White Fox

by Sara Faring

"Eerie and sly, White Fox is a trap waiting to be sprung. I was completely enthralled."-Rory Power, New York Times-bestselling author of Wilder Girls

"A ghost story that will spook even the most hardened grown-ups." -Entertainment Weekly

After their world-famous actor mother disappeared under mysterious circumstances, Manon and Thaïs left their remote Mediterranean island home-sent away by their pharma-tech tycoon father. Opposites in every way, the sisters drifted apart in their grief. Yet their mother's unfinished story still haunts them both, and they can't put to rest the possibility that she is still alive.

Lured home a decade later, Manon and Thaïs discover their mother's legendary last work, long thought lost: White Fox, a screenplay filled with enigmatic metaphors. The clues in this dark fairytale draw them deep into the island's surreal society, into the twisted secrets hidden by their glittering family, to reveal the truth about their mother-and themselves.

An Imprint Book

• ISBN10: 1250802768
• ISBN13: 9781250802767
• Publish Date: 21 September 2021 (first published 22 September 2020)
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 10 January 2023
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: St Martin's Press
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 432
• Language: English

Reviews

[Quirky Cat]

I received a copy of White Fox in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Sara Faring is back with another thriller, this time choosing to focus on a broken family and a missing yet still world-famous actor. White Fox is her second novel, and between her writing and that gorgeous cover, this is going to be a memorable one.

Manon and Thais have had to grow up without a mother. Theirs went missing when they were still young, and it's a mystery that still has yet to be solved. So when given a chance to go home and actually discover what happened, naturally these two couldn't resist. Even if that means working with one another, despite all of their differences.

“She's alive, I knew she's alive; she's alive, I knew she's alive.”

White Fox lived up to every expectation I had for it, and then some. It was a thrilling and breathtaking read, one that simultaneously explored coping with loss while also delivering a mystery of epic proportions.

If you read Sara Faring's first novel (Tenth Girl), then you already know what sort of writing style awaits you here. Faring dives deep into the world of her characters, fleshing them out until they feel like they could leap off the pages.

That occurred here as well, with the two sisters living vastly different lives – despite the mystery that they share. There were so many pieces of this puzzle, with even more room to explore them all. It was a true whirlwind, where it felt like nobody could be trusted.

In short, I loved every minute of this read. It was tense and fun. It was deeply human, and wasn't afraid to show the trauma that comes with loss, confusion, or the search for one's identity. None of the characters were perfect, and I adore that.

Another bit worth adoring? The sneaky references to Tenth Girl. If you didn't read the novel, it would be easy to overlook. But if you did read it? You're going to spot those references. Personally, I enjoyed that little hat tip. It also screamed at me about the character in question, and told me more than several pages ever could have.

“This game is special,' Teddy continues. 'The developer thing she's the Shirley Jackson of the VR world. It's set in Patagonia, at a rural boarding school for the elite-”

White Fox was a deeply atmospheric read, one that somehow portrayed a world that felt familiar and real, while also being completely out of this world in the details. It is a perfect balance, and this writing style will always get me coming back for more.

Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks