Your Preview Verdict: The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest by Aubrey Hartman

Buy a copy of The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest here.

Read some great reviews from our Preview readers here:

A wonderful book about the acceptance of death. The characters are believable with nine the rat , Clare the fox and gingersnipes the badger. Clare being helpful towards the end and having a flashback on how he passed gave the readers an insight of why he was the way he was. A great read and looking forward to the next chapter with gingersnipes Lorraine, 12, VIC, 5 stars

The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest is a wonderful book for readers about 10 – 13 yrs, younger if they are not frightened easily by discussions of death. I am an avid reader of Kate DiCamillo and Roald Dahl so this book sat very well as my reading companion for a couple of days. I just wish I had a child to read it to!! Perfect for reading along with your child as it offers gentle, but subtle provocations to discuss social and friendship issues that may be present in your child’s life. This book will one day be a classic! I hope there will be more to come. Julie, VIC, 5 stars

I loved this book. A beautiful story to help kids deal with death, grief and loss. It also covers friendship, love, forgiveness and taking time to look at yourself not just others. Debbie, VIC, 5 stars

At first I felt this story a touch too grim for young readers but it is a lovely touching read! The adventure that waits a professionally dead fox, is full of self discovery and the unexpected lessons of trauma, friendship and what lies after life. A keepsake, one to hold closely when experiencing grief. Kylie, 10, NSW, 5 stars

The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest is a clever, tender, and atmospheric fantasy story aimed at primary school aged children. It explores grief, acceptance, self-worth, and the meaning of letting go. Set in the enchanting, autumnal Deadwood Forest, the story follows Clare, an undead fox who guides lost souls to the afterlife. Clare is witty, introspective, and sympathetic. A badger soul named Gingersnipes disrupts everything and Clare must confront painful truths about the past and future. The story blends humour, heartache, and hope in a unique take on death and the afterlife. Clare’s journey from grumpiness to growth is deeply moving and relatable for young readers. This is an extremely thought provoking book for young readers. Kerrie, 9-13yo, NSW, 5 stars

The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest is a heartwarming story of peace, pleasure, progress and pain. I loved the way the author portrayed such strong elements of grief and loss, life and love in a way that was both understandable and appealing to smaller people. The characters were fabulous, a great combination of human characteristics and natural instinct. I don’t think portraying the meanness of one of the rats has helped raise their popularity. I do now have a much greater appreciation of badgers though. This is a great story that children will enjoy, and in the right circumstances , definitely benefit from. Jodie, WA, 5 stars

The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest was a somewhat dark and enchanting tale of friendship, love, loss and grief amongst other things. It was sad and funny and full of hope. This book has amazing messages for the intended audience…and for everyone else in the world. Tackling issues such as appearance, self worth, confidence and acceptance. Everyone could learn, and grow from Clare’s journey. I particularly enjoyed the narrator in this story. Every now and then they spoke to the reader to give warnings of events to come next. This added a bit of fun to the read. My favourite part was the narrators notes at the end. I felt the way they discussed grief and one’s soul very insightful. Shannon, VIC, 5 stars

This is a beautiful and heartwarming story that teaches us about grief. It completely captivated me. I would highly recommend this unforgettable tale. Jenny, 8, VIC, 5 stars

A delightful and magical read. Perfect for new readers of chapter books. This book will stay in the hearts and minds of its readers for a long time. Well done Aubrey. Jenny, VIC, 5 stars

I gave this book to my 12 year old niece to review: ‘The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest’ by Aubrey Hartman is a YA fantasy novel set in an eternally autumn forest, following Clare, an undead fox who works as an Usher guiding souls to the afterlife. The story begins when Clare meets Gingersnipes, a badger soul who mysteriously cannot transition to any afterlife realm. As Clare discovers his powers fading and realises Gingersnipes is meant to replace him, he initially plots against her but eventually forms an unexpected friendship that forces him to confront truths about his death and his mother. The story skillfully balances darker themes of grief and death with humour and warmth. I really enjoyed it and recommended this book for those interested in stories about love, loss, and letting go. Laura, WA, 5 stars

I really enjoyed reading the Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest. It is an unusual tale about the spirit of Clare, a fox with a beautiful lavender tail. In his role as an usher in the Deadwood Forest, he was responsible for guiding the spirits who could not find their way into the afterlife. Clare was a caring usher who took his responsibility very seriously. The arrival of Gingersnipes, a badger, changed everything as he didn’t seem to belong to any of the afterlife realms. The story really started moving when Clare was told of Hesterfowl’s premonition; On All Hallow’s Eve Deadwood will bring mayhem to Fernlight. And before the moon sets, the one in Deadwood will vanish forever. An unlikely bond developed between Clare and Gingersnipes as they raced to find the truth of the premonition. Even though the story is about death, it has some heartwarming moments and an unexpected twist that I did not see coming. It is a joy to watch the development of the characters and their interactions. I recommend this book to readers both young and old. Anne, 10 and up, VIC, 5 stars

Clare the Usher of Deadwood Forest is dreading All Hallow’s Eve when the human mammals taunt him with a cruel song. Clare is a macabre sight with missing eye and torn ear, but he is a gentle soul. He welcomes the newly dead and ushers them to one of the four afterworld realms of light, Peace, Pleasure, Progress and Pain. When newly deceased Gingersnipes, his badger nemesis, knocks on his door, a wild ride of self-discovery begins. The characters are vividly written, with a soothsaying grouse and dump dwelling entrepreneurial rats. The reader is engaged in the transformation of Clare and Gingersnipes and their relationship as they brave their journey together. The language is a descriptive with gothic tones, with a humour that will appeal to children and adults. “Now that you are undead,” Brickbane said in his low, slow voice, “you’ll spend less time trying to survive, and more time like humans.” “You mean walking upright?” Clare had asked. “I mean loafing.” The setting is evocative with the gloom and safety of natural Deadwood contrasted with the light and danger of human Fernlight Forest. Clare’s beloved mushroom garden brims with colour and magic. The themes of light, darkness and caring for the environment are reflected throughout the book. The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest is highly recommended for thoughtful middle grade readers and their adults. Julie, 8-12, WA, 5 stars

An interesting and fascinating read about animals and the afterlife. Follows a fox helping animals that have died into the next realm. Did enjoy the story and interactions with an animal focus. Dale, VIC, 4 stars

The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest is a unique and heartwarming story about a fox named Clare who is living in Deadwood Forest, a place between the living and the afterlife. Written by Aubrey Hartman it tells the story of how Clare came to be the new usher of Deadwood, a job in which he guides souls into their final resting place. Clare’s existence is a solitary one that he enjoys as he helps the animals he meets accept their death and decide which of the four realms they will belong to for all of eternity. A problem arises when Clare meets Gingersnipes, a badger who has recently died. Despite Clare ushering Gingersnipes, she appears to be unable to leave Deadwood and enter the afterlife permanently. Together they embark on a journey to seek the help of a visionary grouse named Hesterfowl. Hartman presents a unique view of life after death and the choices available to animal beings as they head towards their final destination. She explores the conflict between growing friendships and selfish desires of the characters by inserting human characteristics into them. I enjoyed this thoughtful yet gloomy tale and would recommend it to children aged 12-15 years. Mary-Jo, VIC, 4 stars

A book about cute animals and the afterlife sounds whimsical to me but to a young child may be quite disturbing. So I read this book before I passed it onto Miss 9 to read. Some themes were quite deep but it gave a unique perspective on grief, loss and self-discovery that I felt she could comprehend. Fortunately there was humour and a great sense of friendship and adventure that we both really enjoyed. We cheered on the characters and ultimately found the book uplifting. Leanne, 9, SA, 4 stars

This book was different from what I was expecting. The thought of another being (human or animal) being there to help with the transition from one life to the other was very comforting. The characters are ugly, funny, caring, passionate, liars. But they are all loveable in their own way. The titbits from the narrator add another level of humour and understanding. A beautiful book of love, acceptance and letting go. Nicole, VIC, 4 stars

I regularly hear people nowadays using the phrase “crossing the rainbow bridge” when describing the death of a pet. In this book, the undead fox, Clare, was killed in a road accident but instead of “going towards the light”, to use another description, Clare is assigned by the Afterlife to the role of Usher, the one who ushers lost souls to the appropriate “heaven” – Peace, Pleasure, Progress, or Pain. The book weaves mild philosophical ideas through themes of adventure, life, death, self-esteem and grief with a light and sometimes humorous tone. The publisher’s website says it is for readers 8+, which I would think is a bit young for the way the conceptually dense themes are portrayed. On the other hand, once the friendly badger Gingersnipes appears, the adventure levels of the plot rise and the reader is carried along quickly. Not for every reader, but an interesting book nonetheless. Kim, VIC, 4 stars

The Undead fox of Deadwood forest is an amazing book filled with joy and heartfelt moments. When I first saw the cover and title of this book it captured me and drew me in from the first chapter. This novel tells the story of a fox that lives in a deadwood forest. He is an usher of undead souls and has his mind set on this job. But when a badger wanders into his cottage his world is turned upside down. He discovers there is more to life than the four realms; peace, pleasure, progress and pain. I enjoyed this book very much and would recommend it to any young reader interested in fiction. I loved how the story twisted and left you reading on the edge of your seat. I rate this book 4 stars out of 5 for I think the plot was strong and I laughed quite a bit. Daisy (Joy Marshall’s granddaughter), 11, VIC, 4 stars

At first I wasn’t sure if this book was to my liking but after a few chapters I was captivated. Clare the undead fox was well characterised and we learn more about him through his journey with Gingersnipes the undead badger who was always asking a lot of questions to the annoyance of Clare. The story is about death, grief but also compassion and finding your true self amongst diversity. Im sure this book will entertain both pre teen and adults alike. Karen, QLD, 4 stars

This dark but hopeful book for young readers is an excellent read, enjoyed by both Mum and Miss 12. This is a lovely book. Although there’s sadness in this, it’s also ultimately quite positive. This deals with some quite tricky concepts gently but explicitly. Although the subject matter is tough, it’s unlikely to frighten young readers as it’s leavened with a lot of positivity. Death is not seen as a frightening thing – or at least, no more frightening than life. Grace, 12 years, says: I found this a little hard to get into, but by the end I couldn’t wait to read the sequel. The characters are vivid and believable. I especially liked Gingersnipes. I also liked Clare a lot – I liked his love of books. I very much enjoyed his relationship with his mushrooms. I liked that his favorite mushroom was the only one who belonged there. The only thing I wasn’t keen on was the illustrations. I really liked them, and enjoyed looking at them, but they “gave away” what was going to happen in the upcoming chapter. I’d have preferred them at the end of the chapter so this didn’t happen. Lorraine (For Grace), 12, ACT, 4 stars

This book was great! The world was really detailed, and I loved the idea of the fox being an usher for lost souls and helping them move on to the afterlife. But when a super annoying, and really funny badger shows up, everything gets messed up! The badger is supposed to be the new usher, but the fox doesn’t want to leave. The best part of the book was the hilarious banter between the fox and the badger. I laughed out loud so many times! The badger is loud, curious, and always interrupting the fox when he’s trying to grow his forest mushrooms. At first, they don’t get along, but slowly, their friendship blossoms. This book has great characters, an interesting fantasy world, and a fun story with a bit of sadness too. I really, really hope there’s another book, because I want to read more about the Deadwood Forest! Oliver, 11, TAS, 4 stars

This book has serious themes about grief and moving on. The writer is clever and smart and wrote a different and interesting book but it took a while to take off, I was abit bored at the start. My favourite characters were Clare and Gingersnipes who were a good team and became good friends. I dont like that the author gave the name Clare to a boy fox though. I liked the adventure they went on together but some parts got quite sad. The end of the book was disappointing and didn’t make much sense until I read the Narrator’s Note which did make sense and was touching (I don’t like it when author’s have Narrator’s in books however). Allie, 10, VIC, 3 stars

The book is narrated by the mother of Clare. It story unpacks themes of love, friendship, loss of a friend and the accompanying grief process and moving on in life. The animal characters are delightful and take us on a journey that is unlike any other I have read in a book. Suitable for readers from seven to seventy and upwards! Cheryl, Seven to sixteen., VIC, 3 stars

Buy a copy of The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest here.