Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a free e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book. It was kind of deep for a middle grade book exploring the stages of grief after death and coming to terms with it and things that have happened in your life. The characters were all interesting, and you could feel empathy towards them as the author explains how they've died and what they're going through searching through the deadwood forest to move on.

It also portrays how we as humans are very destructive in the grand scheme of things and need to do better as a whole for the environment and the creatures that we share space with. I wish that the e-arc could have provided some of the pictures to help move the story along and provide a little more description of what was going on, but I'm sure once it is published and they are there they will be great for it's intended audience. It's definitely worth a read

Utterly, utterly wonderful. THE UNDEAD FOX is heartbreaking, funny, dark, and beautifully cozy all at the same time. It had the cadence of the best children's classics (and that cover is just perfection!) From the characters to the world of Deadwood Forest, this is a story that I will carry with me for a long time.

This book was so utterly perfect and I know I’m never going to stop thinking or talking about it. The writing style shows such a great love and respect for the audience which is often lacking in both middle grade and young adult books, and it was really wonderful to see. The characters were so well crafted with a high level of depth that any age can appreciate. At the risk of being repetitive, I love reading children’s literature from authors who don’t look down on their audience, and who truly see the people reading it as full humans who can understand complex ideas and emotions. Too often this genre oversimplifies and sugarcoats things, as if they’ve forgotten what it was to be 8-12 and find a book like this. I can’t wait to buy a physical copy of this book for my collection, and I’m so excited to see the final illustrations!! The few included in the ARC were beautiful so I can only imagine what a treat we’re going to be in for!

A creative well-written tale. The author made a great choice to turn the characters into animals to make the theme and characters relatable but at the same time distance. Great choice (and the cover is amazing). Has very particular scenes that stay with us for a while and make us think and rethink.
I thought it was interesting that the fox didn't ask the badger's name (only after a few days) I too tend to forget that because a name doesn't add much information about the person when we're trying to learn more specific characteristics.

I really enjoyed this book! It was well written, I loved the story and the characters. It was very much worth the read and it was super easy and just overall charming.

I really enjoyed this story. It was an easy read, and sweet, feel good, heartwarming, and a good cozy read. I will definitely read the next book and look forward to it.

I want you to love this book as much as I did, reading it. Every word feels as though it were crafted for pleasure. Each description. Each turn of phrase. And each snarky come back by the main characters, a dead fox named Clare, and a dead badger named Gingersnipes (I read the whole book thinking her name was Gingersnaps.) Oh, and the narrator, we can’t forget the narrator, who warns us that it is about to get scary, or gruesome, or just about anything that is about to happen.

Clare helps souls of animals pass onto the four realms of eternity. They are Pain, Pleasure, Progress and Peace. She was told that she could either usher souls, or she could go to Pain, which she didn’t want to do.

When Gingersnipes shows up, Clare can’t figure out where to send her, and so she hangs around, and asks questions. So many questions.
Clare, for example, wants to go out, to figure out something.

“Where are you going?”
“Somewhere”
“To do what?”
“Something”
“You’re going somewhere to see someone about something?”
“Precisely” Clare said, hurrying off.
“Okay, but next time, don't prattle on about needless details!” Gingersnipes called after him. “It’s exhausting.”


This is instead a story of death, but also love. I know that sounds saccharine, but it works. And it is fun to read, so most of the audience won’t notice. There is no great moral here, other than to treat others as you would want to be treated.

Really, if I could give it ten stars, I would. And even though I have read the ARC, I still have it on my pre-order list. It is that good.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book will be published on the 25th of February 2025.

I really enjoyed how good Aubrey Hartman wrote this, it had that element that I was looking for and thought it was a beautifully done story. It had a unique concept and thought it was a great children's book in showing moving on. I enjoyed the journey and was glad I got to read this.

Another winner from the author of The Lion of Lark Hayes Manor. A unique and intriguing story about a fox whose job is to usher lost souls into various realms of the afterlife. It was a unique take on what the afterlife may look like and really made one think about how the choices we make during our lifetimes may affect our afterlife. Clare, the undead fox and usher of souls, is aided by the least likely of allies to discover his true worth and purpose. Gingersnipes was one of my favorite characters as underneath her silly exterior she was wise and just the animal Clare needed in his life.

Deadwood Forest is a place of an everlasting fall - a season that is not quite dead, and yet still living. Clare lives in the Deadwood Forest, and is an undead fox. Clare was hit by a car a long time ago, and given two choices, to either go to the Afterlife or help be an Usher with other souls, chose the option of Usher. One day, a badger named Gingersnipes, appears on Clare's doorstep. Clare tries to help the badger into the Afterlife, but Gingersnipes cannot go. But this is not how things are supposed to go, and so the balance of life and death gets muddled. To try to fix this, they try to find Hesterfowl, a grouse who has visions and saw trouble ahead for Deadwood Forest. Once they do find Hesterfowl, Clare learns that part of that vision encompasses the fate of Clare himself.

This book packs quite an emotional punch. It is about grief and loss, and saying goodbye. Because of that, it is also a teaching book, as well. The themes are accessible for many age groups, and the entertainment factor makes this a quick, page-turning read. Also, I absolutely adored the cover of this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.