“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

“The Secret History” By Donna Tartt

Richard Papen is from the suburbs of California. An only child with extremely toxic parents, he decides to escape by attending college on the other side of the country. Naturally his parents who only tolerate him, barely help. Once at Hampden he falls in with a group of privileged, entitled students, taught solely by a professor of the same caliber. Their curriculum revolving around learning the Greek language. Exceptions are made for them due to their teachers socioeconomic background. Every class they attend is with Julian, giving them an insular experience from the rest of campus.

At first Richard is rejected. Tenacious, he refuses to give up, weaseling his way in. Something he ends up regretting when the dark secrets of these five ethereal students starts spilling out. The book begins by letting readers know one of them, Bunny, is murdered. From there, Richard as narrator explains why.

The Secret History is crazy, filled with plot twists and although macabre, manages to be funny. An exploration on what happens when intellect and privilege are pushed to its boundaries. How far is too far in the pursuit of knowledge? Personally I loved this book, preferring it over The Goldfinch. A classic that’s worth the acclaim. The characters stain far after the book is over, so distinct in personality. This novel left me shocked to the core, a page turner and must read. Via: Goodreads

The Love Of Beauty

“There is nothing wrong with the love Beauty. But beauty- unless she is wed to something more meaningful- is always superficial. It is not that your Julian chooses solely to concentrate on certain, exalted things; it is that he chooses to ignore others equally as important.”
-The Secret History

Artist: Ellie Kayu NgChimera