Modern Day Seoul + Man Eating Gumiho (Korean 9-Tailed Fox!!) = Friends to Lovers Romance Win!
The Buzz
Anyone who knows me even a little know that I love Asia with a passion and love learning about any cultures within that continent... But what you may not know is that I am a passionate Korean drama fan and am learning Korean! So... yeah I am always on the lookout for Korean culture YA reads and when i heard about Wicked Fox it made me so happy!
On top of the premise and Korean culture... take a look at that cover!! It's gorgeous! I love the combo of purple and pink and the prominence of the moon which is so important in the book. I normally don't like characters on covers (and would honestly have loved fox tails) but I kinda love it for Wicked Fox. And the title! I really think it suits the story perfectly. Gumiho may be more accurate because that is what Miyoung is according to Korean culture, but wickedness plays a part in the story and gives readers lots of hints about the theme in the book.
The Premise
A nine-tailed fox is a creature that features prominently in Asian mythology and folklore. In Korean tales it's called a gumiho. It's literally a fox that has accumulates a 1,000 years of life energy and can transform into a woman. In this form she seduces boys and eats organs. And Kat Cho does an excellent job taking these elements in Wicked Fox and giving us a compelling story about Miyoung, a girl who was born to this life. She has a complicated relationship with her mother, Yena, who has lived many years and had unpleasant experiences with humans who know the truth. I loved how we see a convergence of the traditional gumiho and the modern fox girl who wants to belong.
Miyoung explores the question, are we evil if we do bad things? I loved this in Wicked Fox! It's very pertinent today with the popularity of morally grey characters and for teens who are developing their moral compasses. Jihoon really helps her to understand that her actions matter and I love that while he influenced her, Miyoung made the choice to change. He also deals with feelings of abandonment and grief that made my heart melt just as much as it did for Miyoung. I loved getting into their emotions as well as their fears and struggles.
In Wicked Fox we get this subtle taste of what life is like in Korea. We experience Korean high school through Jihoon and Miyoung. There are shamans we meet and get to experience some of what they do. Then we have Junu! Another piece of Korean folklore comes our way as we meet a non-traditional dokkaebi. We meet Jihoon's halmoni who runs a little eatery (these are all over Seoul!) And I just can't recommend Wicked Fox enough to those who want to get a taste of Korea through a wonderful contemporary paranormal read!
My Experience
As you can tell I really enjoyed Wicked Fox. There are so many things going for it. The opening scene really hooks you. I read it first as an excerpt and it totally sucked me in again the second time in the book. I craved these moments where the fox part of Miyoung comes out and causes her problems. And when they were in action I zipped through the book at high speed. They were so compelling and your heart was in your throat for Miyoung and Jihoon.
At times though there were odd lulls in Wicked Fox. It felt like time was passing and we were waiting for something to happen. I started to wonder id this was turning out to be a rather ho hum understated romance until suddenly a plot that has been brewing in the background was blown wide open. When this time passing lull happened again I realized I needed to wait for the second explosion. While I wish the pacing were better and the plot always had things going on I really enjoyed the personal emotional development that these moments allowed.
I especially related to Miyoung's relationship with her mother and Jihoon's relationship with his halmoni (grandmother). So when things become rocky for both parental figures in different ways I was about ready to come through the book and get those threatening them. Wicked Fox really takes us on an emotional journey as well as a cultural one. And there is another relationship that comes out that really made me tense and wondering how it would play out. I was really pleased with how Wicked Fox ended and can't wait to read the sequel!!
Why should you most definitely read Wicked Fox?
-Making Choices for the Future
I really enjoyed Miyoung and Jihoon's emotional arcs. They both have unique back stories that formed who they are... and now they are dealing with the fallout.
-A Mother and Grandmother's Love
I'm not talking about us meeting these parental units and getting wise words... No they are pretty integral in their children's lives and they became favorites for me.
-Friendship Making, Betrayal & Loyalty
Friendship is sometimes hard to work into a story when romance is taking up so much room. But just like the parental units we got some important people who make their presence known.
-Excellent Korean Culture
We have the paranormal side of the culture and the regular day to day culture. As a rabid Korean lover both sides were excellently portrayed.
-Teens and Adults will Relate
I really loved the balance here with the themes and how easily I think readers will connect to what is happening with the different characters. A must read no matter your age!
Wicked Fox follows two teens who are a little damaged and aren't doing what they should be. Like all teens they must find their way and meeting each other is the first step to finding adulthood. It's a compelling journey with Korean culture paving the way in fun and paranormal ways. A must read this summer.
Anyone who knows me even a little know that I love Asia with a passion and love learning about any cultures within that continent... But what you may not know is that I am a passionate Korean drama fan and am learning Korean! So... yeah I am always on the lookout for Korean culture YA reads and when i heard about Wicked Fox it made me so happy!
On top of the premise and Korean culture... take a look at that cover!! It's gorgeous! I love the combo of purple and pink and the prominence of the moon which is so important in the book. I normally don't like characters on covers (and would honestly have loved fox tails) but I kinda love it for Wicked Fox. And the title! I really think it suits the story perfectly. Gumiho may be more accurate because that is what Miyoung is according to Korean culture, but wickedness plays a part in the story and gives readers lots of hints about the theme in the book.
The Premise
A nine-tailed fox is a creature that features prominently in Asian mythology and folklore. In Korean tales it's called a gumiho. It's literally a fox that has accumulates a 1,000 years of life energy and can transform into a woman. In this form she seduces boys and eats organs. And Kat Cho does an excellent job taking these elements in Wicked Fox and giving us a compelling story about Miyoung, a girl who was born to this life. She has a complicated relationship with her mother, Yena, who has lived many years and had unpleasant experiences with humans who know the truth. I loved how we see a convergence of the traditional gumiho and the modern fox girl who wants to belong.
Miyoung explores the question, are we evil if we do bad things? I loved this in Wicked Fox! It's very pertinent today with the popularity of morally grey characters and for teens who are developing their moral compasses. Jihoon really helps her to understand that her actions matter and I love that while he influenced her, Miyoung made the choice to change. He also deals with feelings of abandonment and grief that made my heart melt just as much as it did for Miyoung. I loved getting into their emotions as well as their fears and struggles.
In Wicked Fox we get this subtle taste of what life is like in Korea. We experience Korean high school through Jihoon and Miyoung. There are shamans we meet and get to experience some of what they do. Then we have Junu! Another piece of Korean folklore comes our way as we meet a non-traditional dokkaebi. We meet Jihoon's halmoni who runs a little eatery (these are all over Seoul!) And I just can't recommend Wicked Fox enough to those who want to get a taste of Korea through a wonderful contemporary paranormal read!
My Experience
As you can tell I really enjoyed Wicked Fox. There are so many things going for it. The opening scene really hooks you. I read it first as an excerpt and it totally sucked me in again the second time in the book. I craved these moments where the fox part of Miyoung comes out and causes her problems. And when they were in action I zipped through the book at high speed. They were so compelling and your heart was in your throat for Miyoung and Jihoon.
At times though there were odd lulls in Wicked Fox. It felt like time was passing and we were waiting for something to happen. I started to wonder id this was turning out to be a rather ho hum understated romance until suddenly a plot that has been brewing in the background was blown wide open. When this time passing lull happened again I realized I needed to wait for the second explosion. While I wish the pacing were better and the plot always had things going on I really enjoyed the personal emotional development that these moments allowed.
I especially related to Miyoung's relationship with her mother and Jihoon's relationship with his halmoni (grandmother). So when things become rocky for both parental figures in different ways I was about ready to come through the book and get those threatening them. Wicked Fox really takes us on an emotional journey as well as a cultural one. And there is another relationship that comes out that really made me tense and wondering how it would play out. I was really pleased with how Wicked Fox ended and can't wait to read the sequel!!
Why should you most definitely read Wicked Fox?
-Making Choices for the Future
I really enjoyed Miyoung and Jihoon's emotional arcs. They both have unique back stories that formed who they are... and now they are dealing with the fallout.
-A Mother and Grandmother's Love
I'm not talking about us meeting these parental units and getting wise words... No they are pretty integral in their children's lives and they became favorites for me.
-Friendship Making, Betrayal & Loyalty
Friendship is sometimes hard to work into a story when romance is taking up so much room. But just like the parental units we got some important people who make their presence known.
-Excellent Korean Culture
We have the paranormal side of the culture and the regular day to day culture. As a rabid Korean lover both sides were excellently portrayed.
-Teens and Adults will Relate
I really loved the balance here with the themes and how easily I think readers will connect to what is happening with the different characters. A must read no matter your age!
Wicked Fox follows two teens who are a little damaged and aren't doing what they should be. Like all teens they must find their way and meeting each other is the first step to finding adulthood. It's a compelling journey with Korean culture paving the way in fun and paranormal ways. A must read this summer.