The Fox Trot

by Raea Gragg

In the swampy bayou of Louisiana, sophomore Jaden Miller becomes obsessed with a gorgeous and mysterious new girl. His life starts to fall apart around him as he sets off to uncover her story. Along the way, he discovers he is also unraveling the town's long-held secrets.

314 pages, Paperback

First published February 9, 2014

Reviews

[Kara Gragg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fast paced adventure featuring a cool kid named Jaden who lives in a bayou town of Louisiana. He is a lacrosse star and looks like an "escapee male model". But he hates his town because it has no cell reception, his dad is not there, and his teacher torments him.

He becomes intrigued with a mysterious girl whose hands are inexplicably bloody. A hoodoo voodoo woman tells him that someone he loves will die within the year. Jaden freaks, and races around trying to find out who the girl is and who is going to die. He ends up uncovering the town's civil war era legend.

I don't want to be a spoiler, but it all comes crashing together in the end. It's funny in parts and romantically tender in others. Overall, it was hard to put down. There are references to Macbeth throughout the book, but I love how Jaden mocks Shakespeare the whole time. I loved the unexpected botanical tid bits. Sometimes I was confused as to what was real and what was fantasy, but I just went along for the fun ride.

This book is appropriate for middle school children. There are some intense scenes and some mature themes but the language is clean.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant young author has sprung onto the scene. Raea Gragg, herself a teenager, writes a story with a maturity and complexity that belies her years, yet in language that is totally relatable to her peers. The story grabbed both me and my young teen daughter from the very beginning with adventure, mystery, and interesting plot twists. Raea captures the angst and confusion, as well as love and friendship, of the teenage years perfectly - all set in the backwaters of the Louisiana swamps. The characters and setting are fully developed, the pace of the book keeps the reader fully engaged, and my daughter has gone back to re-read the story many times - always the sign of a great read. I look forward to reading more from this author in years to come.

[Muppy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Fox Trot was an amazing book. I liked how the beginning was very captivating and the whole thing had metaphors that repeated. I especially liked its dramatic ending. The main character Jaden was interesting to read about. The plot was exciting and mysterious. I would definitely recommend this book to middle schoolers who are looking for a great story to read.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Fox Trot was incredibly impressing. It was very very well written by a fifteen year old. Raea, a close friend of mine, has overcome so much in her life, and this book really proves it. The main character Jaden, was created to resemble my older brother. Raea matched his character and personality perfectly. Overall, this book was so incredible. Raea writes so deeply and really sets an image in your head. Her personality shows in this book. Oh, not to mention she painted the cover of the book all by herself. We’re all so proud of you Raea!

[Jared · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Fox Trot is a fantastic story about love and adventure. The characters are very easy to relate to and the story is so fast-paced and engrossing that the book really is impossible to put down. Amazingly in our modern country, the author was able to find such a unique, interesting setting as the Louisiana Bayou. Overall a great read.

I recommend The Fox Trot to anyone who is looking for an exciting, easy to read story.

[Carson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an awesome book. I couldn't put it down because I couldn't wait to see what happens next.