Wicked Fox

April 15, 2019
A gumiho, or nine-tailed fox from Korean folktales, fights for survival in contemporary Seoul, South Korea. Gu Miyoung is not your typical teenager: She's half gumiho and must feed on gi, the energy from living beings, every full moon. Conflicted over needing to kill to survive, she finds some moral reprieve by seeking out murderers as her prey with the help of Nara, a young shaman who sees the unsettled ghosts of the murdered. Unlike her legendary mom, Yena, who devours her prey's livers, Miyoung humanely gives hers painless deaths, slowly draining their energy. Her family has moved whenever suspicions are raised or she accidentally shows her superhuman strength, and Miyoung has resigned herself to her nomadic life, staying emotionally detached and avoiding friendships. When she rescues high school classmate Jihoon from a goblin, her fox bead, or soul, falls outside her body. Things get complicated when Jihoon touches it, inadvertently connecting them through dreams. Faced with failing health from the removal of her fox bead, Miyoung lets Jihoon in, entrusting him with her secret mythical heritage--and the two are engulfed in adventure. The story is reminiscent of a K-drama with sweet romantic moments, lovable friends, and impossible obstacles, although there are some plot inconsistencies. Still, this is an addicting read with complex main characters and unexpected twists. This fantasy debut will be eagerly devoured, and readers will clamor for a sequel. (Fantasy. 12-18)

COPYRIGHT(2019) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

May 13, 2019
In this haunting fantasy romance from debut author Cho, Korean folklore comes to life in modern-day Seoul as a supernatural creature and human collide. Gu Miyoung is a gumiho, a nine-tailed fox demon, who takes the shape of an 18-year-old young woman. She will weaken and die unless she feeds on the gi or life force of others every full moon, but she confines her victims to evildoers. While out walking his dog, Ahn Jihoon, also 18, stumbles across a dokkaebi, a goblin of Korea. Miyoung saves Jihoon, in doing so creating a connection between her gi and his own. After Miyoung is introduced as a new student at Jihoon’s school the following week, their mutual surprise leads to attraction, and the two come to support each other in school. Intent on keeping her daughter away from the human boy, Miyoung’s mother intervenes violently, requiring Miyoung to link them irrevocably together to save his life. Seamlessly weaving together the supernatural elements with everyday life, Cho’s debut—driven by anguish, sweet romance, and the need for connection—is a formidable first effort that ends with a promise of further adventures. Ages 12–up.

June 1, 2019

Gr 8 Up-Miyoung may look like any other Korean girl, but she's the daughter of a gumiho, a nine-tailed fox who feeds on the life force of men. This makes Miyoung half gumiho-and half human. Though raised by her mother, Miyoung is drawn to humans as well, wondering about her missing father and hating that she must kill in order to live. Nevertheless, she manages to follow her mother's rules, always maintaining distance from others so that her secret is not discovered. But one night she strays from the rules, saving the life of Jihoon, a human boy who was attacked by a goblin, and all does not go according to plan. Miyoung suddenly finds herself juggling Jihoon's human world of school and friends with her supernatural world of shamans, spirits, and magic. This is urban fantasy as readers have not seen it before: steeped in Korean folklore but with an added layer of contemporary Korean school and home life, appealing not only to K-drama fans but to lovers of fantasy in general. Dealing with themes of family, loyalty, and trust, the book has a unique setting and premise. VERDICT Fresh and fast paced, weaving together action and romance, this is a promising debut that adds a new voice to any urban fantasy collection.-Zoë McLaughlin, Michigan State University, East Lansing

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2019
Grades 8-11 Gu Miyoung appears to be an ordinary, if exceptionally beautiful, 18-year-old high-school senior. She appears to be human, too, but she is secretly one of the gumiho, magical nine-tailed foxes who devour the energy of men to survive. As such, she is constantly on the run to cover up her full-moon feedings that result in the deaths of her victims. When Miyoung saves classmate Jihoon from an encounter with a goblin, she breaks all the existing patterns in her life by making friends with this human boy, much to her ferocious mother's disapproval. With plentiful Korean words in the text to describe the food, culture, clothing, and family dynamics, Cho establishes an authentic setting and educates readers not with a glossary but by elegantly and effectively placing words in context. The current surge of interest in K-pop, K-drama, and Korean film will draw readers to this fantastical romance set in contemporary Seoul, and happily, the cliff-hanger ending guarantees a sequel.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)