sjxa's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
A beautiful balance of literary and commercial interests and tone, deligtfully mysterious, thrillingly feminine and wild. A monument to and mockery of academic creativity. A feverish kiss, revelling in its own pretention and self-awareness. So perfectly, like, meta, but maybe, like, a little pleased with itself? Pleased with itself in, like, an erotic way though. It’s hot (in the voice of Paris Hilton but also in a deeply natural, sweaty, grimy way).
These are all things its own characters might say about it in one of the many truthy episodes of creative writing workshops at uni, which punctuate the text with “real life”.
If Bunny falls short anywhere, it’s the plainer, *not like other girls, dead parents* features of Samantha’s [the narrator] character - which are especially noticable in the early portions of the book where the magic of the plot has not yet taken off. It could also have been more explicitly diverse, I imagined certain characters as non-white but I don’t remember any descriptions of skintone besides the pink-white of the Bunnies. If the whiteness of other characters were relevant it might have been hilighted more carefully, so, since it wasn’t, readers may fill in the blanks.
Anyway, it was gross and animal and gorgeous and sparkly and exciting in the best way.
These are all things its own characters might say about it in one of the many truthy episodes of creative writing workshops at uni, which punctuate the text with “real life”.
Spoiler
I found the turning of animals into people was written with an enjoyable lack of clarity; not so much that any absolutely necissary elements are lost, but enough that we are caught up in the same fog as Samantha to the extent that the plot is believable enough. The moment when Ava is revealed to be a swan is so gorgeously ambiguous, and the killing of Max back to his stag form has a satisfying bite of clarity to it, the two compliment eachother like salty and sweet.If Bunny falls short anywhere, it’s the plainer, *not like other girls, dead parents* features of Samantha’s [the narrator] character - which are especially noticable in the early portions of the book where the magic of the plot has not yet taken off. It could also have been more explicitly diverse, I imagined certain characters as non-white but I don’t remember any descriptions of skintone besides the pink-white of the Bunnies. If the whiteness of other characters were relevant it might have been hilighted more carefully, so, since it wasn’t, readers may fill in the blanks.
Anyway, it was gross and animal and gorgeous and sparkly and exciting in the best way.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Murder, Animal death, Blood, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Self harm
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Lesbophobia, Death of parent, Drug abuse, and Sexual assault
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