In a world where people with illnesses and disabilities are seen as imperfect, we follow Ora, a teen protagonist in her quest to self and societal discovery.
The prose is well-flowing, easy-to-follow and engaging. It is fitting for a YA dystopian novel.
Plot 3/5
Characterisation 3/5
Premise 3/5
Themes 4/5
Prose 3.5/5

Yet, for the target audience, the premise can be more exciting and authentic.
3 stars for those who are avid dystopian literature readers, 4 stars for younger readers or those who have not read books with similar themes and premises.

I got to read an advance copy of The Vulpine by Polly Crosby recently (due for release in mid-January). I was drawn in my the dystopian premise: a world in which anyone with an “imperfect” body (chronic illness, disease, disability) is sent to The Hospital, never to be seen by their families again. The Vulpine are a group depicted by the government as monsters, who snatch imperfect babies from their homes if they aren’t turned over to The Hospital. The story was quite a simplistic one, following a teen protagonist who learns that her parents have been covering her chronic health conditions by sneaking medication into her food her whole life. The novel gave me YA vibes (nothing wrong with that!) and I feel it could have gone darker… which probably says more about my tastes than the book. I did however fly through the story in a day, so there was clearly something in it that kept me needing to know what happens next!

Ora lives in a society where all illnesses and disabilities have been eradicated. Scientists are employed in DNA sequencing, and all four-year-olds undergo a grading. Any children failing the ‘Prefect Test’ or babies born with obvious ‘defects’ go to live in the Hospital, which supposedly cares for them behind closed doors. Parents who don’t hand over their children risk having them stolen and eaten by the mythical Vulpine.
When I read this book, I thought of three things: the underground community in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang that protects children from the Child Catcher employed by the child-hating monarchy; the 2017 children’s novel A Place Called Perfect by Helena Duggan, in which villainous leaders drug the population into overvaluing perfection; and the utterly chilling documentary I once saw about the repugnant experiments Josef Mengele carried out on disabled children in Nazi concentration camps. Although The Vulpine touches on all of these (and allusions to real-life proponents of eugenics is particularly chilling), what makes it different is how Crosby makes the ‘Imperfect’ the central characters. They live in a community adapted to diverse needs, where they are able to develop their strengths and flourish. Each person is depicted as an individual. More than the sum of their disabilities or illnesses, they are variously brave, intelligent, bitter, foolish, suspicious, kind or cunning. They are also the agents of their own lives and societal change.
The novel is marketed as YA – and that fits with the age of the protagonists (15 and 16), the hint of romance and the on-page violence and death – but the passages from the rhyming ‘Vulpine Storybook’ and the dressing up as monsters suggested a younger readership. Perhaps ten-year-olds who have enjoyed A Place Called Perfect will enjoy moving on to The Vulpine at eleven.
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.
Upon publication, I will post this review on my blog and on GoodReads.

I really like Polly Crosby's novels, in particular her latest works. She writes about what she knows best: Cystic Fibrosis and manages to create a different narrative each time. "The Vulpine" is a dystopian take where the population are split into the Perfect and the Imperfect. The Imperfect go to the hospital or even worse, the Vulpine take them. Ticks all the boxes of a dystopian novel: a great horror, people living on the margins of society and a glimmer of hope in the future.

I really loved this book. I like the way that the book blurb doesn’t make it clear whether you’re reading magical reality or dystopian fiction I felt begin with that I was reading a fairytale. I rather love that element of the novel particularly the children’s storybook a lead character finds that tells her about the Vulpine it sets
the story perfectly and starts her on her adventure. I found the way that this was handled really skilful. The dystopian world was just believable as I believe every good dystopian novel must be .Our search for perfection in human life is central to a lot of eugenics movements and on many occasions has gone too far. Think the third Reich and its treatment of disabled children as well as the way black people were forcefully sterilised or experimented on in the USA not so long ago
The characters are real and believable the author has the skill to carefully describe in individual characters and make them develop in an entirely believable way throughout the story
The story exciting enough to maintain your interest and I read it in one sitting this was one of those books that when I first woke up in the morning and remembered I had to finish it I couldn’t wait to open the book and start reading
There Is a sweet love story in the middle of the novel, however it doesn’t dominate it something that might’ve taken the book into the YA category
I loved the authors note at the end of the book ,as a doctor I had picked up at the potential diagnosis for the lead character was cystic fibrosis but it was nice to have this confirmed .As a non-medical reader. It didn’t matter what the illness was just that it was an “imperfection”In the context if the story .I rather liked the fact that she had a late onset medical condition which led to her reclassification and that the physical disabilities mentioned during the story seemed real and believable
When I started reviewing books five years ago, it was unusual to have main characters with medical or developmental even psychological conditions . As I read more I’ve come across more books with neuro diverse characters but reading about somebody with a medical condition and that not being the whole subject of the novel was lovely. I would imagine that themselves had cystic fibrosis would find this novel fabulous and nice to find themselves represented. I always appreciate when I read a novel which has something personal to the author in it there is nothing better than lived experienced to make the story feel entirely authentic
The author has clear flowing writing style making the novel and refreshing enjoyable read. I had previously read her novel Vita and the birds. I read this quite some time ago but the picture of the glasshouse in the salts marshes still comes to mind from time to time. She’s written a number of other novels including the illustrated Child the unravelling and the house of fever and I note that there is a Young Adult This tale is forbidden in 2024.
I’m trying to think of similar books but currently struggling to find one that is quite like this book. Pass me I really love to stay your novels and will gravitate to these if given a free choice in reading I’ve read a large number of these novels mostly newly published in the last five years and would say that this book is among the best of them ..

The novel is very descriptive in its setting and I think it would make a fabulous film if I was a film developer I would grab the rights to it .I hope to see it on Netflix soon !
There is something similar in the ethos of this novel with the book The Girl with All the Gifts by MR Carey or The power by Naomi Alderman If you liked either of these books and I think you will enjoy this novel .


Whilst this isn’t badged as a YA novel I think it would be entirely appropriate for teenagers to read and I would’ve loved to read it myself as an early reader.
I read an early copy of the novel on NetGalley UK. The book is published in January 2025 by Scholastic
This review will appear on NetGalley UK. Goodreads and my book blog bionicsarahsbooks.wordpress.com.After publication it will also appear on Amazon UK.

3.5 stars

I'm fairly sure I've read all of Polly Crosbys work, and enjoyed them, so I was looking forward to this one.
It has some really good ideas, especially when you add the own voices element in, which I did not know about until the acknowledgement.
A dystopian future where illness is no-one, sounds too good to be true.
And it is.
Some good twists, and characters I could get behind.
I enjoyed this one.
I'm not the target audience, and there were a few times it felt too young for me, buy it never detracted from the story.
Enjoyable