“Bunny” By Mona Awad

Samantha Heather Mackey is an MFA student at a prestigious school. There are four other females in her class, best friends excluding her from their inner circle. Making sharing her writing awkward as they attack her work and praise each another. The tight knit group makes their decisions as a unit, obscuring their unique identities by referring to each other by a singular nickname, Bunny. During their final year after a demitasse party, the Bunnies decide to invite Samatha to girls night. To the chagrin of her best friend Ava, who loathes them. Forcing Samantha to decide if fitting in is worth losing a sure thing.

Dark academia, magic realism, this book is described by many as “Heathers” meets “Frankenstein.” The Bunnies have a very interesting way of exploring their creativity, for the sake of female rage, feminism and the plot. They test Samatha to see if she has what it takes to create a creature of her own and things take quite a turn. Blurring the lines between reality and fantasy this book is weird af. Possibly the strangest book I’ve ever read. Clearly inspired by “The Secret History” it uses a main characters moniker, and tackles how far is too far in the pursuit of knowledge. While the jury’s still out on how this book made me feel or if it’s even good, I have no regrets reading it, because it reminded me that the imagination is a powerful thing. Entire realms can be created, as peculiar as the author wants. Leaving the audience to wonder wtf did I just read? It stimulates. Via: Barnes & Nobles

“Lost Souls Meet Under A Full Moon”

A living person who is lucky enough to contact a go between can request to see someone who has passed away. The dead person must accept for the meeting to go through. The living can only meet with one dead person and the dead can only meet with one living person, that’s it, both parties must choose carefully. The get together will occur on the full moon. The go between will make the arrangements, give time and place, waiting downstairs until it’s over.

Bittersweet and beautiful, Mizuki Tsujimura lets the reader glimpse into the lives of various characters seeking the deceased. Everyone has a different reason and not all meetings give closure. The author uses magic realism to explore themes of love, loss, mortality, betrayal and faith. Any questions regarding the intermediary are answered in the books final chapter. A magnificent read. Who would you meet when you’re alive and dead? Via: Simon & Schuster