A book about the importance of nature, its power to revitalize, how we should take care of the natural world and a reminder of how greedy people ruin things for everyone else.

Narrated by the fox Shadow who goes from a normal, if hungry and in poor health fox to a magical animal who can exchange thoughts / mind reading with the human Beatrice, Nan’s granddaughter. Nan is the one human that Shadow is not afraid of – she used to keep her fed.

Shadow lost her family and is herself being hunted, but in her moment of absolute need, when she is at her most desperate, she finds herself in the midst of strange happenings and manages to not only escape the hunter intent on turning her into gloves or a hat, but also fill her hungry belly with food.
At the same time, the fox misses Nan, the elderly lady who sometimes fed her and is puzzled to see a young girl where Nan should be. Even stranger is the connection that she feels with this girl. The fox tries to keep her distance from the girl who she feels is also missing someone but actually both Beatrice (Bee) and Shadow are chasing the loss of Nan who disappeared suddenly. Thought to have magical powers, they are kidnapped and taken to a hidden magical island where the inhabitants are convinced that Bea and Shadow are the chosen ones who will fix the problems of the disappearing and restore confidence to the island. As the race begins for Shadow to understand and control her magic as well as come to terms with the bond she resists to feel with this human, the greedy Night Islanders continue their advance, determined take by force all the magic for themselves, even though once the magic is gone, the place and its inhabitants die out.

Littered with references to climate change and its effects as well as teaching a little about the life and habits of a fox, this book touches on the loneliness of losing loved ones.

A magical heartwarming story about a girl called Bee and told from the perspective of a fox called Shadow.
This middle grade book teaches about the importance of the environment and family with a little magic thrown in.
A charming quick and easy read.

What a stunning story! This is a must-read for anyone who has ever had or wanted that special bond that develops between a human and an animal. I loved the dual narrator voice which was so filled with the emotions of humour, frustration, despair, love and hope. The description was so detailed and vivid that I could clearly picture the differing scenes within the story.
Another triumph for Carlie Sorosiak - I can't wait to see what she writes next!

Shadow Fox is a beautiful book about magic and friendships.

Nan feeds the fox, but when she disappears, Bee comes to help fox. They don’t know where she gone or if she’s ok, but fox’s magic will help.

A lovely children’s book that will open their imagination and find magic and nature in books.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy.

What a delightful heartwarming book. We follow Bee in search of her lost Grandmother helped by Shadow the fox (looking for the Grandma who feeds him fish). I'm pretty sure that I enjoyed this book as much as the children did, probably more.

This is a beautiful middle grade fantasy novel set in the Great Lakes and told through the perspective of an isolated and lonely fox.
Bea is staying with her mother at her grandmother's hotel. Nan has gone missing and Bea is devastated; her mother calls her wild and doesn't understand her the way that Nan does. And what's worse the fox that Nan has been feeding is starving and doesn't trust Bea.
This wonder filled opening begins an adventure to resurrect the magic of the islands. Humans have stolen magic power and are back to get the rest. Somehow Bea and the fox are tied up in this and when they realise that Nan holds the answer to a lot of their questions they set out to find out how they can help.
A lovely exploration of the magical power of nature and the ways that humans have interfered with it but also can save it.
Recommended for middle grade students - read along or read aloud.

It’s not often that I DNF a book- if an author can take the time to write and share, then I can at least read and finish, but I cannot get along with this book. I don’t know why - the writing seems fair, if not my favourite lyrical style it has a good flow, but something is lacking. I will update my review if I read further.

I loved I, Cosmo so was looking forward to this. The story is told from the point of view of a fox who, despite her best intentions, develops a bond with Nan.
When nan disappears, fox and Nans granddaughter Bea develop a connection and work together to find her.

Beatrice’s family run a lakeside inn. Nan, her grandmother is a wise constant in her life. Bea is not the only one who relies on Nan’s generous spirit: a hungry, shoe-hoarding fox, is also a frequent visitor for fish suppers. One day, Nan vanishes, leaving Bea’s and the fox’s lives upended. And so, a quest begins to bring back Nan. There’s also magic. Lots of magic.

I loved the foxy narrator. Shadow (also sometimes known as Fox Beatrice for reasons that will become clear when you read) has such a cheeky personality and since she reveals her every thought, she’s easy to connect with despite being a fox! She is difficult-partly due to the nature of foxes; partly born out of mistrust - her cynical view of humans is deeply rooted and as more is revealed, very understandable. She is sharp-witted, funny and, at times, cutting!

Shadow’s human counterpart, Bee, provides such an interesting contrast: emotionally open, relentlessly positive when faced with Shadow’s reticence and obstructiveness. And so, through her patience and gentleness, (human) Bea helps Shadow trust again and become so much more, but can she fulfil her destiny?

Lots of themes run through this novel, including friendship, loyalty, conservation of nature, and loss. And they are encountered in interesting, beautiful ways.

In my opinion, Shadow Fox has ingredients that could make it exceptional but the sometimes overly complex prose keep it from quite reaching its potential.
Where does this complexity arise? I’ll try to describe. We have a first person narrator, with an interior monologue (so almost a sub-narrative) and then a second character who can also understand and interact with this internal monologue. Sound complex yet? Add in the need to world-build, dialogue and fairly complex plotting and you can see what a difficult task the author had! And she nearly pulls it all off.

I think seasoned young readers of fantasy will have the stamina to cope with the challenges the narration presents in order to enjoy the intricate characterisation and story.

I read this book thanks to Netgalley and Nosy Crow. Publishes 11th April.

I was so excited to read this book, as I loved the author previous book 'always, Clementine ' which I recommend to everyone.
This books tale, however, is told from them the point of view of a fox, a very lonely fox who has lost her mother and sister due to the actions of inconsiderate humans. She trusts one human and one human alone, and that is Nan. But Nan is missing. Turns out she's not the only one missing Nan, Beatrice (aka Bee) is also missing her. There is a strange, inexplicable bond between girl and fox, finding they can almost understand one another at times, so they set off to try and find Nan.
This leads to a magical adventure where they discover the foxes true powers, using them to defend the people and animals of some mysterious islands.

Overall it's a very intriguing story. I don't think it was what I was expecting, but I still enjoyed this oddly magical tale.
Sadly it didn't live up to the expectations of 'always, Clementine ' which was just a perfect little book. But I still think this is worth a read, it's full of chilly magic sure to delight!

Shadow Fox tells the story of Bee, a young girl who lives in a motel by the lake with her mother and Nan, until one day, Nan isn’t there. The fox she was feeding isn’t happy that her fish supply has stopped and isn’t sure of this young girl who isn’t Nan. Finding themselves inexplicably drawn to each other, the story takes our heroes across the lake to a magical island in search of Nan. Is Nan still alive? What is happening to the secret islands of the lake? And is there more to the fox than meets the eye? Told from the fox’s viewpoint, this magical tale of friendship, loss and the natural world is a great fit for fans of Erin Hunter and the Warrior Cats series.
I especially loved that the story is told from the fox’s point of view. She is wary of humans, obsessed with food (and shoes) and entirely believable as a wild creature, albeit a magical one! She is definitely the star of the book; the reasons for her quirks and obsessions becoming plain as we discover her back story and making us empathise all the more. Her obsession with food is laugh out loud at times and we quickly become drawn to this outwardly prickly but emotionally deep character.
In contrast, the character of Bee’s mother seems unnecessary to the story as she never makes an appearance and I think could easily be cut. Also, except for Bee and her Nan who I loved, I found the other characters to be very flat-we don’t find out much about them and just appear in the story with no explanation of who they are. However, when we remember that a fox is telling the story, it becomes much more believable- she is an animal and has no interest in these other humans who have no bond with her. Her world is focused solely on the things she loves.
I also thought the magical elements lacked little warning of their arrival. They also suddenly appear in the story, taking us from a realistic natural environment at beginning, to a story of magic and prophecies in a short space of time. I have to say this caught me off guard a bit as I wasn’t expecting it to be a fantasy novel and was surprised with where the story took us; into the realm of prophecies and ‘chosen ones’. However, I love a good fantasy story and the nature twist made it unique for me.
One of the main themes of the book is the natural world and our duty of care and I found the author’s descriptions to be both heart-breaking and beautiful. The fox describes the world as she experiences it and makes us think anew about the beauty of nature and how we treat the planet. Overall, I would recommend the book to middle grade readers with an interest in nature, a love of animals and who like a bit of magic!

Shadow Fox by Carlie Sorosiak
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Published on the 11th of April 2024

Shadow Fox is a charming and magical story, told from the foxes perspective. You follow Shadow, a wild fox, and Bee, a young girl, on their incredible journey as they try to save nature.

There are various themes running through this book, one being the special bond between a grandparent and their grandchild. The love and connection of Bee and her nan creates a beautiful, caring, and heartwarming relationship.
Another theme that runs through this story is how we are responsible for the nature around us. The need for us to nurture it and protect it from those who want to destroy it.

Shadow Fox is an enchanting tale full of magic, mystery, and most of all, hope. How we should believe in ourselves and stand up for what is right. This story took me back to being that little girl who used to sit on her window sil at night and read, get lost in the magic of great storytelling.

This is a beautiful, charming, and uplifting story that I would not only recommend children to read but for us adults too, who want to be taken back to their childhood, when nothing else mattered but the love of a delightful story.

Thanks to NetGalley and Nosy Crow for the opportunity to read this

I will post review to retail we pages on the 11/04/2024.

This is an intriguing and heartwarming story about a friendship and connection between a girl and a fox. The author has a very distinctive writing style that is both easily recognisable and accessible to children. I love all her previous books and this one is no exception. It is a book perfect for sharing in class.

I, Cosmo captured lots of readers attention with the story of a retriever trying to save a family from falling apart.
Carlie Sorosiak has written another story in which the main character is an animal - this time a fox called Shadow.
Shadow befriends an elderly lady who feeds him and to whom he grows attached - but one day she vanishes.
Shadow is then confronted by a man with a young girl called Beatrice( Bea) the old lady's granddaughter ; within a short time he is captured by them but for a reason. Strange things are happening at a nearby lake- fish are disappearing and soon Shadow discovers that he and Bea have more in common then he could ever have imagined- they can telepathically communicate..
Unknown to Bea and Shadow ,a history book has foretold that the island on the lake and all around will have its natural environment removed leading to extinction but a 'chosen one' has been selected to save it; the chosen one being Shadow.
So begins a battle for survival with Bea and Shadow working together against the Night Islanders...will they succeed? And can they also bring Bea's nan home too?
This is very much a fantasy story and is quite surreal in many ways ;the relationship between the main characters is really good as their connection and friendship moves between animosity to recognising they need each other. The plot moves between the drama and survival of the island and Shadow reflecting on his past and sad events.
This is a story that will appeal to readers 9+ who enjoy animal stories but also fantasy based adventures too. Not as immediately, easy to get into as I, Cosmo but still a good read

This is the delightful tale of the unexpected relationship that develops between a young girl and a wild fox who are drawn into an uneasy alliance by their mutual longing to find the girl's missing grandmother.

When Bee's Nan disappears from the inn providing hospitality services that is run by her family, Nan is assumed to have drowned. But neither Bee nor Shadow, the fox that Nan has been feeding, are willing to take this news lying down.

Their search for Nan not only brings the two of them closer, it also takes place against the magical, atmospheric backdrop of the Great Lakes.

This is a gorgeous story for animal lovers, as well as those who treasure the experience of a special bond with a special grandparent. Highly recommended.