Bunny – Mona Awad

READ FOR BOOKCLUB
Chosen by Suzy

Samantha Heather Mackey is a loner in her fiction writing class at Warren University. When she is befriended by a group of girls known as the bunnies she can’t help but be attracted to their Smut Salon clique, despite the horrific rites they are performing on animals and young men. Important topics examined in a surreal/absurdist/horror mash up with an unreliable narrator.

The truth is, if you go to Warren, no matter what is going on in your personal life—hair trouble, existential malaise, ax murder—you do the reading.

● This book seemed to completely take over my life as I was reading it. Why did I want to robotically answer ‘Yes, Bunny’ to everyone who spoke to me? Why was there a spooky taxidermied rabbit in the window of my regular Saturday morning cafe that I had never noticed before? I agree with Margaret Atwood in calling Mona Awad a genius. This book is so layered, so deep, so brilliant. – Suzy

● Trying to figure out what the hell was going on in Bunny was a little frustrating but the unexpected twists and turns and the hypnotic weirdness of Samantha’s reality meant the narrative was captivating rather than annoying. There were many amazing phrases, with emotional content expertly conveyed in a brilliant writing style. After discussing the book’s complexities at book club, we re-read the ending and discovered the punch of a brilliant finish that otherwise could have meandered off into nothingness. I feel like a complete re-read would reveal so many clever details missed on the first read. – Jo

● Bunny is a complex book. By that I don’t mean it’s difficult to read or understand, but it has so many layers, nuances, twists and turns and genre influences it is the kind of book that can keep you pondering for days. Re-reading a single page or paragraph would make me second guess my prior thoughts as there seemed to be several ways to interpret a single event. I love an unreliable narrator and having to guess at the truth of the matter so this was right up my alley. I’d describe it as a mash up of Alice In Wonderland, The Heathers and The Secret History. Adding to the intrigue surrounding this book was the fact that all bookclub members had an unexpected encounter with a bunny within days of bookclub! – Rachel

● Wow! What a crazy, strange journey this novel took me on. I was left thinking what just happened?! It was tricky to decipher what was real and what wasn’t, so in the end I had to give up trying to work it all out and just roll with the chaos. I know this book will have a lasting impression on me and will be one I’ll never forget. I’m sure other readers will feel the same way. But, be warned, you will never be able to look at a bunny in the same light again! Go on, give it a go! – Jodie

Published 2019
Penguin Books
305 pages