Review: Vicious Spirits by Kat Cho

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Publication year: 2020
Page count: 429
Format: Hardcover
Rating: 2 stars

Rep: Korean MCs, Korean American author

WARNING: There may be spoilers for Wicked Fox below!!

So listen… when I say I am super bummed I didn’t like this, I mean… SUPER bummed.

This is the second book in the Wicked Fox duology by Kat Cho. Even though this is listed as a companion novel, that is 100% very misleading because if you read this without reading Wicked Fox, you will have no idea what is going on. This book takes place after the events of the first book, and follows 4 main characters: Jihoon, Miyoung, Junu, and Somin.

While reading Wicked Fox, I felt really attached to the main characters, Jihoon and Miyoung. Junu and Somin made appearances, but they were a bit forgettable and so I hoped reading about them in this novel would make me fall in love with them the way I did with Jihoon and Miyoung. However, I just didn’t feel that connection. I felt like Junu and Jihoon were very similar and had the same voice, while Miyoung and Somin did as well. Because of this, the two characters almost blended into one in my mind, and I had a hard time keeping track of whose story was whose. I’m so sad, because this tainted my memory of Jihoon and Miyoung, and I no longer feel the love for them I once did.

Speaking of love, I also could not buy the romance in this book between Junu and Somin. I don’t remember if their romance started to blossom in book 1, but it all just felt very insta-lovey, and when they confessed their feelings for one another I had a hard time believing it.

That being said, I think my biggest issue with this book was definitely the pacing. This book definitely had a plot, but I still found myself bored because the pacing was so weird. At times, I would find myself really invested and into what was happening, but soon after I would be very bored and feel like chapters went on and nothing happened. I don’t really know how to describe it other than it was just a weird reading experience. Usually, when this happens, the book starts out slow and picks up at the end, but this book was very interspersed with nothingness and action. By the time I got to the end, I was so exhausted from reading this that I just didn’t care. I will admit to skimming the last 50 pages.

With the combinations of the flat characters and slow pacing, I just can’t give this book more than 2 stars. Like the first book, I did love the world this took place in and the Korean mythology was fascinating, but it didn’t make up for the other elements of the book that was lacking. It’s clear that Kat Cho is a talented storyteller, I just think her writing didn’t have a chance to shine as much in this book.

Did you have a similar opinion? Leave it in the comments below!