Title: Wicked Fox
Author: Kat Cho
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Books for Young Readers
Release Date: June 25, 2019
Pages: 429
Eighteen-year-old Gu Miyoung has a secret--she's a gumiho, a nine-tailed fox who must devour the energy of men in order to survive. Because so few believe in the old tales anymore, and with so many evil men no one will miss, the modern city of Seoul is the perfect place to hide and hunt.
But after feeding one full moon, Miyoung crosses paths with Jihoon, a human boy, being attacked by a goblin deep in the forest. Against her better judgment, she violates the rules of survival to rescue the boy, losing her fox bead--her gumiho soul--in the process.
Jihoon knows Miyoung is more than just a beautiful girl--he saw her nine tails the night she saved his life. His grandmother used to tell him stories of the gumiho, of their power and the danger they pose to humans. He's drawn to her anyway.
With murderous forces lurking in the background, Miyoung and Jihoon develop a tenuous friendship that blossoms into something more. But when a young shaman tries to reunite Miyoung with her bead, the consequences are disastrous . . . forcing Miyoung to choose between her immortal life and Jihoon's.
In Korean legends and tales, gumihos are stunning creatures, nine-tailed foxes that must feed on man's liver to survive. Due to their bad reputation in these stories, gumihos are forced to keep their secret hidden from society. Ahn Jihoon's halmeoni has told him stories about gumihos, but he's always assumed that they were made up. That is until he encounters Gu Miyoung in the forest one night.
Miyoung has recently moved to Seoul, South Korea but she's hiding something. Something that no one should ever know about, but when she saves Jihoon from a near-death experience, he accidentally discovers her secret. Miyoung is actually a gumiho and when she saved Jihoon from the goblin, she lost her fox bead, yeowu guseul, in the process. In exchange for her not to kill him, Jihoon agrees to keep her secret safe. Even with a rocky start, a special friendship is formed between Jihoon and Miyoung.
It was an odd, new experience, to have someone who sat with her, talked with her. And annoyed the living daylight out of her.
Soon, Miyoung's strict mother, Yena, discovers that Miyoung had secretly befriended Jihoon, a human boy. With her past experiences, she knows humans only cause harm better than good so she despises the fact that Miyoung hangs out with Jihoon.
It hurt to see such love when she'd never received it herself. Like picking at a wound after she'd long grown a callus over it. And now it lay open and fresh.
An unexpected betrayal turns the tables for Miyoung and threatens her friendship. What will happen next?
Star Rating: ★★★★★ (5) ♡
This book did not disappoint at all! It went above and beyond my expectations. I loved the setting in modern-day Seoul and the references to kpop idols, Rain, for example. Funny coincidence, I'm currently watching a Kdrama called Tale of the Nine-Tailed that also has to do with gumihos and it's super good!
I know I'm late to reading this but the book was lovely. It was like a Kdrama in a book with all the excitement and suspense packed together. The author's descriptions and characters were absolutely amazing, and the fast pacing kept me at the edge of my seat. I can't wait to read the next book in the series!
About the Author
Kat Cho used to hide books under the bathroom sink and then sneak in there to read after bedtime. Her parents pretended not to know. This helped when she decided to write a dinosaur time-travel novel at the tender age of nine. Sadly, that book was not published. Kat is the co-host of the Write or Die Podcast, a podcast that interviews authors about the struggles of getting published and maintaining an author career. She currently lives and works in NYC and spends her free time trying to figure out what kind of puppy to adopt. Kat is the international bestselling author of Wicked Fox and Vicious Spirits (Putnam/Penguin). Visit her website at http://katchowrites.com.
Kat Cho used to hide books under the bathroom sink and then sneak in there to read after bedtime. Her parents pretended not to know. This helped when she decided to write a dinosaur time-travel novel at the tender age of nine. Sadly, that book was not published. Kat is the co-host of the Write or Die Podcast, a podcast that interviews authors about the struggles of getting published and maintaining an author career. She currently lives and works in NYC and spends her free time trying to figure out what kind of puppy to adopt. Kat is the international bestselling author of Wicked Fox and Vicious Spirits (Putnam/Penguin). Visit her website at http://katchowrites.com. 
This actually sounds like a great read - ever since reading The Vampire Diairies, I've been interested in stories about Kitsune. It seems that gumihos and kitsune are very similar, so I'm intrigued! Will have to check this series out!
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