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deedireads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
All my reviews live at https://deedispeaking.com/reads/.
TL;DR REVIEW:
The Rabbit Hutch is a visceral, engaging novel with especially good prose. I definitely liked it and thought it was an impressive debut.
For you if: You like literary fiction with a dark tone.
FULL REVIEW:
The Rabbit Hutch is an impressive debut novel that was shortlisted for the National Book Award for Fiction. (It may win; as of the time of this writing, the award hasn’t been announced yet.) It was one of the few books on this year’s longlist that had previously been on my radar, so I was glad for a (good) reason to pick it up. It’s dark, visceral, and at times disturbing, but I thought quite good.
The main character in this book is a former foster child named Blandine who lives with three boys (also former foster children) and idolizes Hildegard of Bingen. However, we also meet (briefly) several of the other tenants who live in The Rabbit Hutch (a low-income housing complex), as well as the son of a recently deceased famous actress. The book opens mid-act of violence and flashes back to the few days leading up to the pivotal moment, plus Blandine’s time in high school.
Some reviewers disliked the use of periphery characters in this book, wanting either more from them or wishing they’d been removed, but I actually really liked it and thought it worked. In many ways they felt atmospheric to me, and I liked the way Gunty used them in the first and last sections to emphasize Blandine’s state at the time. I know some also thought the ending was too tidy, and although it didn’t surprise me, I actually also liked that and thought it was satisfying. Overall I was impressed with how deep we got into Blandine’s mind and character, with just enough touches of how the outside world is complicit in the systems and circumstances that led to not only the violence, but also the ways she responded and coped and changed.
Where Gunty stands out most is in her prose; the sentences are excellent and I found the book overall to be super engaging (I read the whole thing in just a couple of days). It does work quite well on audiobook, but FYI, there are some in-book illustrations you’ll miss if you only experience it in that format.
If you like literary fiction with a dark tone, this could be a good one for you.
TL;DR REVIEW:
The Rabbit Hutch is a visceral, engaging novel with especially good prose. I definitely liked it and thought it was an impressive debut.
For you if: You like literary fiction with a dark tone.
FULL REVIEW:
The Rabbit Hutch is an impressive debut novel that was shortlisted for the National Book Award for Fiction. (It may win; as of the time of this writing, the award hasn’t been announced yet.) It was one of the few books on this year’s longlist that had previously been on my radar, so I was glad for a (good) reason to pick it up. It’s dark, visceral, and at times disturbing, but I thought quite good.
The main character in this book is a former foster child named Blandine who lives with three boys (also former foster children) and idolizes Hildegard of Bingen. However, we also meet (briefly) several of the other tenants who live in The Rabbit Hutch (a low-income housing complex), as well as the son of a recently deceased famous actress. The book opens mid-act of violence and flashes back to the few days leading up to the pivotal moment, plus Blandine’s time in high school.
Some reviewers disliked the use of periphery characters in this book, wanting either more from them or wishing they’d been removed, but I actually really liked it and thought it worked. In many ways they felt atmospheric to me, and I liked the way Gunty used them in the first and last sections to emphasize Blandine’s state at the time. I know some also thought the ending was too tidy, and although it didn’t surprise me, I actually also liked that and thought it was satisfying. Overall I was impressed with how deep we got into Blandine’s mind and character, with just enough touches of how the outside world is complicit in the systems and circumstances that led to not only the violence, but also the ways she responded and coped and changed.
Where Gunty stands out most is in her prose; the sentences are excellent and I found the book overall to be super engaging (I read the whole thing in just a couple of days). It does work quite well on audiobook, but FYI, there are some in-book illustrations you’ll miss if you only experience it in that format.
If you like literary fiction with a dark tone, this could be a good one for you.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Drug use and Alcoholism
Minor: Rape
mmcloe's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
5.0
Absolutely spellbinding - a standout work of the century without a doubt.
Leaves me thinking about the different ways we're tied to one another. How the physical and the social and the digital and the spiritual and the ecological all messily collide, exploding and leaving shards who knows what in their wake. A novel for American absurdity and late capitalism in the beige nooks of burnt out industry.
Gunty references (and is blurbed by!) Raven Leilani. Excited to visit Luster later!
Leaves me thinking about the different ways we're tied to one another. How the physical and the social and the digital and the spiritual and the ecological all messily collide, exploding and leaving shards who knows what in their wake. A novel for American absurdity and late capitalism in the beige nooks of burnt out industry.
Gunty references (and is blurbed by!) Raven Leilani. Excited to visit Luster later!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Animal death, and Violence
Moderate: Drug use
mrslsmith's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, and Drug use
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death of parent, Cancer, Child abuse, Sexual content, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Pregnancy, Rape, Self harm, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
katiewhocanread's review against another edition
dark
reflective
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? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Animal cruelty, and Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Physical abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Sexual assault and Rape
icameheretoread's review against another edition
4.75
"Sometimes, Moses Robert Blitz... paints his entire body with the liquid of broken glow sticks, forcibly enters the house of an enemy, and wakes the enemy. Then he flails around in the dark, naked and aglow".
Now that I have your attention, let me rave about this book. It's violent and messy and full of wisdom and scary observant. In a rundown midwest town, 4 ex-foster kids are sharing an apartment and trying to get by. This is their story, but also the story of others who live in the apartment complex and a few adjacent characters, including Mr. Blitz- who is a trip. I was never, not once bored. I had no idea where this was going and could not turn the pages fast enough to find out. Everyone in this book is sloppy, and complex. Somehow, Gunty manages to capture examples of humans at their best and also at their worst (perhaps at the same time). I highly recommend this to fans of Ottessa Moshfegh's work. Trigger warnings for animal violence and cruelty.
Now that I have your attention, let me rave about this book. It's violent and messy and full of wisdom and scary observant. In a rundown midwest town, 4 ex-foster kids are sharing an apartment and trying to get by. This is their story, but also the story of others who live in the apartment complex and a few adjacent characters, including Mr. Blitz- who is a trip. I was never, not once bored. I had no idea where this was going and could not turn the pages fast enough to find out. Everyone in this book is sloppy, and complex. Somehow, Gunty manages to capture examples of humans at their best and also at their worst (perhaps at the same time). I highly recommend this to fans of Ottessa Moshfegh's work. Trigger warnings for animal violence and cruelty.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, and Animal death
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