A moving fantasy tale with hidden depths. After an incident shatters their family, Sam and her older sister Caitlin are sent to live in rural Oregon with Aunt Vicky, whom they've never met before. Aunt Vicky gives Sam a mysterious card game called "A Game of Fox and Squirrels," and Sam loves it. When Ashander, the trickster fox from the game, shows up in real life with a challenge, Sam plunges into it, hoping it will allow her to return home to her parents. While pursuing her quest, Sam also delves deeper into the realities of her fractured family, and eventually discovers the true meaning of bravery... and of home.

11-year-old Samantha has recently moved into the care of her aunt, along with her sister, after being removed from their parents' home. A series of magical, but frightening, experiences around a card game gifted to her by her aunt serves as an allegory, and helps Sam process what has happened within her family.

A gorgeous book that if brilliant and full of heart. This will be a favorite among many middle grade readers for sure.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. Two young siblings are removed from an abusive home and placed with their aunt. Aunt Vicky gives Catlin a mysterious game that offers her an escape from trauma and hardship.

This book is destined to be a classic. It is written like a fairy tale but explores relevant issues of today. Reese skillfully weaves a harmonious tale of darkness and light in this suspenseful and stunning tale. Each character is striking and dynamic keeping the reader invested in this gripping story.

Unfortunately, the number of children dealing with adverse childhood experiences seem to be growing. How can we help children deal with the overwhelming and frightening feelings that accompany various kinds of trauma? Bibliotherapy has a long and well-researched history in providing a safe way for children to deal with troubling feelings and events. A Game of Fox and Squirrels provides a great opportunity for kids (and adults ) to address and discuss difficult emotions. Young readers will identify with Samantha and find themselves easily transported into her partly real, partly make-believe world.

I found the writing to be not very engaging and the story unenchanting. It was also slow-moving. I feel a lot more magic could have happened here.

It is rare in reading a middle-grade work that my adult heart is broken and I find myself weeping. This book is so amazingly written, so powerful in the juxtaposition of fantasy and brutal reality, that there was nothing to do but close the last page and cry. This masterfully written book tells the story of Sam and Caitlin, who open the book having arrived at their Aunt's house to stay following an instance of domestic violence. Sam is given a beloved game, one in which the stakes are as high as the adventure is tempting, and the winner gets what their heart wishes most. Sam is unprepared for the tricks and turns in this game, but her life has taught her well and she soon has to make a critical choice as she finds the line between magic and reality becoming less clear.

Now to find some cucumbers for my eyes...

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this digital ARC in return for a fair and honest review.

Told from the point of view of Samantha (Sam), recently turned 11, this story is, on its face, about her recent move - specifically, she and her older sister have just moved in with their aunt and her wife. The reasons for their move are revealed slowly and carefully as Sam works through them herself, and a paralleled through her interactions with Ashander, a magical fox who has promised her the fulfillment of her greatest wish if she can only pass his tests - tests which require her to betray her aunt, and possibly even her sister, but which threaten to hurt them if she doesn't pass them.

A touching and sometimes disturbingly honest story, this book is recommended for students in middle school or older; it could be beneficial for younger students, but should be previewed by an adult first, and the adult should read it with the child.

This was a wonderful middle grade/young YA novel to read. I will be recommending A Game of Fox and Squirrels to junior high aged patrons in the future. I enjoyed the adventure aspect and the quick, sharp writing.

Wow, this was not for me. I found it heavy-handed; the protagonist’s voice often veering towards unrealistic, the whole thing rapidly concluded; ugh. I don’t feel great leaving bad reviews so I’m a little glad I’m in the extreme minority (in addition to ratings here, at least one major publication gave it a star), but, yeah, did not go for this one. Everyone processes differently, but for a book exploring the internal aftermath of an escape from an abusive parent, I’d send people to The War That Saved My Life first. Read via digital ARC from #edelweiss

This was an unexpected book. It was hard to tell if the events of the story were real or in her mind. Asherand wasn’t a devious character. It didn’t seem like the characters were well developed.

A great adventure book filled with magical realism. Sam finds herself blurring the lines between reality and fantasy as she goes on the adventure of a lifetime! A beautiful book, hard to find the right words to describe it. I think it will be good for tween ages.

#AGameofFox&Squirrels
#NetGalley
An excellent tween read full of adventure, fantasy and beautiful background.

I loved this haunting and sometimes difficult to read book that blurs the lines of fantasy as the protagonist, Sam, struggles to adapt to her new home with a previously unknown aunt after years of domestic violence. This one went immediately on my to-purchase list.