A Game of Fox & Squirrels by Jenn Reese

 

On Friday, I finished reading A Game of Fox & Squirrels by Jenn Reese. This fantastical adventure is about Samantha Littlefield, an eleven-year-old girl who is sent from Los Angeles to Oregon with her older sister, Caitlin, to live with an aunt they've never met after Caitlin's arm was broken and Sam spoke up about their father's anger. When Aunt Vicky gives Sam a mysterious card game called "A Game of Fox & Squirrels" as a belated birthday present, the trickster fox from the game, Ashander, shows up in her room and offers her anything she desires if she finds the Golden Acorn in the woods near her aunt's house. Although Sam befriends three squirrels, Maple, Birch, and Cedar, during her quest, Ashander's tests grow increasingly dangerous and make her question her loyalties. All Sam wants is to go back home to her parents, but she risks losing everything in order to win Ashander's game.

After enjoying City Spies so much, I was a little worried about being let down by the next book I read, but I ended up loving A Game of Fox & Squirrels almost as much. It was such a suspenseful book that I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. Without giving too many spoilers, I thought it was brilliant how the author used Ashander's game as an allegory for abuse. Although Sam's desire to go back home to her parents was selfish, it was also understandable at the same time because her parents were the only home she had known and she couldn't really help but miss them. I don't really think it crossed her mind to consider what her sister wanted, despite the fact that they had both experienced trauma from their parents' physical and emotional abuse. While Ashander was charming at first, I was increasingly disturbed by the cruel things that he demanded Sam to do just to win his help in finding the Golden Acorn. I especially hated how he tried to turn her against her aunt when she was nothing but kind to Sam and Caitlin. It's quite a dark, heartbreaking story, but there is hope at the end as Sam finds the courage to stand up to Ashander and protect her new home. I would recommend A Game of Fox & Squirrels to anyone who is interested in a haunting, emotional adventure.