Reviews tagging 'Panic attacks/disorders'

Bunny by Mona Awad

22 reviews

sarah984's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

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

2.0

This book made me so angry. I do feel like there's something there about desire, that these girls can grant any of their own darkest desires but still come up with these like unthreatening neutered ken doll Disney princes, but the story doesn't really engage with that. Instead it delves into this extremely unrelatable portrait of female friendship where the main character hates the Bunnies while simultaneously being desperate for their approval (if they're so stupid why do you care if they don't like your story?????).

There is this bizarre extended sequence near the end that involves a twisted hallucination of two characters critiquing the book and honestly I agreed with everything they said so clearly this book was not for me.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Death, Drug use, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Self harm, Sexual content, Vomit, Stalking, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Toxic friendship

Minor: Eating disorder, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

keen's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

What a ride. If I had to compare this book to any mean girl clique, it'd be the Heathers for the Heathers musical. The main character is even named Samantha Heather Mackey.

It's rare for me to finish a book in three days. To read 100 pages each day. On average, it takes me about a week to finish a book about 400 pages long. If a story's good, I'll read 40 to 50 pages daily. So, suffice to say, this book kept me interested.

I never thought I'd be able to care so much for unlikable characters. Samantha and her friend Ava are obviously flawed people. Not the type I'd want to hang around in real life, and might even actively avoid. Yet throughout the book, I still enjoyed them. I even found myself relating to Samantha to a worrying degree. And, thankfully, her flaws are directly acknowledged. Complaints I had with characterizations were relieved by that.

Then there are the Bunnies. At times, I forgot this book was a horror story. I would get comfortable with the Bunnies and think "I wish I was with them" before remembering what this book is about. Before remembering that I really wouldn't want to have to change my identity to befriend a group of girls. A few times I commented that I felt "rancid vibes" emanating from this story.

And the ending of the book. All I can say is that it makes a reread worth it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Kidnapping, and Grief

Moderate: Sexual violence, Car accident, Death of parent, and Murder

Minor: Eating disorder, Racial slurs, Rape, and Stalking