svblvna's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
5.0
oh how i love weird culty academia stories!! what a strange experience this was. i think it'll definitely stay in my mind for a while
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Gore, Animal death, and Death
nenaveenstra's review against another edition
dark
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.75
When I was in highschool, I always gauged my enjoyment of a book by one parameter: does it make me itch to write? In group discussions with my Dutch teacher this would always raise eyebrows - what do you mean it makes you want to write? And I’d stumble to explain that it inspired me, somehow.
Years later, I don’t only enjoy books that make me feel like writing, but boy does it fill me with joy when they do. Bunny is one of those books: set in a school for aspiring writers, our main character Samantha suffers from writers block when she meets a group of girls who call each other - and themselves - ‘Bunny’. They unsettle our main character - rightfully so - and yet they intrigue her enough that they manage to suck her into their cultish clique.
What happens next is weird, creepy and somehow also relatable. Mona Awad very cleverly uses techniques like perspective shifting (from ‘I’ to ‘we’), dialogues where you’re never really sure if they’re real or just imagination, and a sprinkle of magic realism to tell a story of academic elitism, girlhood, loneliness and writing. It takes elements from The Secret History by Donna Tartt and elevates them to make a book that is - in my humble opinion - so much better.
I was particularly taken by the last line, which can be interpreted in multiple ways given the magical nature of everything that happened before it.
Spoiler
Samantha has just realised that Ava is just something she conjured up - whether truly, magically, or really just in her mind - and she is sitting outside after her graduation. Jonah comes sit next to her while she’s thinking about everything that happened, and then Mona Awad writes this:Spoiler
“You could come with me,” I say to Jonah. “If you want.”I lower my gaze to the mud.
”Sure, Samantha,” says the mud, “I’d love to.”
Spoiler
Given all the magical things that happened before this, it’s unclear whether ‘says the mud’ is just a way of saying that Samantha hears Jonah speak without looking at him, or whether Jonah - or another person completely - is somehow conjured up from the mud.So it’s safe to say, I loved this. And I haven’t even gone into the ways the process of making art is described, the beautiful language use, and the idea of a muse - how it can feel awkward when someone knows they’re your muse, but it feels so damn good to write about them. Reading this book really made me itch to write, which I guess is why this review is so long.
I do want to quickly pinpoint that I noticed some repetition in this book, which I’m not sure was intentional or an error in the editing department. That’s why I can’t give it the full five stars, even though I so badly wanted to.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Gore, Animal death, and Animal cruelty
iluvbats63's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
ava is the worst kind of hater, i’d rather be with the bunnies
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Gore
raitherabbit's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Culty Mean Girls with a magical realism (almost sci-fi but not really) twist. I love how the characters are written, especially when they interact. It’s all so outrageous and a part of me might’ve loved reading this in my peak I’m Not Like Other Girls era. (I am definitely like other girls, but screw that Bunny book club to hell).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Violence
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death
Minor: Sexual content
majamatcha's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Murder, Toxic friendship, Body horror, Gore, Animal cruelty, Death, and Animal death
ilaxaria's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Toxic friendship, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Sexual content, and Blood
Moderate: Sexual assault
fionamatilda's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Toxic friendship, Gore, Body horror, Gaslighting, Murder, Animal death, and Blood
Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Sexual content, and Mental illness
edamamebean's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Witty and funny and creepy and honestly just a great axe-wielding time. I especially love that I had no idea where the story was going for most of the book, and was just along for the ride. One of the blurbs said it was gonna be the weirdest book I read all year. It wasn’t (that award goes to Earthlings by Sayaka Murata without a doubt), but it was definitely very trippy. I think it had kind of similar vibes to the Netflix show Brand New Cherry Flavor. If you, like me, really really wish Carmen Maria Machado would write a full-length novel, then this book is for you.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Animal cruelty, Gaslighting, Gore, Body horror, Classism, Death, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Toxic friendship, Animal death, Blood, and Murder
Minor: Car accident, Rape, and Death of parent
gilmargirl's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Animal cruelty, Blood, and Gore
Minor: Classism, Drug use, and Body horror
lianne_rooney's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
slow-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? It's complicated
2.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore, Animal death, Violence, Grief, Mental illness, Death of parent, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis