Meghan Mazzaferro
Content warning: violence, gore, character death, abusive relationships
Kat Cho’s Vicious Spirits is the sequel to Wicked Fox and follows Somin and Junu as well as Miyoung and Jihoon from the previous book. This review will focus on Vicious Spirits but will avoid spoiling Wicked Fox. Four months after the climax of Wicked Fox, Somin is struggling to watch Jihoon and Miyoung pick up the pieces of their former lives. Having spent her whole life suppressing her own needs to protect the needs of those she loves, Somin is willing to do whatever it takes to help Miyoung and Jihoon get back to their old selves. And if that means putting up with a guilt stricken Junu, so be it (but that doesn’t mean she’s going to let him off easy!).
But the events of Wicked Fox have torn a hole between the worlds of the living and the dead, and it’s up to Junu to find a way to close the tear and save Miyoung’s life. For Junu, this could mean everything; a new family, forgiveness, and a community of people who understand him. Unfortunately, there are people from Junu’s past who want to take advantage of the tear between worlds to seek revenge by targeting the people he’s only just allowed himself to care about.
This book promises ghosts, hauntings, evil exes, and more, and while it does deliver all those things, the book didn’t provide me with enough urgency and tension to really make those plot elements feel as significant as the synopsis made them out to be. Though on a much quicker timetable than the first book, the story takes its time, and as a result, it doesn’t always feel as though there is any real danger to the characters. For that reason, I had a tough time getting into this book. However, while I do feel like the story falls a little short on supernatural action and suspense, where Kat Cho thrives in both these novels is in her examinations of the central characters and how they tick. Somin and Junu are both emotionally complex, scarred people, and this book really takes the time to explore their internal struggles, touching on complex themes like grief, friendship, and identity. All four characters in this novel need to overcome their traumas and past experiences in order to save each other and themselves. The plot might not have met my expectations, but the character studies and development in this book more than made up for it.
Wicked Fox and Vicious Spirits are unique YA reads. While set against a supernatural backdrop, the real heart of these books is in the characters and their emotional journeys. These characters feel real, their struggles leap off the page, and their successes feel so rewarding to read about because of each characters’ vibrancy and life. While these books may not be the most exciting or have the most epic supernatural fights, you will fall in love with the cast and root for them in both their individual journeys and in the relationships they form with each other.
This book, and Wicked Fox, are perfect reads for YA fans looking for complex, character-driven stories with a touch of the supernatural.
Thank you to Penguin Random House for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.