Bunny by Mona Awad is a book I leisurely read over the past couple of weeks and good lord; it’s a storyline that came to a massive head. The story takes place at a prestigious New England conservatory and follows a lonesome, somber student; a writer named Samantha. Although she has one friend, who is considered an outsider to the school, she finds herself leaning into the piqued interest of a group of girls in her class called the “bunnies.” 

The story is often described as “The Secret History meets Heathers” and personally, I believe the plot line is so much more complicated than that.

Originally, when I decided to pick up the book, I was told it was similar to my favorite book, The Secret History by Donna Tart. I was convinced to read it by its eerie, slightly cultish description and riveting synopsis from the review I’d read. When I first opened the book and set my gaze down on the first page, I was immediately interested. The writing is unique and specific; it creates an odd, tense tone that follows you consistently throughout the book. The author manages to paint her characters in an animalistic symbolic light that eventually produces significant meaning in a horrifying truth at the end.

Although I understand why Bunny is compared to The Secret History– the characters belong to prestigious groups who study a certain craft and inevitably lose themselves in it– Bunny is very different on many levels. This book is told through the perspective of an unreliable narrator and although you somewhat assume that her perception may not be entirely accurate, the climax reveals a shocking truth about the protagonist and suddenly, everything falls into question.

I enjoyed this book because I was always on my toes, from start to finish. The ending, although ambiguous and controversial (mostly to those who couldn’t understand it) was perfect for the body of the story. There was always some hint, some semblance of what was really going on, hidden in the writing. It was always tucked away, behind your peripheral vision or at the tip of your tongue, waiting to be discovered. These kinds of books are easy to flip through in a matter of days, as you’re hungrily eating chapters and begging for more information, more hints, and more of an idea as to how everything connects.

I will say this book is not for everybody. At times, it was difficult to follow and I found myself puzzled or confused. This was a common occurrence but it was also incredibly intentional. The author wants the reader to be confused and find the story bizarre. When reading this story, one has to accept their confusion and believe that eventually, everything will make sense. Except, that is not exactly the case for this book. 

Many have finished this book unsatisfied or still confused as they lack the skills to make sense of it. Mona Awad does not tell her reader the true meaning behind the story, so don’t expect a thorough description of it at the end. It is up to interpretation and requires inferencing skills to decipher and make meaning out of the plot. Don’t get me wrong, the meaning is heavily implied but still, it manages to fly over some readers’ heads.

I loved the ambiguity of Bunny and I love that I had to pull all of its puzzle pieces together at the end to grasp its essence. The book was unlike any I’ve ever read and although I can’t classify it as my favorite book, it’ll forever stand out to me in the long list of books I’ve read. The execution of its concept was superb and the amount of work that went into its planning was obviously strenuous and thorough.

Overall, if you’re into dark academia, mystery, or psychological mind-bending plot lines, this book is right up your alley.