Publishers Weekly
09/02/2019
An ancient fox storyteller presents eight interwoven tales to seven intrepid fox kits in this inventive middle-grade debut by Heidicker (Attack of the 50 Foot Wallflower). The kits’ eyes are opened to real-world trauma as they follow the harrowing journeys of Mia and Uly, two young foxes who encounter disease, humans, predators, hunger, separation, and loss. As each tale grows progressively darker, the kits must question their fearlessness and consider returning to the safety of their mother’s side. Heidicker ratchets up the tension as his protagonists encounter poisonous snakes, a rabies-like affliction called the yellow, an abusive fox father, author Beatrix Potter moonlighting as a taxidermist, light body horror, and more. Beguiling, intricate, black-and-white illustrations enrich the text, while the narrative framing device offers distance from the bleakness that Mia and Uly face. Heidicker presents but doesn’t fully develop themes of loss and anthropogenic change, and readers may gloss over them as they fly through the swiftly moving story. An entertaining read for those who enjoy spooky animal thrills. Ages 9–12. Agent: John M. Cusick, Folio Literary. (Aug.)
From the Publisher
A Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List Selection
"These tales are not for the faint of heart. And once you start, you cannot stop until you’ve reached the end....Terrifying and wonderful. A nightmare book you’ll want to return to repeatedly." —Betsy Bird, Fuse8 Productions
"A weird, creepy and thoroughly entertaining romp for readers of all ages! Highly recommended!” —Jonathan Maberry, New York Times-bestselling author of Rot & Ruin and Mars One
“Heidicker has written the next Watership Down.” —New York Times-bestselling author Jessica Day George
“Gather around this collection of finely written stories that will raise your hackles and tingle your whiskers. But reader, beware. The dangers within this book are very real. Fortunately, so is the bravery of foxes.” —Matthew Kirby, Edgar Award-winning author of Icefall and The Clockwork Three
"[F]or a certain type of reader—those lost in a battered copy of Alvin Schwartz's Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark—this is exactly the kind of book they’re hunting for... Kids able to brave the harrowing adventures of Mia and Uly are in for a chilling roller coaster of a read." —Booklist, Starred Review
"As each tale grows progressively darker, the kits must question their fearlessness and consider returning to the safety of their mother’s side...An entertaining read for those who enjoy spooky animal thrills."—Publishers Weekly
"Dark and skillfully distressing, this is a story for the bold." —Kirkus Reviews
"Heidicker strikes a careful balance of horror and suspense, deploying vivid descriptions of blood and viscera along with key moments of unbearably heightened tension...Fans of Parry’s A Wolf Called Wander will find the kits’ journey to safety compelling, and readers of horror will most certainly appreciate the thrills and chills offered here." —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Kirkus Reviews
2019-04-28
Two young foxes struggle to survive predators, the elements, and their families.
In a frame, seven fox kits are eager to hear some scary stories. For "a story so frightening it will put the white in your tail," their mother sends them to "the old storyteller," an elderly fox in a cavern, who proceeds to spin a tale of vulpine horror. At first the stories seem unrelated; Mia is separated from her loving family, while Uly is exiled. Soon the kits' stories intertwine as the horrors they survive increase and multiply. After a rocky start prosewise (repetitive adjectives, slightly ornate descriptions), the story picks up, and the "scary stories" border on downright disturbing. There's domestic horror—Mia survives an encounter with her beloved teacher, who's gone rabid, and Uly is terrorized by his sisters and father because he's disabled. Later Mia is trapped by Beatrix Potter, who murders animals after using them as inspiration for her stories, and Uly is attacked by a Golgathursh, "a whirlwind of scaly limbs." Ethereal sketches in what looks like charcoal add to the atmosphere, with appealing fox kits set against menacing backgrounds. The stomach-clenching fear and suspense are resolved by a happy ending, but some readers—sensitive animal lovers especially—may have a hard time reaching it. Similarly, the abuse that Uly faces from his family due to his disability may be painful to read.
Dark and skillfully distressing, this is a story for the bold. (Horror. 9-14)
