Wicked fox

Review by Booklist Review

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.--Debbie Carton Copyright 2019 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

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) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

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Review by School Library Journal Review

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

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Review by Kirkus Book Review

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 heritageand 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 Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

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1   GU MIYOUNG'S RELATIONSHIP with the moon was complicated, as are most relationships centered around power.   Her muscles vibrated with anticipation as she balanced on the edge of the roof. The moonlight made her skin itch, like a string pulled too tight. She breathed deeply to steady her speeding heart, and the stench of rotten trash filled her nostrils.   Her mother told her to be grateful for the power of the moon. It gave her strength, but sometimes Miyoung resented being strong.   Miyoung scanned the roads below. The streetlights were burnt out and had probably been so for a while. Miyoung didn't mind. She saw as easily in the dark as most did in broad daylight. In her opinion, the broken lights only helped the aesthetic of the buildings. Cracks spidered across the crumbling facades, decorated with blooms of mold. Perhaps a more optimistic soul would see a strange beauty in the pattern, but not Miyoung.   She pulled out her phone and dialed one of the two numbers saved in it.   "Did you find him, Seonbae?" Nara asked as soon as she picked up.   The way she stuttered out seonbae made the respectful title sound suffocatingly formal. As if she were speaking to an elder twice her age, instead of Miyoung, who was only a year her senior. But Miyoung knew the younger girl used the title for multiple reasons, one being that two weeks ago her name hadn't even been Gu Miyoung.   "I tracked him to the same alley. He's been coming here all week--just haven't figured out which apartment he goes into."   "I've been trying to use the phone location app," Nara said helpfully. "It says you're right on top of him. Or is that your location? Click on your GPS."   Miyoung wanted to tell Nara to stick to communing with the spirits, but instead she swiped her screen and turned on the tracking option.   "Wait, now there are two of you." Nara fell into muffled mutters. Miyoung rolled her eyes to the heavens as she held her tongue. It wouldn't help to yell. Nara was nervous by nature, a side effect of her ability to see ghosts since birth.   Plus, Miyoung knew Nara meant well. But Miyoung didn't need good intentions; she needed a target.   To stop herself from pacing, she sat on the edge of the roof and let her feet dangle over the six-story drop. Gaining the high ground allowed her to stake out the area as well as her prey.   Still, she'd only seen him from a distance, going on the vague description from Nara.   Miyoung closed her eyes and counted to ten to settle her nerves.   Before her lay the cityscape of Seoul. The skyscrapers of Cheongdamdong, a mecca of entertainment and glamour, the home of fashion and K-pop. The soaring height of 63 Building, a symbol of the modernization of the capital city, sitting sentry beside the Han River. And the lights of Namsan Tower, where lovers and tourists went to see the world at their feet. Miyoung sneered at her own worn sneakers, dangling over a trash-filled alley.   "What is he doing here?" Miyoung mumbled, mostly to herself, but Nara answered.   "The spirit says he goes there every night. Her death was too violent." The other girl's words became morose. "She needs justice before she can pass to the afterlife."   Miyoung wasn't sure if what she did was justice. Still, it was better than nothing. And if she had to kill, she might as well help a few wayward ghosts settle their grudges.   Not for the first time, Miyoung wondered whether putting all her faith in Nara's spirits was a bad idea. She couldn't feed without the power of the full moon. No, that was a lie. She wouldn't feed without it.   The full moon increased her senses, opened her up to energy, allowed her to absorb it without ripping a man apart. So if she didn't feed tonight, she'd have to wait another month or . . . she'd have to become a monster. She almost let out a laugh because she knew that even though the prey she chose were vile men, it didn't mean she wasn't a killer.   Still, she wouldn't give in to her more base instinct, the one that wanted her to tear into flesh. To uncover the energy kept deep within every living creature. To drink that energy from a man without the need of the moon to channel it. No, she'd take it as gently as she could and pretend that she was a benevolent murderer.   She'd failed this task only once, and she'd refused to feed any other way, even when her mother begged. The only time she'd ever refused her mother. Miyoung's body began to weaken within a week and didn't recover until she fed at the next full moon. That's why her mother had her rules, one of which was Never miss a hunt .   But Nara was a gifted young shaman, able to contact spirits across the country. And no matter where Miyoung moved, Nara had found victims for Miyoung each full moon without fail. A useful ally to have.   "Seonbae?"   "What?" Miyoung asked, perhaps too gruffly.   "Be careful tonight. Many households banished evil spirits this month during Sangdalgosa. They might be wandering."   Annoyed, Miyoung stood so she could start to pace again. "I'm not scared of a few spirits."   Miyoung glanced down at the sound of a door squeaking open. She made out laughter and music from inside before the door swung closed, some kind of underground club. A man emerged. He was short and thick, his balding head pale white under the bright moon. She recognized the tattoo peeking through the wide collar of his shirt, an oversized spider he probably thought made him look tough but just accented his aging body in all the wrong ways.   "Got him. I'll call you back." Miyoung hung up as she stepped off the roof. She landed lightly on the ground, creating a cloud of dust and stink.   The man stumbled drunkenly and Miyoung kept pace with him. As she moved out of the shadows, muscles flexing as she prepared for the kill, he dropped a soju bottle he'd been carrying. Cursing, he sneered down at the shattered glass. Miyoung hid herself from sight. It was a knee-jerk reaction, but unnecessary. It didn't matter if he saw her. He would tell no one of what happened tonight except other spirits. Excerpted from Wicked Fox by Kat Cho All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

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