THE FICTIONFOX

With the first quarter of 2026 behind us it’s time for me to give my first of many wrap-ups. And by “time” I mean, almost a month overdue… Thanks to the hectic and eventful month I’ve had, I completely missed the Q1-mark, and instead am giving you a “tertile” review instead… At the time of writing, I’ve completed 41 books, according to Goodreads. Here are the ones that stood out the most. Favourites: Hemlock – Melissa Faliveno A blend of disorienting magical realism and horro

July Releases White Rabbit - Abigail Rose-Marie Genre: Gothic Horror Expected release date: July 14th 2026 Synopsis: In a yellow house perched on the crumbling edge of Massachusetts Bay, eleven-year-old Penelope Willows is living in the shadow of loss. Her father is gone, leaving behind only whispers and shadows, while her mother drifts further away each day, lost in her own grief. Left alone in a home that seems frozen in time, Penelope clings to her routines, counting ever

Translator : Daisy Gibbons (Ukrainian -> English) Genre: Speculative Fiction, Dystopian Published: Seven Stories Press, April 2026 My Rating: 4/5 stars "The weathering away of every person is a weathering away inside everyone left behind. Any man’s death diminishes me." With echoes of The Road and Roadside Picnic , and clear resonance to recent history, The Weathering is a Ukrainian-set dystopian novel that feels timely and timeless at the same time. The Story: A young U

Genre: Contemporary Fiction Published: Soho Press, March 2025 My Rating: 1/5 stars "You look at him, puppy-eyed. At this man who looks like Leo, but isn’t Leo and want to say “my husband always kept pens in his pocket too. I miss you already.” I thought long and hard on how to rate this novel. What I eventually ended up with was the longest review I've ever written, and a rating of a single star. Although it has a bunch of redeeming qualities, which I will address below, I u