Michael Finocchiaro's Reviews > Bunny
Bunny
by
I have, like, no clue what I just read. A post-feminist Fight Club? A sort-of inverted Traumnovelle / Eyes Wide Shut? An appeal for Bunnies or an ode to wolves? The writing was interesting-very uber-millennial complete with emojis, selfies, self-indulgent musing, semi-pretentious name-dropping, sarcasm-laden descriptions.
I stare at them all through Kira's pink heart-shaped glasses. This is how she must see the world all the time. I look at their dark pink faces, so suddenly grave. I should call the police. I should run to Mexico. (p. 109)
Samantha/Smackie is a grad student at a prestigious (pour ne pas dire pretentious) university in a northeastern city (that strongly resembles Boston where the author currently lives according to Wikipedia). It is hard to tell apart what is pure fantasy from Samatha's overactive imagination and what is real, but she is definitely wired differently than just about everyone. Her erstwhile best-friend, Ava, is the polar opposite to the somewhat cannibalistic Bunnies (Eleonore/Duchess, Kira/Creepy Doll, Victoria/Vignette, Caroline/Cupcake) who are in Sam's writing Workshop with the formidable Ursula/KareKare. Ava represents her tragic past (mother died of a car accident when she was 13, her father on the lamb because of poor business decisions) and the Bunnies represent a privileged life which Facebook and Instagram and Disney promise to us if we are starborn and, preferably, white, blonde, and blue-eyed. Naturally, there is a tension between these two worlds existing in Sam's psyche which gets eventually personified in the Max/Ax/Wolf character later in the book. She is attracted to the capitalist dream that the Bunnies represent, but also repulsed by it - wanting to give in and wanting to fight, Ultimately, she only goes halfway: and that's when I realize that whatever pain I have, whatever true want I have that lives under all this greasy, spineless needing to please, isn't something I want to give them. (p. 169)
Things start out normal-enough and quickly become bizarre with violence, drugs, and sexual fantasies all mixed up like a frozen cocktail of Cray 👻🌷 (as one of the Bunnie's messages on Sam's phone might say). And then the reality drops out the bottom for about 2/3 of the book. There is a little bit of clarity at the end, but even that is elusive at best.
Overall, I would say it is a sort of amped-up, millennial version of a schizophrenic, anti-establishment story like Fight Club from a female perspective. A fun and interesting, if somewhat disturbing, read.
by
Michael Finocchiaro's review
bookshelves: canadian-21st-c, fiction, fantasy, thriller, novels
Jan 12, 2020
bookshelves: canadian-21st-c, fiction, fantasy, thriller, novels
I have, like, no clue what I just read. A post-feminist Fight Club? A sort-of inverted Traumnovelle / Eyes Wide Shut? An appeal for Bunnies or an ode to wolves? The writing was interesting-very uber-millennial complete with emojis, selfies, self-indulgent musing, semi-pretentious name-dropping, sarcasm-laden descriptions.
I stare at them all through Kira's pink heart-shaped glasses. This is how she must see the world all the time. I look at their dark pink faces, so suddenly grave. I should call the police. I should run to Mexico. (p. 109)
Samantha/Smackie is a grad student at a prestigious (pour ne pas dire pretentious) university in a northeastern city (that strongly resembles Boston where the author currently lives according to Wikipedia). It is hard to tell apart what is pure fantasy from Samatha's overactive imagination and what is real, but she is definitely wired differently than just about everyone. Her erstwhile best-friend, Ava, is the polar opposite to the somewhat cannibalistic Bunnies (Eleonore/Duchess, Kira/Creepy Doll, Victoria/Vignette, Caroline/Cupcake) who are in Sam's writing Workshop with the formidable Ursula/KareKare. Ava represents her tragic past (mother died of a car accident when she was 13, her father on the lamb because of poor business decisions) and the Bunnies represent a privileged life which Facebook and Instagram and Disney promise to us if we are starborn and, preferably, white, blonde, and blue-eyed. Naturally, there is a tension between these two worlds existing in Sam's psyche which gets eventually personified in the Max/Ax/Wolf character later in the book. She is attracted to the capitalist dream that the Bunnies represent, but also repulsed by it - wanting to give in and wanting to fight, Ultimately, she only goes halfway: and that's when I realize that whatever pain I have, whatever true want I have that lives under all this greasy, spineless needing to please, isn't something I want to give them. (p. 169)
Things start out normal-enough and quickly become bizarre with violence, drugs, and sexual fantasies all mixed up like a frozen cocktail of Cray 👻🌷 (as one of the Bunnie's messages on Sam's phone might say). And then the reality drops out the bottom for about 2/3 of the book. There is a little bit of clarity at the end, but even that is elusive at best.
Overall, I would say it is a sort of amped-up, millennial version of a schizophrenic, anti-establishment story like Fight Club from a female perspective. A fun and interesting, if somewhat disturbing, read.
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Reading Progress
December 1, 2019
– Shelved as:
to-read
December 1, 2019
– Shelved
January 11, 2020
–
Started Reading
January 11, 2020
–
Finished Reading
January 12, 2020
–
71.34%
"Wow, interesting...not even sure what is real and what is imaginary anymore..."
page
219
January 12, 2020
– Shelved as:
canadian-21st-c
January 12, 2020
– Shelved as:
fiction
January 12, 2020
– Shelved as:
fantasy
January 12, 2020
– Shelved as:
thriller
January 12, 2020
– Shelved as:
novels
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reading is my hustle
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rated it 5 stars
Sep 13, 2021 09:34PM
(view spoiler)[ soooo was ava even real? (hide spoiler)]
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Jenny wrote: "I was left questioning was ANYONE other than Sam real"
it was that kind of novel & so fun to talk to others about. everyone has their own take. love that.
it was that kind of novel & so fun to talk to others about. everyone has their own take. love that.
Based on your very astute review, I’m kind of surprised you awarded Bunny with four entire stars. It sounds like we had a similar reading experience, and I only pushed through to the end because of all the love others had given this book. But nope. No payoff or feeling of satisfaction at the conclusion. Very little payoff from the overall story, IMO. But then, I read it fully sober and maybe I would’ve been more in sync with the story had my mind been somewhat altered. /s But glad it turned out to be a good read for you and many thanks for your excellent reviews!
Yes! It also reminded me of fight club! I was searching for a review where someone mentioned it. The moment you understand the best friend isn't real, it makes everything so lonely