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jmherms's review
dark
emotional
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty
professor_kei's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
3.5
The storyline is interesting, and I was enjoying the book until the end. The twist at the end was unexpected and upsetting. It sort of ruined the rest of the book. Trigger Warning for detailed animal abuse.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
araowl's review against another edition
dark
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
"The Rabbit Hutch" is a contemporary debut about the inhabitants of a deteriorating rust belt apartment building. Although the novel jumps around to multiple POVs, the book is mainly about a precocious young girl named Blandine and her three male roommates who all recently aged out of the foster care system.
This book deals with heavy themes related to sexual and physical abuse, trauma, and the gentrification of a dying Indiana city. As someone from Indiana, the way the author described the setting felt extremely accurate and hit close to home. These rust belt towns are places of rusty chain-link fences, random rubber shoes on the road, and broken glass covering every street corner. They're places where people born into poverty often never get a chance to leave. Blandine is extremely intelligent and had a rare opportunity to transcend this small town through academic achievement, but unfortunately, the effects of abuse and trauma make that kind of thing easier said than done.
Overall, every character in this book is ultimately searching for meaning and human connection. A current of loneliness and existential dread pulse through the entire story. The book is often satirically witty, and has a lot of commentary on the wildness of the internet and the detrimental effects of late-stage capitalism on both humans and the environment. I found the themes extremely resonant and thought-provoking, and the characters richly detailed and compelling. The only criticism I have is that some of the character's stories felt a little underdeveloped, but I definitely see how each and every character contributed to the overall meaning of the book.
I recommend this book to anyone that likes modern literary fiction, witty and irreverent writing, and intelligent social commentary. I'd definitely steer clear if you are sensitive to depictions of sexual abuse, violence, and trauma - or if you just prefer your fiction on the more lighthearted and plot-driven side.
This book deals with heavy themes related to sexual and physical abuse, trauma, and the gentrification of a dying Indiana city. As someone from Indiana, the way the author described the setting felt extremely accurate and hit close to home. These rust belt towns are places of rusty chain-link fences, random rubber shoes on the road, and broken glass covering every street corner. They're places where people born into poverty often never get a chance to leave. Blandine is extremely intelligent and had a rare opportunity to transcend this small town through academic achievement, but unfortunately, the effects of abuse and trauma make that kind of thing easier said than done.
Overall, every character in this book is ultimately searching for meaning and human connection. A current of loneliness and existential dread pulse through the entire story. The book is often satirically witty, and has a lot of commentary on the wildness of the internet and the detrimental effects of late-stage capitalism on both humans and the environment. I found the themes extremely resonant and thought-provoking, and the characters richly detailed and compelling. The only criticism I have is that some of the character's stories felt a little underdeveloped, but I definitely see how each and every character contributed to the overall meaning of the book.
I recommend this book to anyone that likes modern literary fiction, witty and irreverent writing, and intelligent social commentary. I'd definitely steer clear if you are sensitive to depictions of sexual abuse, violence, and trauma - or if you just prefer your fiction on the more lighthearted and plot-driven side.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Sexual assault, and Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Animal death, Sexual harassment, Death of parent, Infidelity, Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Minor: Blood and Mental illness
minipliny's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I loved Blandine so much in this book - she's not romanticised or an object of pity but just so much herself; I love the way that Jack sees how much she doesn't belong in Vacca Vale and yet Vacca Vale belongs in her. I felt like the book captured online life in a way that's actually funny and accurate and hard to pull off. It takes a lot of risks and not everything lands but it was so much more interesting and emotional and thought provoking than a less risky book. The awful grooming teacher and his self deception was so well done. Blandine would also do numbers on tumblr.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Pregnancy, Animal cruelty, Toxic relationship, Animal death, Blood, and Classism
namizaela's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
3.75
This book is undeniably brilliant. Through a cast of intriguing characters, a non-linear and unconventional storytelling method, and fascinating commentaries on violence at the intersection of gender and class, I feel like this novel was as much a manifesto as it was a story.
However, I didn't enjoy this book as much as I admired it. There were some parts, such as the storyline about Moses, that felt too underdeveloped to make an impact on the whole story. I think this novel would have been more compelling if it had focused entirely on Blandine, her roommates, and James. I still enjoyed reading about the side characters, but I viewed them more as a distraction. Additionally, this is just my personal preference, but some of the dialogue in the book felt extremely unrealistic, as if the author was just using the characters as mouthpieces for conflicts of different schools of ideas. The particular conversation I'm thinking of isthe last confrontation between James and Blandine , which I felt devolved into more of an academic debate than an actual conversation. It took away some of the immersion of the novel at the cost of introducing some great ideas, so it wasn't all bad.
However, I didn't enjoy this book as much as I admired it. There were some parts, such as the storyline about Moses, that felt too underdeveloped to make an impact on the whole story. I think this novel would have been more compelling if it had focused entirely on Blandine, her roommates, and James. I still enjoyed reading about the side characters, but I viewed them more as a distraction. Additionally, this is just my personal preference, but some of the dialogue in the book felt extremely unrealistic, as if the author was just using the characters as mouthpieces for conflicts of different schools of ideas. The particular conversation I'm thinking of is
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Classism, Animal cruelty, Violence, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexism
rcvane's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Animal cruelty, and Sexual assault
mrhammerslag's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Pedophilia, and Adult/minor relationship
acorn192k's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, and Violence
Minor: Drug use and Animal cruelty
alexdayhey's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Animal cruelty, Mental illness, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Blood
Post-natal depression/mental illness, teacher/student sexual relationshipjberg216's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
1.0
I really didn’t like this. The various stories barely connected and they really had nothing to say. It was also vastly overwritten.
Also extremely violent for what seems like no reason?
It’s a book club read and I kind of can’t wait to see what others have to say.
Also extremely violent for what seems like no reason?
It’s a book club read and I kind of can’t wait to see what others have to say.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
Moderate: Child abuse and Violence