Reviews tagging 'Schizophrenia/Psychosis '

Bunny by Mona Awad

195 reviews

grunbean's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This is my second time reading this. The first? I dipped out after the first chapter and condemned this as a a bad book with a narrator who’s ‘not like other girls’.

I was the one thinking I was not like other girls! I had part of the story spoiled for me and I knew I had to revisit it. After the first chapter, I was hooked and could not put it down.

Is the plot perfect? No. I have a good few questions and I’m still trying to wrap my head around things. But it keeps you interested. Every page was like being allowed another lick of your favourite snack, and I was definitely full by the end of it! 

Dark, funny, and a story that will confuse you as much at it coairvates you. I know this has a mixed response as a book, but I loved it. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Alcohol

epeolatrist's review against another edition

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Gore

Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis

_13stars's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.0

i have no idea 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Bullying, Death, Gore, and Blood

laurelmb's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Violence, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Alcohol

renegadereads's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Blood

Moderate: Body horror, Mental illness, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Toxic friendship

shacara_shacara's review against another edition

challenging dark funny 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

2.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Gore, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

mushroom_frog's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This novel is incredible. It seems to be misunderstood by a lot of its readers (understandable, considering the myriad of loose ends upon the book's conclusion) but is truly an interesting and gripping story, open to interpretation in a way that is not frustrating but rather liberating.

My understanding of the book is as such:

Samantha Mackey is an undiagnosed schizophrenic, showing signs from an early age (such as her habit to delve too far into her imagination). Most of the book's seemingly supernatural,  eerie or purely confusing elements are the spawn of her internalised and uncontrollable creativity,  as she struggles to write and thus release all of these ideas. By the end, she is free from the Bunnies (a cult whose experiences combined not only the women's abnormal methods of 'Tapping the Wound' but also Samantha's hallucinations) and somewhat aware of her mental illness, as she is enlightened of the fact that Ava was a figment of her imagination, likely as was Max. Yet, Samantha has not entirely come to terms with her state, as is seen with the ending lines where she seems to be speaking to Jonah, but is 'answered' by the mud.

I don't usually write such long reviews but this book had me utterly captivated. Not for those who get want everything to be set out clearly from start to finish, and dislike loose ends.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Drug use, Gore, Mental illness, Blood, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Sexual content, and Violence

Minor: Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol

enyltiak's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

4.0

I understand why this is one of those books you either love or hate. I definitely enjoyed it. I also think it's just a very strong experimental piece of literature, regardless of enjoyment. It's weird and a bit confusing, but a very interesting critique on the nature of art and its study—the repeated mention of the Work, the Body, the Performance, etc ring really true as a creative writing major (and former illustration major/art school attendee). Once you finish reading it, you really need to take a step back from it and see the whole picture.

Samantha, her imagination and creativity, and her fully-formed and fleshed out creations are juxtaposed with the work of the Bunnies and the trite nature of their stories—beautiful but lacking in depth and completion, not much beneath the shiny surface. Some of that's really on the nose (the diamond proems, my god!) but it's subtle enough under all the weird that some people will certainly miss it, especially other rich, pretentious artists who simply want to join the Bunnies on their mission. 

The writing style was something I really enjoyed; you truly feel as though you are alongside Samantha for this wild trip, woozing in and out of understanding as she does, feeling her feelings. It felt as though it truly was written in Samantha's writing style, as though this was the prose she was working on throughout the timeline of the novel, at least based on the comments made by the Bunnies and Fosco in their Workshop. An undeniably fascinating entry in the "dark academia" canon.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Death of parent

bookyanna's review against another edition

challenging dark 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? It's complicated

3.0

I'm not really sure what to say about this one. It's a very weird fantasy-fairy-tale-realism-horror hybrid. I can't with complete certainity describe the plot, largely because the narrator has a very twisted conception of reality/fantasy. I can't figure out if it's a commentary on female friendships (problematic if so), studying artistic disciplines at elitist univerisities, or losing oneself to art. Ultimately, I think Awad is toying with the reader and satirising her own writing style/process, but who can really say? Nevertheless I enjoyed the writing in the sense that it really clearly evoked the mental state of the narrator, and her perception of the world. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Drug use, Gore, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Toxic friendship

strawberry333's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious reflective 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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Cursing, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Rape, Violence, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis