A short and sweet (therefore non-spoilery) musing about a dark academia horror novel from Mona Awad
Hello everyone! We’re getting into the spooky season, so I figured I’d crack open some spooky books I checked out from my local library. In this review I’m going to be talking about the 2019 book “Bunny” by Mona Awad. This one isn’t going to be a thorough review, since I finished reading it yesterday and I’m still wondering what the heck I just read.
The story starts with our protagonist, Samantha Heather Mackey. In case you’re wondering why I’m using her full name, it’s just engrained in my brain is all. Don’t know why… Anyhoo! Samantha is a grad student in the prestigious MFA fiction program at Warren University. She is a dark person who tends to write dark stories that people just don’t truly get. She has a best friend named Ava who is an artist that never wants to step foot in any of Warren’s buildings for some reason. Samantha’s workshop consists of her and four other young women who call each other “Bunny” and seem to move as if they are one entity. Um, creepy much?
When Samantha returns to Warren for her final year in the MFA program, she receives a note from The Bunnies inviting her to an evening they call the “Smut Salon” where they read their latest erotic creations. And maybe create something a little extra…
Without giving too much away, this novel was a fun yet “wtf?” kind of read. If it didn’t have the “fun” aspect, I probably would’ve DNF’ed it. The writing sucked me in almost immediately. The author’s description of the Bunnies made for some entertaining reading and I could see them in my Mind’s Eye perfectly. Usually I’m not a fan of that. (I like to add my own spin on characters, then unironically get annoyed when the book is adapted into a movie and they cast someone who loOKS NOTHING LIKE MY CAREFULLY CRAFTED PERSON HOW DARE YO -)
Ahem, I digress.
Point is, I could see the Bunnies so well it was insane. Their bright colors, their dyed hair, the little adorable animals on their dresses, the striking makeup. (Except for lipstick, because lipstick is for whores.) The descriptive words were visceral and vibrant, from the brightest of characters all the way down to the horrific apartment that Samantha lives in. (Where she may or may not die someday due to some sketchy-ass neighbors, according to her BFF Ava.)
Through the twists and turns and where the heck is this going?s, I was riveted and intrigued. I still may not know where the heck the book went – even now – but I had a blast throughout the entire trip of both imagination and reality. I recommend the rabbit stew stuffing out of this book. This is also a book I’ll marinate on for a bit; what was real… and what was all a figment of imagination?
Sometimes people are just too good of a writer, you know?
Have you read “Bunny”? Have strong feelings about it? Indifferent? Either way, let me know in the comments below! I’d love to hear from you. About “Bunny” or any other book that suits your fancy! As you can see, I love talking about books.
monicareadsthrough.com 