A review by abithoughtful
Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung

challenging dark medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Weird as hell, horrifying but strangely kind about it, with roots in some very human desires and fears and neuroses. 

There are a lot of weird horror short story collections out there and I think it's possible for books like this to subsist on an immaculate vibe and nothing more, which puts a lot of them very squarely middle of the road, achieving that immaculate vibe but predictably nothing more. I think this one does inch over the line into 'something more', but maybe it's just a case of what each individual reader is able to connect with the most. A few stories in here are really smart explorations of trauma, especially when we build lives on a foundation of trauma, and I loved them for that. Others don't slap quite so hard, but they all felt complete to me, they all finished their narrative sentence, which is a big tick and something short stories don't always do. On balance a very solid collection, and one I will probably revisit in future.

Faves: The Head, The Embodiment, Scars, Snare, Reunion.
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