The Foxhole Court by Nora Sakavik, the first book in her All for the Game series, was a Tumblr phenomenon back in the day.
Full of high-stakes situations, danger and tension, with a dash of found family and romance, books like The Foxhole Court entrance readers with their complex, imperfect characters.
We meet Neil Josten, a young boy who has been on the run from his crime lord father, known as the Butcher. Having lived multiple lives under multiple roofs with multiple names, Neil is tired of running. So, when he is offered a place as the newest member of Palmetto State’s Exy team (a fictional sport Sakavik herself created), he takes his chances.
But settling here is a huge risk, especially when one of Neil’s teammates turns out to be someone from his past, who knows the truth about his identity. But despite all their differences, the Exy team becomes his family. Maybe it is time for Neil to stop running and start fighting instead.
If you read and loved The Foxhole Court, you might be looking for some similar books to pick up. In that case, here are ten other books to try!
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10 Books like The Foxhole Court
Captive Prince, by C. S. Pacat
Betrayed by his own brother when he seizes the throne for himself, Prince Damen of Akielos is stripped of his title, his identity and his claim to the throne. His brother sends him away to a neighbouring enemy nation to serve as a pleasure slave to the nation’s own Prince Laurent of Vere.
A brutal and manipulative man, his aloofness and wit allow him to navigate the political turbulence that plagues his country – and his reputation instils fear.
Damen can never trust Laurent with his true identity but as a bond forms between the pair, the more Damen wants to tell Laurent everything. But betrayed once, he won’t be betrayed again.
Pick up Captive Prince for a wildly popular option after you’re done with The Foxhole Court.
Have you already read this novel? Check out our list of books like Captive Prince!
Dear Evan Hansen, by Val Emmich
From the creators of the Broadway and West End smash hit musical, comes the written story of Evan Hansen.
Much like the characters in The Foxhole Court, Dear Evan Hansen centres on the mental health and lives of young boys.
When Evan writes a letter to himself – one that showcases his depression and self-hatred – for his therapy sessions, it somehow finds its way into the hands of Connor Murphy. The next day, Connor is dead and everyone around him believed Evan’s letter is Connor’s suicide note.
When Evan tells a lie about the extent of their relationship to Connor’s grief-stricken parents, the lies begin to snowball and soon, everyone thinks Connor and Evan were secret best friends.
Evan isn’t invisible anymore, people care for him but it is all because of a lie, of someone else’s suffering. Evan himself begins to spiral and he isn’t sure what is and isn’t real at all anymore.
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
When two entirely different young boys meet by chance at their local swimming pool in the summer of 1987, it changes the course of both of their lives for good.
Dante is a calm boy with a love of literature, Ari is hot-headed; the two are opposites but somehow become inseparable. But when Dante is told he is moving away for a year, the pair must make the most of the summer and the time left they have together.
They know they have next summer and all the summers to come but a year is a long time, especially for young boys.
A beautiful and equally devastating novel about youth and love and everything in between, pick up Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe.
Have you already read this novel? Check out our list of books similar to Aristotle and Dante!
The Raven Boys, by Maggie Stiefvater
The Raven Boys is a paranormal urban fantasy book similar to The Foxhole Court that focuses on Blue Sargent whose mother is a seer.
Upon their annual visit to the graveyard, Blue sees her first ever ghost – a boy named Gansey from the rich private school, Aglionby, whose students are also known as the Raven Boys for the trouble they usually cause.
Her entire life, Blue has been told she will cause the death of her one true love. Seeing his ghost means Gansey is going to die soon and that Blue is either his love or his killer.
Drawn into the lives of Gansey and his fellow friends, Blue realises how sinister the world of the Raven Boys truly is.
Already read this? Check out our list of books to read after The Raven Boys!
Wolfsong, by T. J. Klune
Wolfsong is the first book in T. J. Klune’s series Green Creek. The novel follows a boy named Ox who was abandoned by his father as a child, leaving him alone and feeling worthless.
At sixteen, Joe moves into a house down the street, forcing his way into Ox’s life and then his heart. But friendship is just the beginning as their bond soon develops into something bigger and stronger as they grow up into young men.
When a murder shocks the town they reside in, Joe leaves Ox behind in a quest for revenge and upon his return years later, the bond between them is still as palpable and undeniable as before.
This paranormal romance is a perfect read for fans of The Foxhole Court!
Carry On, by Rainbow Rowell
A book similar to The Foxhole Court that readers may enjoy is Carry On by Rainbow Rowell.
A more upbeat and magical book in comparison, the novel still contains an enemies-to-lovers plot, dangerous (yet magical) situations as well as high stakes! Simon Snow’s life is falling apart around him.
The so-called ‘Chosen One’, Simon has been dumped by his girlfriend, his mentor seems to be avoiding him like the plague and he can’t find his vampire roommate, Baz, anywhere. If that wasn’t bad enough, a monster is eating all the magic at Watford School of Magicks and he looks exactly like Simon!
His life has turned upside down and though he would never admit it, he would love to see Baz’s sneer and hear one of his snarky insults just one more time.
Have you already read this novel? Check out our list of books similar to Carry On!
Boyfriend Material, by Alexis Hall
If you’re looking for a book that also includes the beloved trope of fake dating, then look no further than Boyfriend Material!
Luc O’Donnell is the son of two rockstar parents so he has never been far from the limelight. But with his father’s time being split between rehab and his next bender, Luc hasn’t seen his father since his parents’ split when he was just a boy.
But now, recovered and out of rehab, his father is making a comeback which throws Luc himself back into the scrutinous public eye. A single compromising photo and Luc is told to clean up his image. That’s where Oliver Blackwood comes into the story.
Nice and normal and exactly who Luc needs to be seen with and so begins the fake dating. A fun romcom for all readers!
Have you already read this novel? Check out our list of books to read after Boyfriend Material!
Wranglestone, by Darren Charles
Wranglestone has the perfect amount of romance, fantasy and tension to keep readers hooked!
Set in post-apocalyptic America, Peter lives in a community that has survived by residing on an island in a national park.
Surrounded by water, the dead have no way to reach their shores but winter is approaching fast and soon, the water will freeze over leaving a clear path for the dead to cross.
Peter is soft and trusting and when his lack of sensible judgement leads him to allowing a stranger ashore, he puts everyone in danger.
Enlisted to help the handsome rancher Cooper keep the dead away as punishment, Peter learns more about Wranglestone and the world beyond their shores. It seems that Wranglestone is hiding a dark past and secrets are revealed.
Running with Lions, by Julian Winters
Star goalkeeper Sebastian Hughes has one obstacle between him and his final year at school: summer training camp.
Sebastian thinks it will be a breeze until Emir Shah turns up, his estranged childhood best friend who doesn’t seem to hide his hatred for Sebastian from anyone, least of all Sebastian himself.
Determined, for their team and each other, to bridge the gap between them, he begins to spend more time with Emir to rebuild their trust in one another. But something more than friendship sparks between the pair.
A story of self-discovery and bravery, Running with Lions is a wonderful book that readers who loved the sport aspect of Sakavik’s work will enjoy.
History is All You Left Me, by Adam Silvera
A heart-wrenching and enticing, History is All You Left Me is the perfect option for readers who want something powerful and moving.
Griffin’s ex-boyfriend and first love, Theo, is everything to him. Despite their break up and the fact that Theo began dating another boy across the country in California, Griffin knows that Theo will come back to him eventually.
But then, Theo dies in a drowning accident and everything that Griffin knew falls apart around him. To make matters worse, the only person who understands his heartbreak is Theo’s boyfriend, Jackson.
As they open up to one another, nothing can stop Griffin’s obsessive compulsions and downward spiral until it is all too late.
Books like The Foxhole Court are thrilling, enticing and emotional, all with the power to draw you in and lose yourself within the prose and characters. I hope you found your next five-star read among my recommendations!
Are you looking for more books to read after The Foxhole Court? Have any recommendations that didn’t make the list? Let us know in the comments!
