Reviews with content warning for Self harm - Bunny

This book is wild. First and foremost, I respect it for its ability to constantly surprise me. I never had any idea what was going to happen next. I think it's rare to find a book that's really like nothing else you've read. When I describe the plot of this book to people it makes sense, at a high level, but truly it's hard to capture all the layers and how it feels to read it. I can't think of anything I would really compare it to, which is kind of cool.

If you enjoy literary analysis, you could write two dozen high school style essays hashing out its various themes and possible interpretations. Makes it a fun book to discuss and think about.

The many layers and open-to-interpretation nature of this book can make it a little frustrating or confusing. There were definitely parts that I had difficulty following. The book delivers carefully built-up surprises, but it never becomes truly clear what is really going on.

Despite the confusion, I found this book to be a page turner. You just get in and enjoy the ride, no clue where you're going.

I think it might even be worth a re-read. I'll have to consider it.

Spoiler

I'm sure everyone has their own interpretations, but I thought it was interesting what the book was trying to depict about writing and creativity. The contrast and interactions between Samantha and the Bunnies, their different approaches to art -- and creating Darlings. The commentary on Warren and the surrounding town. The 'teaching' of writing, and writing as a communal vs individual act. Class, privilege, and trauma and how they interact with creative generation. How in the end, both Samantha and the Bunnies are kind of pathetic in their own ways.

Interpretations aside, the surface-level reading experience itself is pretty good. The bunnies are totally creepy, with their cutesy witch coven. There's suspense, since it's clear since the beginning that there's something weird about Ava, some mysterious history with the Lion. Lots of clever little hints and clues from the author throughout the book. The bunny-mind-meld section is super whack (in a cool way). Things keep escalating as the story goes on. The Ava plot twist is wild. There's tons of surprises in general.

I did have a general sense of feeling confused, since it's totally unclear what genre the book even falls into. Crazy things happen, and it's unclear whether they're real or not (within the world of the book).

It isn't clear, in the end, what is magical realism, satire, metaphor, real in-world fantasy, or schizophrenia. I think I would have been disappointed if it was all just schizophrenia in the end, so I'm glad it's open ended. Still, just a little more clarity might have made the book more satisfying for me.

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imogenreads_'s review against another edition

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dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

A bitingly satirical evaluation of female friendship and the echo chamber of academic elitism turns into a ‘what-the-f***’ horror-thriller that boggles just as it enthrals.

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luciataylor's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

Frankenstein x Heathers x The Craft x Mean Girls except not as good. It was ok but not for me which is disappointing as I love all of the things it is often compared to; I found the dark academia setting quite cringe and the development towards the end really lost me (I know that's the point but still.) A fine book, but I won't be recommending it

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sleepykatz's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

if you didn't join a cult at least once, did you even go to college?

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bekiethebanished's review against another edition

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challenging dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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khandrich2001's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Such a unique read! Truly haven’t undertaken anything like it before. Despite some minor inconsistencies and what seemed like typos I still feel the urge to give it a full 5 stars because it was so compelling and interesting. I didn’t know what was going to happen next at pretty much any point throughout the book. Samantha’s time under the “spell” of the Bunnies did feel a bit rushed but overall, I can’t see myself giving it a lower rating! The prose/writing style was super interesting, too.

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mbayram's review against another edition

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challenging dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

İt's confusing as all hell.

İ know some people really enjoyed that but İ didn't find the characters likeable or interesting enough to enjoy it myself. Awad is an excellent writer and i enjoyed the structure or ~the body~ ;) but the plot was a bit hard to follow. That may be because İ listened to the audiobook though, so İ think I'd rate the book higher for paperback. The ending especially felt out of nowhere even though it did have sufficient lead up? İdk it's worth a try if you're into funky stuff but definitely need to be in the mood for it and i highly suggest a physical copy instead of audiobook.

İ wouldn't say it's scary but it's got horror elements so if you're sensitive to that beware.

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lexigrce's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

i wish i had physically read this instead of listening to an audiobook bc i found it very hard to follow and idk if that’s bc it is or just bc it was an audiobook. it had a lot of good and intriguing ideas but none of them really got fleshed (lol) out for me

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