Little Foxes Took Up Matches is a sometimes dark, sometimes sweet queer coming-of-age tale. Mitya was just two when he swallowed his grandmother’s sewing needle. His family believes that it will eventually harm him irreparably. But Mitya thinks it will keep him safe. Mitya is too young to remember what his country was like before the Soviet Union collapsed. His family often misses the old days, stating that they were better times for their family. But Mitya couldn’t say for sure because his world is limited to his family’s apartment in the middle of Moscow. As he grows older, he begins to dabble in his mother’s cosmetics when no one is around and explores his own gender identity. After suffering abuse from his older cousin, Mitya decides to see more of the outside world. He befriends an unhoused man who has ravens as his constant companions. He wanders underground Moscow and sees the brutal effects that war has had on its citizens. He endeavours to make sense of everything and find his place in a country trying to rebuild itself while still dealing with corruption and violence. This is a beautiful but grim story that I took my time reading. It was also a bit odd reading this, given the current situation. Mitya is a character that will stick with this reader for sometime to come. Also, can we have a moment for that stunning cover?CW: child sexual and physical abuse. Thank you to Tin House for providing an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. https://booksandwheels.com