The undead fox of Deadwood Forest

It is perpetually fall in Deadwood Forest, where Clare, the undead fox, resides in a cozy cabin ever ready to usher lost souls to their appropriate afterlife: Peace, Pleasure, Progress, or Pain. It's a job he enjoys, this helping of others, especially since his own short life was devoid of love and kindness. Abandoned by his mother! Hit by a car! Attacked by a badger! Because of the latter, Clare's hospitality falters when the newest soul knocking at his door is, indeed, a badger--albeit it an unusually chatty and amiable one by the name of Gingersnipes. Clare makes short work of sending her to an afterlife and is considerably displeased to see her reappear at his cabin a short while later--a rare thing that only occurs when a soul tries to enter the wrong afterlife. As each new attempt to send the badger to her great reward ends in failure, Clare grows more confused and begrudgingly fond of Gingersnipes. Hoping to gain some clarity, Clare visits the seer Hesterfowl, who reveals that Clare's days as Usher are likely numbered. Hartman's animal fantasy is lightly macabre in its trappings but sweet and uplifting in substance, and the conversational narration adds an extra layer of whimsy to the proceedings. This tale of self-love and acceptance makes the most of its unique setting and the memorable characters found there.

Clare, the undead fox of Deadwood Forest, is cast as a monster by the local children who gather each Halloween around the forest's edge to chant about how he "waits to feast/ On little bones." But Clare isn't a monster: he's an Usher, one who helps wandering souls find their way to their respective afterlife, be it Peace, Pleasure, Progress, or Pain. Having died as a kit, Clare has no memories of his mortal life; all he knows is that if he dies again, his soul will go to Pain. When he learns of a prophecy about his impending disappearance, and Gingersnipes, a badger soul who doesn't seem to belong to any afterlife, arrives on his doorstep, Clare realizes he's being replaced as Usher, forcing him to confront his loneliness and fear of death, and making him reckless in his grief. In folktale cadences, Hartman (The Lion of Lark-Hayes Manor) speaks directly to the reader, deftly weaving a riveting and morally complex tale populated by flawed, fully realized characters navigating realistic emotions. Prospective life-after-death scenarios are presented in an age-appropriate manner without judgment, encouraging self-reflection and bravery in the face of the unknown. Whimsical chapter illustrations spotlight important aspects of this atmospheric and deeply emotional story about loss and the things one discovers upon learning to be vulnerable. Ages 8--up. Agent: Molly O'Neill, Root Literary. (Feb.)

Clare the fox lives, so to speak, in Deadwood Forest: "Like Clare, the forest was not quite dead but not quite alive." He struggles with self-consciousness about his mangled ear and missing eye (the result of the accident that sent him to the forest), but for the most part follows a quiet routine as the Afterlife's Usher of souls, tending his mushroom garden, reading books scavenged from Deadwood Dump, and making tea for himself and the wandering animal souls that knock on his cottage door. Mostly, the souls are easy to guide into one of the Afterlife's four realms: Peace, Pleasure, Progress, or Pain. Then badger Gingersnipes, who doesn't appear to belong to any realm, arrives just as Clare hears of an ominous premonition. Clare embarks on a quest to understand the meaning of the premonition and help Gingersnipes find her way. He engages in some surprising (to him) self-reflection and learns about love -- for himself and others -- as he travels through neighboring forests with his companion. Between chapters, detailed black-and-white drawings (by Marcin Minor) reminiscent of woodcuts highlight key characters and scenes to come. Though some of the book's messages are a bit on the nose, ultimately the dry humor, an amusingly intrusive narrator, and a touch of nostalgia intertwine to create an endearingly strange snapshot of a cottage-core world caught between life, death, and the afterlife. Monica de los ReyesMay/June 2025 p.89 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Change is coming to Deadwood Forest, and Clare is afraid for his livelihood. Lonely Clare, a silver-tailed fox, was run over as a kit six years ago, but he didn't go on to the Afterlife. Instead, he resides in Deadwood Forest, the splendidly realized world where he serves as Usher to the four realms: Peace, Pleasure, Progress, and Pain. He believes himself to be hideous, with his patchy fur and empty eye socket, reminders of the accident that brought him here, so he wears a cloak and a monocle. Clare gives the woodland creatures who knock on his cottage door tea and his attention as he tells them about their altered circumstances--they are dead--and explains that "each soul is drawn to the world where they will be most comfortable." Clare fears the realm of Pain for himself: He knows that only the worst of creatures go through that portal, yet he believes that Brickbane, his predecessor and mentor, foretold such a fate for himself. When a lively badger spirit arrives, full of questions, but Clare is strangely unable to guide her to the correct realm, he's dismayed to realize that his work as an Usher may be over. Hartman gracefully balances poignant and comic moments, wry observations, and moments of kindness. The narrator opens by directly addressing readers and provides a lovely and consoling revelation in the epilogue. Final art not seen. Heartbreaking, marvelously funny, and generously redemptive.(Fantasy. 8-13) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

*Starred Review* It is perpetually fall in Deadwood Forest, where Clare, the undead fox, resides in a cozy cabin ever ready to usher lost souls to their appropriate afterlife: Peace, Pleasure, Progress, or Pain. It's a job he enjoys, this helping of others, especially since his own short life was devoid of love and kindness. Abandoned by his mother! Hit by a car! Attacked by a badger! Because of the latter, Clare's hospitality falters when the newest soul knocking at his door is, indeed, a badger—albeit it an unusually chatty and amiable one by the name of Gingersnipes. Clare makes short work of sending her to an afterlife and is considerably displeased to see her reappear at his cabin a short while later—a rare thing that only occurs when a soul tries to enter the wrong afterlife. As each new attempt to send the badger to her great reward ends in failure, Clare grows more confused and begrudgingly fond of Gingersnipes. Hoping to gain some clarity, Clare visits the seer Hesterfowl, who reveals that Clare's days as Usher are likely numbered. Hartman's animal fantasy is lightly macabre in its trappings but sweet and uplifting in substance, and the conversational narration adds an extra layer of whimsy to the proceedings. This tale of self-love and acceptance makes the most of its unique setting and the memorable characters found there. Grades 4-7. Copyright 2025 Booklist Reviews.

Clare, the undead fox of Deadwood Forest, is cast as a monster by the local children who gather each Halloween around the forest's edge to chant about how he "waits to feast/ On little bones." But Clare isn't a monster: he's an Usher, one who helps wandering souls find their way to their respective afterlife, be it Peace, Pleasure, Progress, or Pain. Having died as a kit, Clare has no memories of his mortal life; all he knows is that if he dies again, his soul will go to Pain. When he learns of a prophecy about his impending disappearance, and Gingersnipes, a badger soul who doesn't seem to belong to any afterlife, arrives on his doorstep, Clare realizes he's being replaced as Usher, forcing him to confront his loneliness and fear of death, and making him reckless in his grief. In folktale cadences, Hartman (The Lion of Lark-Hayes Manor) speaks directly to the reader, deftly weaving a riveting and morally complex tale populated by flawed, fully realized characters navigating realistic emotions. Prospective life-after-death scenarios are presented in an age-appropriate manner without judgment, encouraging self-reflection and bravery in the face of the unknown. Whimsical chapter illustrations spotlight important aspects of this atmospheric and deeply emotional story about loss and the things one discovers upon learning to be vulnerable. Ages 8–up. Agent: Molly O'Neill, Root Literary. (Feb.)