Terry Miles is an imaginative wordsmith, and you want to read his new novel, Rabbits. This mind bending book blurs apparent science fiction and reality, in a world steeped with seeming coincidences that can pop up anywhere. The narrator, K, connects these dots playing a game where the stakes are life and death, not just for him and his enigmatic group of fellow players and guides, but possibly the whole world.

If you have any interest in puzzles, pop culture, video games, the Mandela effect, or really good writing, then Rabbits is for you. If you have ever enjoyed any of the podcasts Miles has produced, then this is for you. You can effortlessly hear the prose in Nic Silver’s calm and hypnotic cadences. Miles still isn’t breaking Kayfabe, either. Whatever you do, don’t expect to hear Miles call this a work of fiction. He expands on the shared universe of his podcasts with this novel beautifully, rewarding us with some familiar names that those new to the world can go put a voice to in the Rabbits podcast.

This rich novel is beautifully crafted and a perfect stand alone, if podcasts just aren’t your thing. K is an earnest narrator who still skirts reliability, letting us solve the mystery along with him. From the first page, the prose propels you forward, deeper into the game with each passing chapter. It is hard to put this book down, but if you manage, the enigma will linger in your mind until you pick it up again. Much like the podcasts, I can’t wait to start again with the first page and relish this book repeatedly, catching all the fine threads as Miles weaves them together. Whether you want a good story, or a deep dive into a rich and populated universe crafted in podcasts, you can’t go wrong with Rabbits.

K is a successful, although somewhat burnt-out, 30-something obsessed with a game known colloquially as Rabbits. An immersive challenge with origins shrouded in mystery, K delves into the game while never making a genuine attempt to play it himself. One evening, millionaire Alan Scarpio—a rumored winner of one of Rabbits’ previous iterations—confronts K and tells him there is something wrong with the game. The next day, Scarpio goes missing. K is left to solve the mystery, with the help of his friends Chloe and Baron, before the next iteration begins and something horrible follows.

Rabbits immediately absorbs the reader into a confusing and fascinating world of plot twists and intrigue. A blend of the real-world alternate reality game Cicada 3301, The X-Files, and a Christopher Nolan film, this thriller is captivating and immersive but ultimately suffers from uneven pacing and the nebulous nature of its own in-universe mechanics.

Terry Miles’ dreary Seattle anchors the novel, but it is untethered just enough to absorb the reader into the ever-shifting reality that K traverses as he follows the intricate clues and connections of the game. The first half of the novel is notably stronger than the second half, and successfully maintains the tension necessary for a book that centers around a slow trickle of clues. The magic, suspense, and horror of Rabbits lie in its ambiguity – there are no rules, no obvious progression, and no standard goal. The players are engaged in following clues that could lead to an incredible, potentially disastrous, or even fatal conclusion.

The book’s tone relies on the essential suspension of tension, but continual exposition, particularly when it comes to K’s background, halts the pace. Presumably written by K sometime after the events of the book have resolved, the first-person narrative is plagued with info-dumping. Its nature is inorganic and proves to be exasperating as the exposition informs K’s increasingly unreliable reality, all while being forcefully introduced as a disruptive aside. Bouts of info-dumping from other characters also slows the narrative, and the murky nature of the game becomes inexorably tied to ill-timed exposition. This often results in K and the other characters making baffling choices that seem to lack any urgency surrounding a game that is continually revealed to be dangerous and possibly deadly.

A stalling narrative and deliberately cryptic nature of K’s reality damages the already chaotic climax, which falls flat due to clunky dialogue and an overwrought twist. It is, unfortunately, compounded by a weak conclusion that fails to resolve the events of the book satisfactorily and is too ambiguous in the wake of a story that guided the reader so exactly.

Rabbits is intriguing and exciting, and Miles’ impressively brings together disparate ideas and elevated concepts. It would have behooved to this novel to be a bit shorter or to have used its length more wisely, and to use the same clever world-building and intricate connections formed in the game more with the characters, instead of relying on so much exposition.

Rabbits is an enjoyable novel that suffers from some pacing issues, and while the ending was unsatisfying, the journey mostly made up for it. I feel that fans of alternate reality games and pop culture junkies—particularly older millennials—will find a lot of joy in the references and puzzles sprinkled through Rabbits. Of course, the fans of Miles’ previous works will probably also find this adventure delightful.

✨ The Title/Cover Draw:
First off, this cover is amazingly gorgeous, I can’t stop staring at it. Second, this book sounded like a Ready Player One-esque book.
💜 What I liked:
This book was a trip. Half the time you don’t really know what’s happening but the ride is completely fun and wild. I was totally ok with not being fully satisfied by the ending.
😱 What I didn’t like:
Sometimes the explanations were dense, but that’s to be expected with a sci-fi fantasy novel. For me, I just took it as a plot point I didn’t have to fully understand.
💁‍♀️ The Characters:
K, Chloe, and Baron are playing the game of Rabbits. But no one is supposed to speak of the game. And people are disappearing and being killed.
🚦 My face at the end: 🤓

💭 5 Reasons to Read:
The ride is wild and keeps you guessing
There are real world examples you can look up to see what is real and what is not (Ex. the Fremont Troll)
You find yourself rooting for mostly everyone
Even if you don’t like sci-fi, this can be accessible
Rabbits (IFYKY)

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Received from Netgalley.

Whew - this is a whole new world for me, as a reader and as a person living in the world...gaming. It’s not my thing. That said, I appreciate and am envious of folks who get into games and patterns and have the stick-with-it-ness to enter this world.

Rabbits is a game that started in 1959 and has iterations of it that continue to the “present” day in the book. I liked the chapter endings and visually-interesting updates on the page. I like the concept of a mystery within a mystery. Loved the chapter titles!

Where this fell short for me was the resolution of lack thereof. I think my role-playing friends would love this novel and folks that liked Ready Player One or the movie The Matrix would be “game” for this novel. I get the allure. It’s just not my thing.

Heartfelt thanks to the Delray imprint of Random House for an advanced copy of this interesting novel. I’m Grateful.

If you like Ready Player one you will like this . Rabbits is a real world game known only to some with a huge price at stake . It’s has been happening since the late 50s . This book is Intriguing and edgy. You will find yourself asking the question over and over what is real ?

I am not sure what to think of this book. Usually I really like weird books but it seemed like nothing was really fully explained at the end. An over the top ending that left me with more mystery and questions about what just happened was not a satisfactory ending in this case. Overall, it was an interesting concept and for the most part an entertaining read. A game that looks for patterns or coincidences or changes to perceived memories. A kind of treasure hunt mixed with the Mandela Effect

If you don’t want to notice coincidences and synchronicities everywhere you go, then I’m still going to recommend you read this book because it’s too much fun to miss. Realizing that this is the second book in a row that I’ve read that is set in my home state of Washington already has me wondering if there is more truth to this book then what I’m being lead to believe . . .

Running through Seattle on a conspiracy-driven scavenger hunt, losing time, being chased by shadows and darkness, and slipping through dimensions, is it a some nameless underground game, a means of keeping the world as we know it intact, or is it all just an elaborate hoax orchestrated by someone with limitless funds?

Not only is this story exciting, it’s also a beginner’s guide to theories relating to multiverses, conspiracies, ley lines, and so much more that will you scratching your head and doing a lot of Googling.

The mood throughout this entire novel is definitely written by someone familiar with the area, unlike many TV shows that throw a gray filter on a camera and put a few people in chunky sweaters and call it “Seattle”, Terry so accurately describes the sights and smells, the personalities that you meet, the numerous coffee shops, it’s obvious that he’s a local.

Knowing that I live in close proximity to the author (when he’s in Washington), may cause me to frequent some of his haunts while holding his book in hopes of running into him and obtaining an autograph. However, what I’m really hoping for is an onscreen adaptation, and seeing that Terry is already in the biz . . . well, let’s see what can be done about that, hmm?

An advanced copy of this book was sent to me by the publisher. The opinions are my own.

An interesting and confusing story about a game that may be saving the world...or not. K is our protagonist who sees patterns everywhere. It's told completely from K's perspective and it's not always clear what's real and what's not. Overall, I enjoyed the mystery and the ending was satisfying but while still leaving some things unclear.

disclaimer: i received a copy of this book via random house/ballantine del rey books in return for an honest review.

terry miles' book 'rabbits' is wondrous. there, that's out-of-the-way.

rabbits is a global, real world, alternative reality game that has been active for ten years. everybody knows about it, but nobody talks about it in the open. everybody knows there have been ten iterations so far, but nobody admits to playing any of them. everybody knows there have been nine winners, but nobody knows who they actually are. everybody knows that people have disappeared/died playing, but nobody knows how many. nobody knows that this recurrence, the eleventh, is wrong, though. this round of rabbits could jeopardize everything and everyone.

terry miles is incredibly adept at world building. he takes what could have been complete chaos and makes it not only understandable but also fascinating. is what you're seeing how it's always been or has something changed? is that change part of a pattern that will lead you to a clue?

layers of questions are inherent in a story about alternative realities; the subtle changes, the smallest details are crucial. miles' ability is to not only write them and the transitions between them, but to take the reader through them without causing overwhelming confusion and probably a massive headache.

the world building alone would have made 'rabbits' a good read but miles doesn't leave it there. he creates fully realized characters that almost demand a response from the reader. from the characters with whom you feel the strongest connection to the ones you absolutely hate, you can't not feel something for them. you empathize with them and become vested in their journey to play the game and maybe even win.

'rabbits' is a fascinating idea crafted into an unforgettable story that will keep you up all night. it's well worth the time, though. "the door is open," are you going in?

five out of five stars

Terry Miles has pulled it off again! Full disclosure I was already a fan of the Rabbits podcast and was overly excited to see this book pop up on NetGalley. A real-life game that you can't escape, a missing person, and a book that you can't put down. To explain much of this book beyond the publisher's synopsis would just be a spoiler, and honestly, you don't need spoilers in this rollercoaster adventure.

5/5 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’m sorry! I really wanted to get into this book but I could not. I don’t think the storytelling style of rabbits translated well into a book. Maybe I would prefer the ebook?

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Man, this book was a journey. I really loved the beginning. It grabbed my attention and was fast paced, and the rest of the book didn't let up on the gas peddle. This sci-fi thriller did such a good jobs at the reveals throughout. It kept my attention the whole book and didn't give anything away before the author wanted you to know it. The one thing that got on my nerves was that the main character, K, made some questionable decisions and kept forgetting things that had to be re-explained to him. The ending was a bit of a mind trick that I didn't quite understand, but other than that it was really great. The writing was fantastic and the characters were strong. I love alternate reality books and sci-fi that delves into that, and this was a welcome new look at it. Overall, really great and I would definitely recommend it.

There's a game that may not really be a game. Players aren't supposed to talk about it, at least not in specific terms. They call it Rabbits, and playing involves finding patterns in the world around you, coincidences or even discrepancies. Follow the clues and try to win, because winning means unimaginable rewards that no one knows for sure exist, just like no one knows for sure who the winners of the first 10 iterations of the game were. A man named K has been obsessed with the game for years, so when he's approached by a man rumored to have won in the past and told that something is wrong with the game, and it's up to K to fix it before the next iteration begins or the entire world is in danger, of course he has to try to help. But will he be too late?

The synopsis of this book (which is better written than mine above) really intrigued me. I loved the idea of a mysterious game with the entire world—universe, even—as the playing field. Unfortunately, the book was mostly just bizarre and repetitive and lacked the real punch and follow-through I was looking for. I read the book pretty quickly, not because I was excited and caught up in it, but because I was confused and a little frustrated and wanted to push to get to that place where everything is explained and suddenly makes sense. Sadly, that moment never happened.

After the possible former winner approaches K and tells him that he has to fix the game, the story mostly consists of the same format repeated over and over--K (and sometimes his friend Chloe too) researches/digs/looks for clues, hits a dead end and gives up, suddenly has a revelation that generally comes one of two ways—either someone randomly gives him a clue or he just happens to see a random item in the room he's in that makes him think in a new way—then is off digging again before hitting that next dead end. During this repetitive meat of the book, K is remarkably knowledgeable about almost everything he needs to know to solve these things. He has to look up one or two things, but for the most part, he's versed in movies, music, & books (foreign and domestic), art, architecture, and constellations. No real reason is given for him having all of this knowledge (he has an eidetic memory, but he'd still have to have been exposed to a lot), and to make it worse, the fellow-sort-of-player that is helping him through all of this, Chloe, never really has the surprising and sudden knowledge at just the right time.

K has a lot of strange things happen to him throughout the course of this book, and Chloe often asks him if he's okay. Even after he's admitted to her some of the mind-bending things that he's seen, he still inevitably lies to her when she checks on him and tells her he's okay. Literally every time, it's, "I'm fine," with almost no variation. And then there's the heavy language throughout the book. Even when I was in high school, I knew that people who liked to drop the f-word into every other sentence didn't have much in the way of a vocabulary. Apparently that is the case with every single character in this book, without even the allowance for the possibility that anyone they meet along the way may not talk the same way that everyone else does. I don't read a lot of books with heavy language like this, but never before have I gotten to the point where it felt like the author was an 11-year-old who was out of hearing of his parents and cussing just because he can. That's what this made me feel like.

(Warning, this paragraph contains some minor spoilers.) Even with everything I've said above, I probably would have given the book a little higher of a rating if it weren't for the utter lack of a payoff in the end. There's this science presented in the 2nd half of the book that was pretty baffling to me, but I was hanging in there, doing my best to understand just enough to see how the plot paid off. I'm not sure how much of what didn't make sense to me was due to my lack of understanding of this kind of thing and how much was due to the author sort of hand-waving some of it, but I was hanging in there. Then we get to the end and...all of that, all of the science and urgency, is just...brushed off. We're presented with 2 new theories about what's been happening, and then the book ends with no real answers and with everything I was doing my best to understand is just thrown out the window. I don't think I've ever felt like a book wasted the time it took me to read it more than this one did, and the only reason it's 2 stars is because I really do think the idea is good, the beginning was good, and I'm sure a lot of work was put into writing and editing this book.

As for whether or not you might like it...if you're a major gamer, into fringe culture, or know anything at all about the darknet, you really might like this book. It reminded me of Ready Player One, in that there were quite a few references to movies, music, and games, a lot of it vintage. And like RPO, a lot of it was completely unnecessary. A major setting in the book is an arcade, and when a character just happens to be leaning on a game cabinet, I don't need to know what the name of the game is unless it's going to matter to the story. On the other hand, my husband would probably love to know because he spent a lot of time in arcades as a kid (he also liked all of the references in RPO more than I did). So definitely make the decision for yourself, if this book sounds interesting.

I thought this book had an intriguing premise - a game played out in the real world with mysterious clues that might involve coincidences, the Mandela Effect, and who knows what else. It turns out this book was not for me. I was in turns bored and confused. But for some mysterious reason, I decided to soldier through it, just in case the ending made it all worthwhile. It didn't. Oh well.

I really enjoyed this one. As a huge fan of both the Rabbits podcast as well as the rest of the other PNWS audio universe, I think this maintains that vibe and ads even more interesting lore to everything. The pacing was really fast and engaging and the atmosphere of the podcast permeated these pages as well.. I don't feel like the ending was quite as strong as the podcast and I do think that having experience with the podcast made some of the crazy elements of the Rabbits world less hard hitting than the first time you experience them, but it didn't ruin the fun at all. I'd love for Miles to write more books in this universe for sure.

Thank you NetGalley, author Terry Miles, and Macmillan publishing for giving me a free arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
3.5 stars
What would you do if the real world was actually a virtual reality game?
This book follows the world of VR. Rabbits is an underground game that has been going since the 1950s or maybe longer. With a massive prize at stake for the winner, people are drawn into the world. When the 11th round of the game starting K, the main character, finds people are disappearing and dying all around him. What started out as an obsession will turn into a game of life and death. A famous player in the game finds K and tells him he needs to fix the game or the whole world will pay a terrible price then disappears. And now the very nature of reality itself may be being affected by the game. K and his gaming friend/love interest Chloe are continual told to stop playing the game or they'll die, but it's really hard to let it go.
This book was a little hard to get into. I am not much of an online gamer. I liked the concept, world building, and mystery surrounding the virtual reality. The ending left me slightly dissatisfied. Overall, if you are a fan of online gaming or like books that challenge the very concept of what is real, this book is for you! I would like to read more books by this author in the future.

It seems that more people believe in conspiracy theories now than every before. I think that's because there's too much information for us to consume. It is impossible to keep up with everything that is going on, so we might easily believe we are missing something big happening right under our noses. It's this paranoia that fuels conspiracy theories. The book Rabbits, by Terry Miles, feeds into this by being about a vast, secret game where the winners will get untold riches and their heart's desire if only they can find the clues. Although it can get very twisty with its plot, this had wonderful characters, and lots of mystery. It was a scary and enjoyable book.

What I Liked:

Characters:

I think there are many people who will identify with K. He is an extreme gamer, getting a thrill from uncovering secret messages from books, social media, and pop culture. The subversive nature of Rabbits is extremely alluring to him. But, he also can become obsessed with finding meaning in everything. This is great for games, but exhausting for his friends. I liked that K did want to work with his friends to solve the mystery. He was not a loner. Perhaps this is due to him losing his parents from a young age.

Chloe is also deeply interested in Rabbits. But she doesn't get in so deep that she loses all sense of the real world. She holds down a job, and is very responsible. She cares deeply for K and her other friends. And that is why she follows along on some of K's more hare-brained ideas. She is looking out for him.

Concept:

This book is written by Terry Miles, who also has a podcast called "Rabbits" , which I started listening to after I read the book. Both the podcast and the book capitalize on people's fears that we, as a culture, are being manipulated by some someone, or something that permeates all parts of society. It's like a more subtle, non political, version of the Q conspiracy. It's fascinating to see how easily people can get sucked in. The game Rabbits utilizes all types of media to sprinkle clues around: social media, movies, books, political rhetoric, music, art, you name it. I think if there would be a game such as Rabbits, it would be hard to keep it a secret, given how popular it would instantly become.
Issues of Mental Health:

Part of the mystery of the book is whether or not K is playing a game called Rabbits, or is having a mental health episode. It really could be either. K shows signs of having a mental break from reality, with strange things happening that only he can see, losing minutes (and then, hours) of time, obsessive behavior, and paranoia. While he realizes that he might have a mental illness, he also realizes that he can't confide in anyone. Imagine if you experienced seeing really bizarre things, had physical symptoms of anxiety attacks, forgot what you were doing for days at a time. You would desperately want to be believed. Now imagine if you want to be believed, but you also secretly dread that you need help. This may be what people struggling with mental illness experience.

What I Was Mixed About:

While, of course, the plot of the book is meant to be twisty, it was sometimes hard to follow. You will need to be really current on your pop culture, and have a working knowledge of Theoretical String Theory, to be able to follow all the action without getting lost, at least at some point. I had to go back and re-read some passages to see if I could figure out what was happening. It was at times both frustrating and really fun.

This is a hell of a book. A mysterious game that nobody is supposed to talk about, which has existed through somewhere near a dozen known iterations over many decades, if not millennia. A life lived after surviving a deadly automobile accident, which may or may not have been first contact with the game. Periodic chasing of clues, following trails of suspiciously random hints and anomalies to an ultimate dead end with nothing to show for the journey.
The best part, for me, of the alternate/parallel reality trope is the thought that if you knew someone who came to understand the existence of such a universe, you would be hard pressed to take them seriously. When our protagonist is approached by a man identifying as a previous winner of the game, some call it Rabbits, he falls deeper into strangeness than ever before, and involves his friends, at least one of which is soon inexplicably dead. As the story progresses, or regresses, the protagonist seems maddeningly set on ignoring all the weird stuff he and his surviving friend have seen, to the extent that he refuses to acknowledge the importance of experiences they have shared.
Mix the awkward and frustrating interrelationships with tech giants, a downbeat vintage gaming arcade, a light touch of dark supernatural elements, elusive radio signals, surveillance of the surveillance state, the dark web, and ley lines, you get a gritty, provocative adventure and a satisfying read overall.

(My review will be published at the attached link on Thoroughly Modern Reviewer on June 8th, 2021.)

A mysterious game found only in the darkest, most obscure corners of the internet. A game that ties together a multitude of conspiracy theories. A game that might be killing its players and lead to the end of the world. It’s a pretty great hook for a book, right? Thankfully, "Rabbits," Terry Miles’ debut novel, lives up to its promising premise. It’s a fast-paced, twisty, mind-bending read. But it closest itself some to vagueness and underexplained ideas, resulting in an uneven climax that doesn’t quite bring its mysteries to a satisfying conclusion.

Based on the podcast of the same name, "Rabbits" follows K, an avid fan of the game colloquially known as Rabbits. After years of trying to play the game, K is approached by a billionaire (and alleged winner of the sixth iteration of Rabbits). K is warned that something is wrong with the game, and if it’s not fixed before the eleventh iteration begins, the world will end. From there, K’s life is a whirlwind of missing people, dead friends, complex mysteries, and conspiracy theories ranging from the multiverse to the Mandela Effect. Before K can stop it, the eleventh iteration of Rabbits begins. And the only way to save the world is to win the game.

If that sounded like the world’s biggest mind-bend, you’re not wrong. Everything about "Rabbits"—the novel and the game—is confusing. Intentionally so, I think. I mean, how else would you write a story about a game that’s only spoken of in whispers and impossible to understand? Still, it’s impressive how easy the book is to read. Everything happens fairly linearly, even as alternate dimensions and secret organizations come into play. And that’s largely because, underneath all the weirdness and sci-fi gobbledygook about quantum mechanics and parallel universes, "Rabbits" is a mystery/thriller. The objective is simple—K needs to figure out what’s wrong with the game and how to fix it. The problem is that he’ll have to play the game to fix it. And playing the game is more dangerous than ever.

Most of the book sees K and Chloe (his friend and love interest) looking for clues, following those clues, talking to people who theoretically know more than they do, and repeating the process as they work their way through the narrative. It’s not the most exciting way to execute a story like this, but it gets the job done. There are times, particularly in the middle third of the book, where things start feeling a little repetitive. But Terry Miles keeps the story moving fast enough that it’s pretty easy to power through the more repetitive scenes. Plus, so much of the mystery is incredibly interesting. Who’s behind Rabbits? Why? How is the game managing to change reality? How is K connected to it? I mean, these questions could probably fill up multiple books, and with so many of the scenes dedicated to exploring these ideas, it’s no wonder that the book tends to fly by.

It helps that K is a fun character to spend time with. He’s molded in the same vein as narrators from similarly themed books—like "Ready Player One." He’s full of snark and pop culture references. But I wasn’t anywhere near as annoyed with them here as I usually am. Miles was smart and didn’t overly rely on the references. Instead, he uses them sparingly, when they could actually benefit the narrative. K feels like a more nuanced character than expect him to be. He’s prone to mental breaks and has a history of mental illness, which gives him a very unreliable quality. Yet he remains personable. You can see why people like him and it makes you want to spend time with him. It’s fascinating seeing him work through the mysteries of Rabbits, learning how connected he is to what’s going on behind the scenes of the game.

The prose is fairly dry and utilitarian, with K never over describing things and rarely relying on purple language. But that’s what makes the book go by so quickly. The voice feels authentic, and it’s hyper-focused on telling the story and painting enough of the world for the reader to make sense of what’s going on, but not so much that it bogs things down. Everything is filtered through K’s lens, and it shows. The reader only understands as much as he does—which, ultimately, isn’t very much. Unfortunately, none of the other characters are given anywhere near as much attention as K is. At best, they tend to feel two-dimensional. Even Chole, the story’s female lead. But it kind of makes sense. After all, this is K’s story. He’s the one telling it, so he’s gonna be the focus.

Where "Rabbits" stumbles is when it tries to explain the game and what’s going on. To be fair, it’s admirable that the book tries to make sense of any of this at all. But every time a character starts explaining the game, waxing on and on about ley lines and quantum mechanics and alternate dimensions, my eyes just sort of glazed over. The book tries to explain these concepts and how they relate to the game, but it’s never able to go deep enough with any of them to make them make sense. And I get that the whole point of the game is that it’s unknowable, but if that’s gonna be the case, then I’d have rathered the book not explain it at all. All of these explanations end up distracting from what I think makes "Rabbits" fun—the actual gameplay.

The novel could’ve used that time to focus more on the mystery and the mechanics of how one plays the game. As a mystery, it’s totally unsolvable. You’re never really able to make the connections needed to solve the mystery. And you also never understand how K or Chole make the connections, either. They just do. And I think the time might’ve been better spent elaborating on the gameplay of rabbits, instead of trying to make sense of these complicated, and ultimately underexplained, scientific ideas. Because the mystery isn’t really solvable, the climax falls flat. We don’t understand how K figures out what he figures out, or how he decides to do what he does in the climax. He just does it. And that’s a shame. I think the more compelling story here is how K is going to play the game and save the day, and I’d have preferred the book focus on that. Having finished it, I still don’t understand how anybody plays the game and that’s a bit of a letdown.

Still, "Rabbits" is a fun, quick-paced read that I thoroughly enjoyed. It easily lives up to its mind-bending premise, delivering a story that’s as thrilling as it is confusing. I’ve not heard the podcast. Perhaps it may have explained more of the game’s mechanics. But I still feel like I got a complete story that stands on its own with this novel. It’s not perfect, but when it leans into the weirdness of its concept and the excitement of this unknowable game, it’s fun. The time it spends luxuriating in its mysteries and allowing K to shine as brightly and unreliably as he does is deeply enjoyable. It’s well worth a read if you’re into these kinds of mind-bending things.

I'm still not sure what to write about Rabbits. I was so intrigued that I couldn't wait to start. I've never listened to the podcast (on my list now) but I am familiar with the idea-a dangerous and secret game of puzzles in the real world rumored to end in death or disappearance, or entrance into a shadow organization! I have so wanted to do something like this for real.

Rabbits has been going on for a long time. You don't talk about it. You don't know if you are playing, if it has started,, or if it exists. I've read a lot of takes on the reality of what is in this book. I won't go into what I think. It would have far too many spoilers. I do believe that I want more of this story. From about the 50% mark, I read it in one go because I couldn't stop. Then it ended. I wasn't thrilled with the ending. It seemed both too easy and incomplete. I think only another installment will make this a satisfying ending.