Reviews with content warning for Transphobia - Little Foxes Took Up Matches

This was an interesting coming-of-age novel with an utterly complex and beautifully written young protagonist, Mitya, who I’ll hesitantly say is genderqueer/genderfluid. The setting is 1990s Moscow, yet it seems as though Kazbek crafted a more surreal space for Mitya to wander through, perhaps because we are looking through the (rather limited) eyes of a young boy making sense of the world. Furthermore, he frequently engages with equally strange and complex characters, making for a somewhat odd read.

While the book sounds charming (and, in its own way, has some charm), it’s also quite bleak, with horrible and traumatic things happening to Mitya, such as being raped by his cousin and dealing with significant queerphobia from people around him. Somewhat tangentially related to queerphobia, though, I thought Kazbek’s exploration of gender and sexuality was an interesting one in this novel. There was a kind of acceptance of just wanting to be who you are without caring much for labels, but that comes with a lot of grief that Mitya is forced to deal with. Despite these troubles, his resilience reflects a self-love for his queerness that I found heartwarming at times.

There actually is some fantastical elements in this book, which is this interwoven fairy tale that’s supposed to connect to the main story somehow. However, I didn’t feel that it worked that well and found these sections a bit jarring. All-in-all, though, this was a unique approach to a queer coming-of-age novel. I should note that this book is definitely meant for a more mature audience, considering some of the content.

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deathbear's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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ka_cam's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

Great first 3/4, interesting characters and setting. Well written, great use of an omniscient narrator alongside a youthful main character's voice. Thoughtful portrayal of coming into complex gender and sexual identities. Lost steam towards the end and sort of meandered to the conclusion. All and all would recommend!

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mmcloe's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Just kept getting better and better and better. My experience with coming of age novels is pretty limited but I absolutely adored how essential Mitya's aging was to the structure and themes of the plot.

Something I particularly admired about this novel was the different ways that Kazbek constructed queerness. Mitya constantly engages with queerness as a fundamentally social and economic phenomenon, mediated through interactions with intersecting friends, family, and authorities. At the same time, queerness is fantastical and futuristic, requiring a dive into mythmaking and aesthetics to make sense of the turmoil in the "real" world. Everyone read asap!

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marywahlmeierbracciano's review

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challenging funny slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

Little Foxes Took Up Matches is a queer coming-of-age story set in late 90s Moscow and narrated by Mitya—a beautiful, observant, genderqueer boy. Amidst a dysfunctional family, Mitya admires his resourceful babushka and tries to avoid his predatory, wartorn cousin. In the process of avenging the death of his friend, a kind homeless man who accepted Mitya’s queerness, Mitya befriends an older Ukrainian girl, and the pair comes to know Moscow and themselves by way of the underground music scene. Despite many difficult obstacles, Mitya is incredibly resilient and spirited—one of the most memorable characters I’ve read in a long time. With folklore as its guiding light—Mitya’s chronicle of self-discovery is paralleled by an interluding fairytale—this character-driven novel is ultimately a queer love story, a love letter to queer youth. Jefferson Mays’ narration is a perfect complement.

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