parisakamali's review against another edition
4.0
wow. WOW. that was stunning. the prose was mininal yet totally engulfing. i was absolutely gripped by the exploration of human connection, power dynamics, and more. needless to say, i had the time of my fucking life reading this!
ferris_mx's review against another edition
5.0
Ahhhhh, this is much better (than Acts of Service). The consent is there. The protagonist would have done herself a great service to get out into the loving kink community, who could have provided the support and the vocabulary she so desperately needed.
The best friend/roommate relationship was beautiful and I regret never having had that. Even though relationships are fragile and get damaged when priorities change, nobody who wasn't a partner has ever known me that well, or cared about me that much.
The best friend/roommate relationship was beautiful and I regret never having had that. Even though relationships are fragile and get damaged when priorities change, nobody who wasn't a partner has ever known me that well, or cared about me that much.
ebear20's review against another edition
5.0
I read this in a day. A DAY. Wow.
Beautiful. Stunning. I couldn't put it down. This is Alyssa Songsiridej's debut novel and now I want to read every book she puts out in the future. This book is about self discovery without losing who you are, but through sex. I enjoyed this book because while every blurb ever states that this book is about sex, I think it is about so much more than that. The sex took a backseat for me and it was the self-discovery and relationships within the book that made me unable to put the book down. I felt like Songsiridej took my brain, and put it into this book. I felt like I was reading an expansion of myself, although I'm unsure how to describe exactly why. 10/10 recommend if you aren't bothered by kinky sex. Great book to start the year with.
Beautiful. Stunning. I couldn't put it down. This is Alyssa Songsiridej's debut novel and now I want to read every book she puts out in the future. This book is about self discovery without losing who you are, but through sex. I enjoyed this book because while every blurb ever states that this book is about sex, I think it is about so much more than that. The sex took a backseat for me and it was the self-discovery and relationships within the book that made me unable to put the book down. I felt like Songsiridej took my brain, and put it into this book. I felt like I was reading an expansion of myself, although I'm unsure how to describe exactly why. 10/10 recommend if you aren't bothered by kinky sex. Great book to start the year with.
paulaeatsbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
camillatd's review against another edition
3.5
I struggled with how to review this book, because it was such a deeply unsettling and yet riveting read.
The unnamed narrator is a young, queer writer in her late 20s who becomes enthralled with the love and obsession of an older man, "the choreographer." Throughout the book, she grapples with her sense of self and her sense of control over her body and her mind. Through her perspective, we see the intricate intimacies of sex, kink, power, art, and obsession. Interestingly, the character's queerness is a sticking point in her relationships with her friends, and how they perceive her relationship with the choreographer. Little Rabbit asks tough, meaty questions: What does queerness mean? How does it evolve in relationships, and how is it shaped by gender dynamics? What is the line between obsession and control? What is the relationship between sex, kink, and embodiment?
The physicality of Songsiridej's writing is remarkable--every moment feels visceral and fully embodied. This only served to further unsettle me as the reader, as the main character falls deeper into the relationship with the choreographer. I felt her slipping grip on control of her life so deeply it made me uneasy.
All this to say, the writing was really really so good. I can't say I enjoyed the story, necessarily, but Songsiridej deftly engages with the themes of romantic obsession, power, and gender dynamics. I would recommend for fans of Lillian Fishman's Acts of Service, Megan Nolan's Acts of Desperation, Sally Rooney's Conversations with Friends, and Bronwyn Fischer's The Adult.
The unnamed narrator is a young, queer writer in her late 20s who becomes enthralled with the love and obsession of an older man, "the choreographer." Throughout the book, she grapples with her sense of self and her sense of control over her body and her mind. Through her perspective, we see the intricate intimacies of sex, kink, power, art, and obsession. Interestingly, the character's queerness is a sticking point in her relationships with her friends, and how they perceive her relationship with the choreographer. Little Rabbit asks tough, meaty questions: What does queerness mean? How does it evolve in relationships, and how is it shaped by gender dynamics? What is the line between obsession and control? What is the relationship between sex, kink, and embodiment?
The physicality of Songsiridej's writing is remarkable--every moment feels visceral and fully embodied. This only served to further unsettle me as the reader, as the main character falls deeper into the relationship with the choreographer. I felt her slipping grip on control of her life so deeply it made me uneasy.
All this to say, the writing was really really so good. I can't say I enjoyed the story, necessarily, but Songsiridej deftly engages with the themes of romantic obsession, power, and gender dynamics. I would recommend for fans of Lillian Fishman's Acts of Service, Megan Nolan's Acts of Desperation, Sally Rooney's Conversations with Friends, and Bronwyn Fischer's The Adult.
slowreadersclub's review against another edition
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0