A review by mmcloe
Little Foxes Took Up Matches by Katya Kazbek
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!
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!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Transphobia, Police brutality, and Rape