Scan barcode
A review by otherworlds
Bunny by Mona Awad
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
well, it had its redeeming qualities, but ultimately this book came across to me as confused, especially in terms of the themes it put forward. when there is so much surrealism in the plot that you're relying so heavily on themes, those themes could have been delivered more effectively imo!
and idk if the bitter feelings re: her own pretentiousness among other pretentious art students was a feature of the character or the author, but either way it really grated on my nerves. no, more than that, the narration was SO self-deprecating that it made me outright uncomfortable. i can see how it aids the theme insofar as talking about the empty performative nature of the professional art scene, but it still wasn't my cup of tea.
the reason i'm taking a good half-star off this review, though, is that the author uses slurs in her prose to make it sound more edgy. saying someone looked like "a r*tarded baby", or referring to romani people by the g slur in fetishistic imagery, or using 'schizophrenic' as an insult... idk what she was going for with this but whatever it was, it fell flat for me.
that being said the plot was very interesting and original, the prose was engaging, the relationship between the main character and her best friend really tugged a chord with me, and i liked the ending. just, not enough to overlook the issues i had with this book.
and idk if the bitter feelings re: her own pretentiousness among other pretentious art students was a feature of the character or the author, but either way it really grated on my nerves. no, more than that, the narration was SO self-deprecating that it made me outright uncomfortable. i can see how it aids the theme insofar as talking about the empty performative nature of the professional art scene, but it still wasn't my cup of tea.
the reason i'm taking a good half-star off this review, though, is that the author uses slurs in her prose to make it sound more edgy. saying someone looked like "a r*tarded baby", or referring to romani people by the g slur in fetishistic imagery, or using 'schizophrenic' as an insult... idk what she was going for with this but whatever it was, it fell flat for me.
that being said the plot was very interesting and original, the prose was engaging, the relationship between the main character and her best friend really tugged a chord with me, and i liked the ending. just, not enough to overlook the issues i had with this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Alcohol
Moderate: Self harm
Minor: Ableism, Racial slurs, Racism, and Murder
Main character is non-consensually drugged at many points.