thought through in how it affected his narration. I also found his internal struggles felt real and oddly relatable. It was nice to see characters in fantasy who struggle with fear and anxiety still feel scared and anxious while trying to do the right thing anyway. Overall, I really enjoyed my time with this book!
However, it was younger YA than I was expecting and mechanically there were some things that would've lowered my overall opinion if they hadn't been surrounded by such an enjoyable package. The other main character POV - Cerys - felt underdeveloped and one-note next to Fox. The plot twists are walloped over your head well in advance and, personally, I felt they were a bit of a downgrade for plotting and characterization as well. There's also a climax-to-epilogue time skip that will probably leave some feeling like too much denouement was left off the page.
I still feel that the sparkling characters, fairy tale setting, and the lovely but fast-flowing prose made this a fun and worthwhile read. But I wish I'd have known to adjust my expectations to younger YA plotting and character depth going into it.
However, it was younger YA than I was expecting and mechanically there were some things that would've lowered my overall opinion if they hadn't been surrounded by such an enjoyable package. The other main character POV - Cerys - felt underdeveloped and one-note next to Fox. The plot twists are walloped over your head well in advance and, personally, I felt they were a bit of a downgrade for plotting and characterization as well. There's also a climax-to-epilogue time skip that will probably leave some feeling like too much denouement was left off the page.
I still feel that the sparkling characters, fairy tale setting, and the lovely but fast-flowing prose made this a fun and worthwhile read. But I wish I'd have known to adjust my expectations to younger YA plotting and character depth going into it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Body horror, Death, and Blood
ash_ton's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
i loved it. super cute and fun.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Animal death and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Genocide and Medical content
dandelionsteph's review
I was so annoyed that Cerys and Fox got into a romantic relationship with each other when nothing about the book's blurb suggested it at all. I was annoyed that, if she was going to get in a romantic relationship with Fox, that it had to unambiguously set in so late in the book, when I had gotten invested in the plot. I don't like profanity, no matter how it's used, but I was particularly annoyed with how long it took for any profanity to show up. It didn't feel justified, given the overall tone of the book: it felt extraneous, like the book was trying to hard to market itself as a "grown-up book" rather than a middle grade book. (As if there's anything wrong with middle-grade.)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Blood
tania_mybookishsecret's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Animal death, and Violence
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Grief
geilie's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Animal death, and Body horror
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
mandathebiblio's review
adventurous
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, Violence, Self harm, and Death of parent
Moderate: Child death
ellajappinen's review
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Death
Moderate: Blood and Gore
studiomikarts's review
I just can't continue reading. The book is in desperate need of a good copy editor and a decent developmental editor. The silly typos and repetitive wording are amateurish (most recent example, on page 78, a knot forms in the protagonist's throat and a couple lines later, she feels anxiety "like a knot in my throat" as if the first knot didn't exist? or it disappeared immediately? or there's a double knot?) and the protagonist's unbelievable obliviousness is unendearing (in a world where magic is the norm, and in a forest where supposedly no human lives, she doesn't put two and two together when her fox suddenly disappears and a naked man stands before her with the same colored eyes and hair as that fox? ). I'm going to move on; life is too short to read bad books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Body horror
Moderate: Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Gore
Minor: Death of parent and Child death