I feel like this had so much potential but I just couldn’t buy in. The world building was like right there, but not quite all the way developed.

Content Warnings: Talks of suicide, talks of murder, suggested murder, on page panic attacks, underage drinking.

When I read The Tenth Girl last May and I immediately fell in love with Sara's story telling. The Tenth Girl kept me on the edge of my seat with dark imagery, intriguing mystery and a science fiction twist that I didn't see coming. When Sara announced the news of White Fox I was thrilled, I couldn't wait to see what twists she has for her readers this time around. I did enjoy White Fox, but I didn't love it as much as I hoped it would.

What I didn't like:

-White Fox felt really slow, it wasn't until about 55% that the pace picked up and things actually began to happen. There were a couple of instances where I did debate on putting this book to the side.

- When the plot did pick up things became rushed and the events that happened, happened quickly and felt like they were forced into the story line. They didn't feel like they flowed nicely.

- I had a hard time differentiating the difference between Manon and Thais's point of views. Their voices were nearly identical. They both want to know what happened to their mother and the mystery surrounding it, but I feel as if they had no plan, acted impulsively on things and jumped to conclusions before gathering the facts.

- Where I loved being able to read the White Fox script, the cryptic notes at the end broke the illusion of the screen play. You are wrapped up in this vivid imagery that was created and suddenly thrown into cryptic notes. It was also no implied who these notes were for, I assumed it was to the girls mother but...

- There are characters introduced, but very little is explained about them. A few also don't even play an essential role in the plot. The scenes that included them felt more like filler then anything else.

- Hero Pharmaceuticals and Clouded Cage played such a huge role in White Fox but they aren't really dived into. It is established early on that Hero Pharmaceuticals made its name by developing Ladyx, a miracle drug. But other then that, there is no further explanation of what Hero Pharmaceuticals is doing, their past or what they are working on until the end of White Fox and even then its super minimal. Clouded Cage is Teddy (Manon and Thais's uncle) company where he invented the Pocket Girlfriend, Pocket Friend and a few other technologies that are mentioned through out the novel. White Fox just touches the surface of these technologies, especially for the role it plays within the novel.

What I did like:

-Regardless of the issues above Sara does have a very lyrical way to her writing and it is full of imagery.

- *slight spoiler, please skip if you want to be surprised* The Tenth Girl Easter eggs! I literally almost fell off my chair at a certain part when Teddy is talking to the girls, it makes me wonder about time lines and settings now. Like, technically it could work.

- The White Fox screen play. It is dark and mystical and plays homage to so much of the mother's life and the things she has been through and the things she wishes she could escape.

- The last 10% of the book when things began to be revealed. I expected some of the stuff that came to light, I had figured it out about half way through. Manon says in the first chapter that they do find their mother, but what she didn't specify was if their mother was alive or dead. The first chapter makes you assume one thing throughout the whole story, but then in the climax it was quite the opposite. I'll leave it at this: It's a bitter sweet feeling.

- A story hasn't evoked deep emotions within me in a very long time, the fact the White Fox did that says enough. Despite the issues I had above, nothing can take away the fact that this novel is so much deeper then just this mystery.

- I loved watching Manon and Thais's relationship throughout the entirety of the story and where they ended up by the end of it. The story opens to the sisters living in two separate worlds with very little communication.

Overall White Fox had its good and bad things about it. As much as I loved certain parts of it I wished other parts were different. Everyone is going to take something different away from this novel and I think that's what I love about it the most. If you enjoy mystery, thrillers and books with a technological sci-fi edge I do encourage you to give this book a try.

I was offered a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Right away, I was pulled in by the mysterious atmosphere of what this story was truly about. The way the chapters are broken up by narrator worked well, especially since one of the narrators (Boy) is such a unknown factor and gives such sinister vibes. The script like quality to the portions of “White Fox” sprinkled in had a ethereal fairytale feel that I liked but that never manifested past a shallow veneer.
Right around halfway through I started to get frustrated by being constantly reminded of the girls’ personalities, I either wanted answers or more high-stakes mystery. SOMETHING other than what felt like a groundhog’s day-esque repetition of Tai is the manic pixie dream girl and Noni is the pensive anxious wallflower.
The action picked up nicely at the end. The ending felt reasonable and well explained.

I'll be honest, after not totally enjoying Sara's first book, The Tenth Girl, I was unsure if I wanted to try this one.

I'm so glad I did.

Sara's writing and story telling is wonderful. I was drawn in from the start and felt a strong connection to the main characters. The two sister, known as Noni and Tai, are as different as two people can be. Noni is quite and a writer, and Tai is the social butterfly.

Before their mother disappeared, she had been writing a new script and the girls are on a quest to find it as they think it may lead them to their mother.

Following clues from people they don't know if they can trust or not, they find the script and learn the shocking truth of their mother's life.

Like stated above, Sara's writing is wonderful in this story. It draws the reader from the start and keeps you guessing until the end. And this time, unlike The Tenth Girl, I highly enjoyed the end of this story.

I never felt a real connection to the rest of the characters, but I think was on purpose. It was to make you feel so much more for the two main characters. They all seemed sneaky and underhanded, even if they weren't. You really don't know who to trust, and who not to until the end.

The only thing that I found "bad" about this story of the format on my kindle. I think it would be easier to read as an actual book as the script and some social media entries make for weird formatting in the kindle.

If you read The Tenth Girl and didn't like it, I would say to give this one a try. It's a wonderful story and the ending was satisfying. The mystery of the White Fox is one that will draw you in and keep you intrigued until the end.

I wanted to love this, but for whatever reason I just couldn't get into it - I don't think this is the book's fault, to be fair. The characters irritated me to no end and the "story within a story" didn't work for me - to be fair, it RARELY does so I don't know why I expected it to be magically different this time.

This was a bit not what I had expected. I can't tell if it exceeded my expectations (or if it didn't). I wasn't surprised nor was I let down. I did like the book, but at the same time it didn't really blew me away (hence the 4 star rating). I think the aesthetic, writing style, and the images depicted throughout the book made me want to keep reading.

It reminded me of the French film, "Last Year at Marienbad". What it had in common were the subtle changes (from present time to film/script). I imagined it as if it were like a camera, panning to the past (either the manuscript of White Fox or the films that stars Mireille). The change is obvious and I didn't find it jarring. Also, I wasn't connected to any of the characters. I don't think it's a bad thing. I enjoyed White Fox as it is. However, I think this book is an acquired taste. Not everyone will enjoy this type of storytelling. While it does follow a linear plot, it gets interrupted with a film or script related to the mother's disappearance. It's up to the reader to decipher what everything means.

I would recommend this book to those who are looking for something unique, or someone looking for a different reading experience.

Wow, what a whirlwind of a book. Faring's lyrical prose is perfect for a setting like Viloxin. Full of wonder, mystery, and dark elements, "White Fox" tugs its way into your brain and won't let you go.

When Thais and Manon's mom disappeared it turned their lives upside down sent away from there home by their father to live with a Aunt. But now they have returned as young women for a show honoring their mother only to be left a clue that maybe she isn't dead after all, and maybe just maybe if they follow the clues in their mom's last manuscript they will be reunited with her.

This is a psychological thriller that will have you up way past your bedtime to see where they go next and who among the cast of characters may have helped their mom or can help them decipher the clues. There is plenty of action and a world of suspense to keep you captivated. This is a great book and one to go on the TBR pile for sure.

This review will appear on my blog on Sept.22nd.

2 stars

Based on the description, I thought I'd love or at least really enjoy aspects of this novel, but it did not resonate with me at all.

The pacing and characters were really tough for me to manage. For a novel with characters running on the cover, this plot barely moved. The characters are sad: really sad. And that's pretty much it. They miss their parents, and while this is understandable, I found their search for their mother to be wildly lacking in their growth or in any useful information about their focal point. The characters are also markedly indecisive but make almost exclusively poor choices when they do finally land on something.

As a person who not only enjoys fairy tales but also teaches them regularly in a variety of related college literature courses, I expected to also enjoy the story within the story. That didn't work for me either. There's an overt running theme of misogyny that isn't really resolved or even proactively addressed, including in reference to the young women at the center. One even uses the term "prostitute" late in the novel. Come on.

For a new release, the perspective feels very outdated. I wanted to love this and could - by the end - barely tolerate it.

Initially intriguing and very atmospheric, this devolved into kind of a mess. Or maybe I just didn't 'get' it. I found Manon and Thais *very* irritating, which made it hard to enjoy the book. Their voices were also so similar I don't know why we needed both of them, After the first half of the book things got very confusing and repetitive. This one just wasn't for me.

This was a bit of a roller coaster ride as you join Manon and Thaïs on their journey to find out what happened to their mother ten years ago. With a robust cast of characters, you quickly become involved in the story and start to hope that the girls will have a happy ending to their story. There were a few things that left me confused and I would’ve loved if there’d been some more story involving why Antella Arnoix was suddenly acting kinder, and if that affected Tai’s relationship with Linos. I’d also like to know what happened to Brando and how the girls came to be with their family in the US. Overall this was a fantastic book and I would definitely recommend it to others!

This book was very intriguing from the beginning. It's about family and secrets and how some things are better left unknown. I loved the pace of this book and how it always ket me guessing right up until the end!

This book was gripping and very interesting to read, but as a young female reader I had a few issues with it. The two sisters are awesome characters and well-built but waaay more in tune to their feelings as teenagers than I think is typical. There were many fantastical elements that didn’t feel realistic—but they gave the novel an air of whimsy. Although I enjoyed the story I kept finding myself taking more breaks than usual, perhaps because I don’t really read suspenseful books and it was making me anxious? At the end it was getting a little confusing to keep straight who had what parts of the script and to understand the intentions of side characters, like Nituchi and Antella, and I still don’t quite understand Brando. But I would still recommend as a well-written and interesting story!

"After their world-famous mother disappeared under mysterious circumstances, Manon and Thais left their remote Mediterranean 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."

I do like YA books as I have read my share. I just wasn't crazy about the "book within a book". Really it's a screenplay within a book. It was distracting for me and took away from the flow of the book. I guess I'm just not a fan of that style of writing.

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing for the ARC!

This book was infinitely better than her first, "The Tenth Girl" (which made zero sense), but it still wasn't great. I think I've learned that Faring is just an author with MANY ideas - so many, that she has trouble keeping them contained to weave a tight story. This book had an interesting premise, but the comparison to "Black Mirror" does not resonate AT ALL with me. I'm not really sure where that even comes from, aside from the tech stuff. The insertion of chapters of excerpts from the "White Fox" manuscript, as well as the magazine articles with weird narration tagged at the end (i.e. "You don't even know I'm watching ..."), were actually distracting for me and acted to pull me out of the story. I understand that that was where the so-called dark fairy-tale elements were inserted, but they didn't make a lot of sense for the whole story, which was just ultimately a murder mystery type of deal. Character relationships are just sort of popped in where they fit, without resolution or ultimately proving out any reasoning, and they just don't have much depth.

I mean, there's a pharmaceutical company headed by some evil guy, but used to be run by the girls' father; their uncle lives in a weird gazillion-roomed house, each room with it's own bathroom and theme (does he live in a hotel?) but he hasn't had much interaction with them for like 10 years? Their aunt takes them in after their mother disappears, but there's not much about her; there's robotic best friend stuffed animals and companions; there's actress obsession - I'm guessing Meirelle is supposed to be like Marilyn Monroe or something; there's sneaky best friends turned agoraphobic detail leaker to media; there's off-limits boyfriends who have no point; there's a manuscript; there's a stalker ... and that's not even all of it. Too many threads for me.

This book was a very interesting read. I enjoyed it, but did find the story to drift some in the middle and end. The beginning starts strong and I couldn't put it down, but eventually found the story to be somewhat confusing and hard to keep track of. That being said, I did enjoy this third book and look forward to more books by Sara Faring.

Thank you to netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Man, I had a really hard time with this one. The plot was all over the place with the Matrix-like book inside a book thing. Confusing. This was not a book I looked forward to reading during the several days it took me to get through it. Maybe it’s my quarantine brain right now but I did not enjoy this at all. Sorry.

Manon and Thais are daughters of a famous actress and a wealthy business man. Their mother dies when they are young and they are sent away to live with their aunt. Ten years later they return to the strange Mediterranean island they grew up on. There are rumors that their mother left behind a mysterious script called White Fox. If they can find the script, clues in it may help them solve the mysteries in their lives. The script for White Fox is included within the book and I liked the dark fairytale of White Fox. There are many mysterious people the sisters come across along with fantastical science fiction elements such as a robot that waits on them. The story was exciting but I felt let down by the ending. The story of the two men the sisters were dating was just left hanging. I was confused why Manon was referred to as Noni and also Manon's name is so close to their Aunt Marion so many times had to think who the chapter related to. Also why did the sisters think Nituchi was a monster? I thought something horrible would be revealed that he did but it was never fully explained. Other than these bothersome devices, I enjoyed this fantastical book.

Started off great and I couldn't put it down. First third of book was well wr6and exciting. I really wanted to know how things turn out. Then suddenly, it is all over the place and the writing drags. Couldn't read more than 10 pages at a ti.e and I was losing interest in the story. Ni e ending g, I saw part of it coming but middle really dragged on and I almost DNF

Firstly, I would like to thank Fierce Reads for hosting a giveaway of a digital arc (delivered via NetGalley) of this novel. I really enjoyed White Fox. This novel tells the story of two sisters. Thais is one year younger, outgoing, has dropped out of high school, and is a social media influencer. Manon is the quiet one, loner, and plans to go to NYU. They lost their father, Henry Hammick, a pharma tech mogul, to cancer and their mother, Mireille Fox, a famous actress, disappeared 10 years ago. The story begins with the two sisters leaving New York and returning to their childhood home in the Mediterranean. While trying to solve the mystery of their mother’s disappearance, they are also forced to reexamine their sibling relationship. The mystery unravels through chapters that are written in a wide variety of formats. We have first person prose that mainly alternates between Thais and Manon. Sara Faring did an excellent job of painting a picture of these very different sisters with contrasting personalities through the distinct voices in their respective chapters. There are Thais POV chapters that consist of social media live video transcripts. There are also chapters written as magazine articles and a screenplay that is broken up into several parts, which each portion being revealed at the perfect point in the story. Sara Faring seamlessly blends these different writing styles to keep the reader engaged and drive the story forward. I also very much enjoyed the many ways she used the fox motif throughout the novel. White Fox brilliantly examines the concept of how people can create an idea of a person to suit their own narrative. Through the many storytelling devices, we get a more complete picture of who Mireille was before she disappeared. This is a quick paced, engrossing thriller that I was completely captivated by.