Wicked Fox was one of my most anticipated books of the year. It did not disappoint at all! I was blown away by the beauty of this book and could not put it down!
★ ★ ★ ★
Author: Kat Cho
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Format/Source: Hardcover
Goodreads, Indiebound, Amazon, Book Depository
From GoodReads: Eighteen-year-old Gu Miyoung has a secret–she’s a gumiho, a nine-tailed fox who must devour the energy of men in order to survive. Because so few believe in the old tales anymore, and with so many evil men no one will miss, the modern city of Seoul is the perfect place to hide and hunt.
But after feeding one full moon, Miyoung crosses paths with Jihoon, a human boy, being attacked by a goblin deep in the forest. Against her better judgment, she violates the rules of survival to rescue the boy, losing her fox bead–her gumiho soul–in the process.
Jihoon knows Miyoung is more than just a beautiful girl–he saw her nine tails the night she saved his life. His grandmother used to tell him stories of the gumiho, of their power and the danger they pose to humans. He’s drawn to her anyway.
With murderous forces lurking in the background, Miyoung and Jihoon develop a tenuous friendship that blossoms into something more. But when a young shaman tries to reunite Miyoung with her bead, the consequences are disastrous . . . forcing Miyoung to choose between her immortal life and Jihoon’s.
HERE’S WHAT I THINK…
Wicked Fox blew me away, plain and simple. I had some high expectations and anticipations for this book, but it really did exceed all of them.
We have Miyoung, who is young, thinks she knows everything, and tests her limits everyday. Jihoon is fairly carefree, loves his grandmother, and does what he think is best; regardless of what his grandmother tells him. These qualities make Miyoung and Jihoon the perfect pair. Another thing they have is common is the abandonment by those most important in their life. They are brought together under some intense circumstances, and I was rooting for them from the beginning.
Miyoung’s relationship with her mother, Yena, is very strained the entire book. Yena feels that she knows what is best for her daughter. What parent doesn’t feel this way, especially one who is immortal and lived longer than anyone can fathom? Miyoung spends the book defying her mother’s every order. She decides, like any teenager, that she knows what is best. The includes befriending a seer who Yena has warned is nothing but an enemy toward gumiho.
Miyoung is half human, obviously by no choice of her own. Through out the entirety of the novel, Yena holds this against Miyoung and blames many of her choices on that half of her. There are fundamental rifts between her and her mother. Yena feels this makes Miyoung weak. Adding insult to injury, Miyoung also feels guilty about feeding on men’s gi, and only does it when absolutely necessary.
While we learn about Miyoung and Yena’s strained relationship, Miyoung and Jihoon’s relationship grows. I don’t want to give too much away, but this entire relationship had me on the edge of my seat. They are so swoon worthy that you want them to come out in the best situation at the end. They care so much about each other, and grow themselves throughout their story. They are learning more about themselves and learning to be with each other at the same time.
Something to keep in mind with this book is the Korean verbiage that is throughout the book. This may be intimidating to some, but it did the exact opposite. Not only is there a glossary (which can be very annoying and distracting,) but where the verbiage is placed tends to flow and make sense. For example, eomma means mom/mother, but it is worded so it is clear without having to reference it.
What I love about this book is the temporary break in between chapters. We get some history on the gumiho which really starts to put the story in perspective.
I would like to mention is that I have read some reviews about this being like Twilight. I am going to completely disagree — unless you want to refer to any story about a mortal and immortal falling in love being like Twilight. Even though I have a place in my heart for it, this story is not at all cringe-worthy and does not have monotone dialogue.
This is not by any means a perfect book, but it is a solid debut novel. Kat Cho has really hit the reading scene proving that she can tell an incredible story that is a page turner, leaves you wanting more, and involves you in the story. I cannot wait for more from her and hope to one day see this world expanded.
TL;DR
Wicked Fox is rich with Korean mythology, creating a story you will not want to put down. Easiest 4 stars I have ever rated and one of the best books of 2019. Kat Cho has really hit the reading scene proving that she can tell an incredible story that is a page turner, leaves you wanting more, and involves you in the story. I cannot wait for more from her and hope to one day see this world expanded. If you enjoy cute, page turning urban fantasy romances, I highly recommend that you pick this title up!
About the Author:
Kat Cho used to hide books under the bathroom sink and then sneak in there to read after bedtime. Her parents pretended not to know. This helped when she decided to write a dinosaur time-travel novel at the tender age of nine. Sadly, that book was not published. She currently lives and works in NYC and spends her free time trying to figure out what kind of puppy to adopt. Kat’s YA contemporary fantasy debut WICKED FOX comes out with Putnam Books for Young Readers in Summer 2019.
