Exquisitely written and painfully real, this is a brave and beautiful book about hard, important things. The story pulls no punches, not with the realities of domestic violence and the toll it takes on families, nor with the courage required to ask for and receive help. We root for the main character from the first page to last, and her ability to ultimately save herself is a testament to the enduring resilience of the human spirit. I give it my highest recommendation.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

Coyote Queen by Jessica Vitalis is a phenomenal book for middle grade readers. While some people read books to escape reality, some readers want to see their reality reflected in stories to know they’re not alone and that things do get better. Coyote Queen is that story for children living in poverty and facing violence at home. While this book covers heavy topics, it portrays them in an approachable way for its target age group and offers excellent guidance on what to do if the reader is facing those issues themselves.

Fud is almost thirteen, wears hand me down clothes and lives in a trailer with her mother and her mothers boyfriend, who leaves more than something to be desired. Poverty and homelessness is bad, but when mom took up with the boyfriend, the situation got exponentially worse. Scary kind of worse. And Mom doesn't seem to see it. Fud feels like her only out is to win the Tween Black Gold Pageant. Although that’s not her thing, being able to give her mother the prize money, might just be the thing that allows Mom to leave the toxic relationship. I couldn't put the book down. Fud finds kinship with a coyote pack nearby and that's what keeps the story moving--her real and metaphorical relationship to the pack. Learning about coyotes helps her understand about herself. But regardless of that relationship, Fud is lonely. Not even a girl who could actually be a friend can pierce her protective shield. It’s not until Fud decides to trust and ask for help that she can cope with her nightmares. Such a heartfelt story. A tale of hope for those struggling with poverty and abuse as well as for all who want to understand their journey.

Jessica Vitalis' COYOTE QUEEN is a story that will stay with me for a long, long time. It's a heartbreaking exploration of domestic violence and of poverty, but it's also about finding the magic inside you, and about mustering the courage to ask for help. Fud is a compassionately drawn and fully realized protagonist. You'll love her, worry over her, and root for her, and she'll keep you turning pages to the very end, anxious to know whether she finds a way out of her desperate situation. The setting - not one we see enough of in middle grade stories, I don't think - is so poignantly and tenderly portrayed. And Fud's coyote magic is both a brilliant fantasy element and a perfect metaphor for her coming of age under extraordinary, and extraordinarily painful, circumstances. A phenomenal read that will stay on my heart. My thanks to NetGalley, to Greenwillow, and to Jessica Vitalis, for the eARC.

This is one of those books that will tear your heart to pieces and then fill it back up with love and hope. I’m grateful that there are stories like this to put on my shelves so that every student can feel seen or be able to see their neighbor in a new way. And to all of the Fuds out there, I’m sending you some coyote magic.

I loved this book so much that I read it in one day. It's so beautifully written, honest, imaginative, deeply feeling…I can’t think of enough praise for this book. It deserves all the stars and praise and awards and recognition that I hope it gets!

It's rare that I read a book in one sitting, but I couldn't put COYOTE QUEEN down!

Fud's life is hard, and lonely. After years of near-homelessness, Fud and her mother have now been living with her mother's boyfriend in an old trailer. But this trailer is far from a home. The boyfriend is a terror, and 12yo Fud wants nothing more than to find a way to get her and her mother out. But with only the $20 she found one day in the laundromat, Fud is in no position to help. That is until a new trailer pulls into the park, and Fud meets Leigh - a bright, sunny, and very energetic girl - the complete counterpoint to Fud. Inspired by Leigh, Fud decides to enter a local beauty pageant, the prize for which is enough money to get Fud and her mother away from the abusive boyfriend.
But while hope might be just there over the horizon, Fud's real life is full of pain, and fear for herself and her mother. In an effort to make sense of it all, or perhaps just to escape, Fud enters into the world of her mind (or perhaps it's real, who's to say?) of the coyotes who live up on the ridge.
This is a story about excavating the stories others tell about us that we wind up believing. Fud's journey into herself is told with such love and authenticity, it brought me right back to my middle school years, and the wonder and pain of finding myself.
Vitalis's story is full of very real pain, but it's also full of wonder and mystery, and it pulled me in and didn't let go until the end. Yes, I was very worried for Fud, I wanted to make sure she'd be alright, but I also knew we were in the hands of a masterful storyteller, who would carry us all through this dark world of Fud's toward the light.
While stories that feature abusive relationships can be very difficult for readers of any age, Vitalis has delivered a sensitive, honest, and authentic story told with grace, love, and above all respect.

Thank you to Netgalley and Greenwillow for the opportunity to read an E-Arc

This was a nice, quick read with an engaging plot and characters that are easy to become emotionally invested in. I would have liked more coyote magic and less beauty pageant stuff, but overall still enjoyable. I would recommend this book to younger readers.

This story is one that will remain with you long after you finish reading the final page. Fud is a character that you absolutely will not forget. She is the character that all students need. You will cry, laugh, be angry, worried....just all the emotions. There is much to process and digest- and this is a book I would recommend for upper elementary/middle school level students.

A sweet, quick read. I enjoyed the plot and characters and it was overall, very engaging. Easily 3.5-3.75 stars.

Fud lives with her mom and Larry, who’s an alcoholic and ex-boxer in an old trailer. Fud wishes she could be like the coyotes she hears at night, strong, smart and independent. When new neighbors move in across from them, Fud becomes friends with Leigh. Leigh and Fud decide to enter a beauty pageant. Fud hopes to win the prize money so she and mom can leave. When Larry brings home a boat to fix up so they can leave the trailer and live on the boat, Fud is more determined than ever to win the contest especially since Larry hit mom. Does Fud win?