Book Review: The Rabbit Hutch by Tess Gunty

Rating: 3 ⭐⭐⭐

There is only one way that I can think of to describe Tess Gunty's debut novel; that the book is a bit like marmite. You're either going to love it or hate it and this comes down to a few different reasons... The first comes down to how jumpy and slightly chaotic the novel can seem when reading it. This is a text that covers so many different perspectives (an online obituary writer, a young mother with a secret, a son of a recently deceased television star) and each individual story unravels and intertwines within each chapter. So much so, that at times it can be a little confusing and stories that occur at the beginning of the book and become lost as the rest of the novel unfolds. The second comes down to the writing style. Each chapter, although at times were quite lengthy, brought a whole new surprise that interestingly had you hooked. Whilst at times the writing style appears dark and psychological, there is an underlying level of humour that resonates throughout the novel that can leave you feeling slightly uncomfortable. But with that being said, this is a book that offers an incredible insight into the power structures that shape us and tells the tale of a young woman with an irrepressible strength. It is both savage and provocative and unlike anything that I have read before. It is a book way out of my comfort zone but also a book that I am so pleased that I gave a chance!

About The Book:

Blandine isn't like the other residents of her building. Ethereally beautiful and formidably intelligent, Blandine shares her flat with three teenage boys that she neither likes nor understands, all whom have now aged out of the state foster care system that has repeatedly failed them, all searching for meaning in their lives. Set over one sweltering week in July and culminating in a bizarre act of violence that finally changes everything, The Rabbit Hutch is savagely beautiful and bitingly funny. It creates a snapshot of contemporary America, revealing themes of loneliness and longing, entrapment and, ultimately, freedom.