Whew boy, this book bummed me all the way out. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but I desperately needed a fluffy romance and several YA novels to get me out of my RABBIT HOLE-shaped funk. The premise of this novel is absolutely delicious: on the tenth anniversary of her sister Angie's disappearance, Teddy's father kills himself, leaving behind cryptic notes and a Reddit account that lead Teddy down the rabbit hole of an obsession with solving her sister's case. Add in some truly messed up relationship dynamics and a newfound bestie practically made of red flags, and this is one for the Gillian Flynn girlies for real. The novel is a literary thriller with most of the emphasis on literary -- typical thriller fans will probably be disappointed, as Brody is more interested in mining grief and depression than delivering plot twists. (Also, I'm a relatively tough reader, but I was shook by the animal death in this book. It wasn't necessarily unexpected, but it was so hard to read. Content warnings abound!)

Sigh, this one just wasn’t for me. Part of it might have been that it wasn’t helped by the clunky formatting that would be more polished upon publication. But I also had a hard time jumping right into the plot without a lot of setup at the beginning. The book had a lot of potential but it just left me a little confused.

Teddy has always been somewhat obsessed with the disappearance of her older sister, Angie, ten years ago. When her father commits suicide she discovers his obsession with the disappearance led him to active involvement with a Reddit community centered around Angie. When Teddy enters the community and starts communicating with others, it only intensifies her preoccupation leading to increasingly self destructive behavior.

The publisher’s synopsis of this book was somewhat misleading and I was a bit disappointed that it didn’t really deliver what was foreshadowed. That said, it was a character study of grief and depression and the personal and familial dissolution it can cause.

Although this debut novel was slow to develop, it was a fast read. I wouldn’t characterize this as a mystery but perhaps more of narrative fiction or psychological thriller.

2.75 stars
This book definitely has an audience but it was not me. It was far darker than I expected but not dark like your average popcorn thriller. I’m not even sure I’d call this a thriller. Teddy was investigating her sister’s cold case and there are some suspenseful moments, but mostly, this is grief and a lot of. Again, has its audience, but I’m not it. Also, I’m not going to go through them all but LOTS of triggers in the book including *multiple* animal deaths, drug use/addiction, suicide, and probably tons more. Please look into this further if need be.

The blurb for this book was very buzz worthy:

“A twisty, sexy debut exploring the dark side of true crime fandom and the blurry lines of female friendship, perfect for fans of Ottessa Moshfegh, Gillian Flynn, My Favorite Murder, and Fleabag

Conspiracy theories from Reddit seduce a disaster-prone woman into an obsession with solving her older sister’s cold-case disappearance”

Firstly, this book was NOT sexy. I didn’t need it to be (or really want it to be tbh). There was a decent amount of sex but it wasn’t sexy. It was messy, mostly angry, lonely, and desperate. None of it was glamorous or glorified. The “blurry lines of female friendship” was also misleading in many ways. I won’t get too into that because I don’t want to get into spoilers but it made me anticipate a different relationship between the two main characters.

Teddy was a hard character to follow. She has a lot of grief to deal with throughout this book but even still… the blurb calls her “disaster-prone” but that makes it sound like things are happening to her. She has had tragic family events but now she’s also on her own downward spiral, and that’s a lot of the book. It’s a bunch investigation into Angie’s disappearance but this doesn’t read like many popular thrillers and readers should be aware of that tone before starting. The investigation is often times uncomfortable and pushing boundaries. Teddy is at the point in her life when she’s losing herself the most and it’s so hard to watch her go down this path, make so many bad decisions, and still want to root for her to have this happy ending by the time the book concludes. It’s so uncomfortable to watch sometimes and I just didn’t know how I wanted her story in this book to end. I thought the ending was a little weird but also made some sense.

I didn’t really like the writing style and I know it’s just not my taste, but I still had a lot of other things I didn’t care for. Spoiler for the ending… (view spoiler) I kind of felt like the amount of grief was gratuitous? There was just SO much going on. Angie’s continued disappearance, the father’s suicide, the dog with cancer, a side character who overdosed (actually, more than one), and just even more death and downward spiral. Again, I guess that’s just the theme/vibe here, but this was advertised as a “page turning mystery” so I was just looking for more of that feeling of being riveted, finding clue after clue on Reddit going down the proverbial Rabbit Hole… I didn’t really feel like it gripped me like that. It’s definitely more crime than mystery/thriller…

I was also expecting more of a twisty friendship. There is a twist in there somewhere but some of what I was expecting upfront was behind the scenes and didn’t hit like I wanted it to. From the start, we know there’s something more going on with Mickey but we find little pieces as the story goes on.

I don’t want to rate a book lower just because I didn’t like it when that’s what it was supposed to be, but I’m not picking on it and just rating it low because of what it is — I actually put some points back for this reason. I just don’t feel like rating it higher shows my true feelings about it either. I’m really torn about it. It wasn’t a horrible hook but it was compelling in its own right. There are definitely people who will click with this and I can see it getting some really good buzz, and it will also have the opposite effect on many people. I guess I’ll leave my feelings in the middle.

After her father’s suicide, Teddy stumbles onto an active Reddit community about her sister’s disappearance. She quickly becomes fixated on it and it affects her life in unseen ways.

Anyone who has been sucked into a true crime rabbit hole will appreciate this story. This takes it to a whole other level given the main character’s sister is the one missing. It’s interesting going into this investigation with her and it dives deep.

“Things that are broken cannot be unbroken. Men who split in half cannot be patched together. Daughters who are lost can never be found.”

Rabbit Hole comes out 1/2.

I wouldn't call this a thriller... it was more literary, and we still don't get an answer on what happened to Angie at the end, when we would get those answers in a thriller. A lot of Teddy's actions were totally bizarre to the point I gasped multiple times while reading lol. I think it was well-written, and the train-wreck of the plot was very fun to read—I couldn't put it down. Reading the whole thing, though, to then not have a straight answer about Angie at the end was a huge letdown, so I took off one star.

An absolute firecracker of a book. Compulsively readable, haunting, and emotional. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the copy in exchange for this review.

This book was harrowing. Dark. I read a review where someone stated that nothing happens in the book. I wonder what book they read...?

From Amazon:
Conspiracy theories from Reddit seduce a disaster-prone woman into an obsession with solving her older sister’s cold-case disappearance

Ten years ago, Theodora “Teddy” Angstrom’s older sister, Angie, went missing. Her case remains unsolved. Now Teddy’s father, Mark, has killed himself. Unbeknownst to Mark’s family, he had been active in a Reddit community fixated on Angie, and Teddy can’t help but fall down the same rabbit hole.

More from me:
Many things happen in this novel. There is a central mystery to the plot. The story does take a second to get it footing, but not long. The novel is more of a character study of the main character, Thea, and how the grief of losing her sister and her father break her down. It's depressing and bleak. Dirty. It was a lot. And it was very good.

Thank you to NetGalley and Soho Crime for the digital advanced copy. The novel will be published on
January 2, 2024. I predict it will get picked up and adapted as a limited series for one of the major streaming services.

THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND SOHO PRESS & SOHO CRIME FOR THE ARC OF THIS BOOK TO READ AND REVIEW.

If you ever watched all 7 series of Pretty Little Liars only to be absolutely FURIOUS with the ending then you'll know that this is the exact feeling that I got from finishing this book.

The crescendo of the story and the ending just baffled me, I really don't feel like we got any answers and more so as if I'd just wasted my time reading it.

Which is a real shame because this book had so much potential... The whole idea of a teenage disappearance and a sibling who falls into a rabbit hole of trying to find the truth through subreddits and the use of the internet? It could have been so good, but unfortunately it missed the mark.

I felt really disappointed with the plot in general really, it felt as though there were far too many strands that the author was trying to pull together and make a story out of, and unfortunately it just didn't work, we were left with more questions.

And character wise, I felt that Teddy (and the other characters too) were really unlikeable, and borderline irritating, making it hard for me to feel anything for them in what could have otherwise been quite an emotional story.

Sadly, this book just wasn't for me. I kept reading it because I had hoped that we would be rewarded with answers and clarifications, but this wasn't the case and the rest of the book certainly didn't make it worthwhile.

Rabbit Hole by Kate Brody is a gripping mystery debut. After reading the description I was so eager to jump in and start this book.
What a tense and compelling story.
I truly enjoyed devouring this book. Everything about was entertaining and very interesting.
The writing sucked me in almost immediately which I loved and the characters kept me engaged throughout the entire story.
This was a page-turning mystery that ended up being an addictive read.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Soho Press for the opportunity to read this ahead of its publication date in return for my honest review.

The title, Rabbit Hole is a clever play on words. In one it refers to the mother rabbit pulling fur over the nest to keep the kittens (yes, kittens) safe and out of view. The other meaning would apply to someone chasing an answer to a burning question and thus following it down the rabbit hole. Both of these aptly apply to this slow burn of a thriller.
Teddy is still haunted by her sister's complete disappearance ten years ago. After her father kills himself near the anniversary of the disappearance, Teddy ends up following the same trail down the rabbit hole of clues that her father apparently had been on without anyone's knowledge.
Reddit, trolls, online buddies and amateurish sleuthing begin to take over her life. The characters that she encounters could so easily have been pulled from real life both in her daily job as a teacher or the online crazies.
Great parallels to the world in which we live nowadays. The idea one can just hop on a computer and find out all they need to know is exploited within the characters. More than that, finding out doesn't necessarily make things better or bring closure, either.

Thank you to SoHo Press for access to an early copy via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Debut author and one-time English teacher Kate Brody pulls us into the mind of the sister left behind in the enthralling novel Rabbit Hole, to be released by Soho Press in January 2024.

Theodora “Teddy” Angstrom doesn’t know what to feel when her father drives off a covered bridge in Maine. His life was haunted by drugs and family drama, but he was especially troubled by the disappearance of Teddy’s older half-sister Angie ten years earlier. In putting his affairs in order, Teddy learns about his obsession with finding his stepdaughter, who also had her share of issues. And though you never see an official start, Teddy slowly takes up the mantle, retracing the many leads he left behind.

Teddy makes for a gloriously flawed and unreliable protagonist, fueling an entertaining sense of dread. Through a haze of depression which seems to worsen on every page, she makes one maladaptive decision after another. She drinks far too much, acts inappropriately in her role as a teacher at a Catholic school, and starts a sketchy relationship with a man once employed by her father. I’d say Brody does a marvelous job of challenging her main character, but she goes even further: Teddy tortures herself. There are points I just wished she would drink less, not hurt herself so badly, but then again, the self-destruction is the point.

Though Teddy isn’t a murderer (spoiler alert), her journey brought to mind Edgar Allen Poe, specifically his famous short story, “The Tell-Tale Heart.” Brody’s choice of first-person narrative is brilliant: we almost can’t see her downward spiral, since we’re trapped inside. Teddy never comes out and explains why Angie and her father cause her so much turmoil; instead, we’re witness to the people she hurts and lives she disrupts in her slow frenzy. The good in her gradually slips away as she questions the wrong people and turns the wrong corners.

Mickey, a college student who worked with Teddy’s father in searching for Angie before his death, makes for an excellent accomplice. Her goth appearance and youthful nonconformism intrigue Teddy, and it’s her ideas and savvy that drive Teddy to act on impulses she would never have employed before. Mickey is the “id,” shoving the action down the track with teenage abandon, infusing this internal psychological drama with out-of-control passion.

There’s a bleak, seedy feel to the scenery here, even as we’re in the majestic Maine forest. We get descriptions only from Teddy, so it stands to reason she sees everything as a little dirty or damaged. Brody displays a keen eye for detail, but especially for human movement. Clare, Teddy’s mother, might brush a hand along her hair on the way to bed, and the action is infused with meaning. A character walks across a scene, swinging her arms just so, and somehow the tension, the anxiety, the pressure is conveyed. That’s quite a talent.

The work is billed as “sexy,” and if your heart isn’t ready for it, stop right here. Given the overall theme of the book, the scenes are less romantic than an escape from sadness. Bill seems like an OK person, and to an extent Teddy seems to be just using him. But again, maybe that’s the point: given her state of mind, we can’t expect her to have a healthy relationship.

For a book with a lot of inner monologue, the pace was surprisingly fast. It was driven by the “No, don’t do that!” style of writing, the subconscious wish for Teddy to get it together, knowing she probably won’t. The ending was about what I expected: if you got to know Teddy, it makes total sense.

Also, this might just put you off social media for good. There are several pages of Reddit interactions that I hope are fictional but feel far too real. I’ve seen my share of nasty posts, so it’s safe to say the author nails the vitriol. Yeah, it sucks, but you can’t deny the reality, can you?

It’s about as character-driven a mystery as you’ll get from this genre, the action pushed ahead mainly by the mind of the protagonist. I see it as a “psychological misadventure,” a journey down a, well…rabbit hole of regret and loss. The writing is strong and enticing, and I’ll be looking for more good things from this author…and in full disclosure, a former colleague. Congratulations to Kate Brody for a fantastic debut!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

This enthralling literary work is teeming with suspense that will hold your attention from the very opening lines. Its characters are profoundly captivating, each one richly developed and intriguing in their own right, making it impossible for readers to resist becoming deeply invested in their fates. The narrative itself is a tapestry of intricate plot threads masterfully woven together, creating a storyline so compelling that you'll discover it's a true challenge to put the book down.

From the very first page, this novel casts its spell over you, drawing you into a world of mystery and intrigue that refuses to let go. As you immerse yourself in the narrative, you'll find yourself unable to resist the urge to turn each page, driven by an insatiable curiosity to uncover the secrets that lie within. The storytelling is so engrossing that the thought of parting ways with the story becomes increasingly difficult to fathom, as you'll become emotionally connected to the characters and deeply invested in their journeys. In short, this book is an experience that will keep you on the edge of your seat, yearning for more, and reluctant to bid farewell to its captivating tale.

I loved this twisty, deeply felt mystery novel about a suicide, a lost sister, and the two women left behind in the wake of those disasters. When her father commits suicide and leaves behind the mystery he's spent ten years trying to piece together, his daughter follows the threads he left behind to uncover the secrets they left behind. Plus, lots of "delayed adulthood" soul searching and mother daughter figuring-each0ther-out, combined with the deeply heartfelt journey of pet loss (TW death of pet!!)--- a winning book, but not an easy one.

I'm going to keep this one short and sweet. This book wasn't for me.
I'm not sure if it's just because I read so many different thrillers but this didn't seem to live up to the thriller name. It did however fit perfectly into the women's fiction selection. The idea is good, but executed in a way that was not expected. This read like a story of a women who explores her grief after the loss of her father and sister in extreme ways. Then as you sit waiting for the climax, you realise we hit the end and it's all over and one with. The positive for me, was the use of social media in this kind of setting. It's been wonderful to explore the new realm of reads introducing the deeper and darker side of internet.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy - I will be holding off reviews on social platforms until after the release.

A deliciously twisty literary thriller, I inhaled it in one gulp. Rabbit Hole is a tautly plotted story, yes, but it is also a meditation on the lives of women and relationships: mothers, daughters, sisters and ourselves. Loved it.

Going in to Kate Brody's Rabbit Hole, I thought I knew what to expect because the novel's promotional material describes it as "a sexy debut novel exploring the dark side of true crime fandom and the blurry lines of female friendship..." For sure all of that is there, but for me Rabbit Hole is much more a study of the destructive impact that longterm grief can have on survivors and entire families than it is anything else.

Ten years after the mysterious disappearance of her high-school-senior sister, Teddy Angstrom is still obsessed with finally learning what really happened that night. Angie's disappearance tore a hole in the family fabric that can never be mended now that her father, as a consequence of his own personal grief, has killed himself. Teddy understands that this second family tragedy has largely undermined her mother's ability to cope with life, but still she fails to recognize her own obsession for what it has become, the single thing she can focus on anymore. While attempting to reconstruct her father's final few months, Teddy falls into a deep Reddit rabbit hole filled with true crime fanatics who, when they are not making personal attacks on each other, spout one false lead or new conspiracy theory after the other. Now Teddy doesn't know know what to believe or whom to trust, especially after her internet life and her physical life begin to collide.

Teddy needs a knowledgeable guide, someone to lead her through the dark world she's entered, and she hopes that she's found one in the form of Mickey, a teenaged internet detective as obsessed with Angie's disappearance as Teddy is. But who is Mickey, really, and why does she always seem to have all the answers Teddy needs?

Rabbit Hole is a very good debut novel, and I think its ending is particularly strong because of the insights that Teddy gains concerning her own mind and the fallibility of human memory. Has she been an unreliable narrator from the beginning, or did things happen as she remembers them? Will she ever know for sure? Will we?

Cold case detective work, unreliable and unlikeable characters, grief, and a twisty road to the truth abound in this novel about a woman trying to find out what really happened to her sister who disappeared a decade earlier. See my full review at GoodReads https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5877909147

Many thanks to NetGalley and Soho Press for providing me with an eARC of Rabbit Hole in exchange for my honest review!

Rabbit Hole ended up enthralling me, even with its misleading marketing. It had been promoted very much as a fast-paced and twisty-turny thriller, but the narrative itself is executed as much more of a slow-burn and somber mystery that's bold enough to leave us with unanswered questions at the end. This isn't necessarily doing anything groundbreaking, but I like how Kate Brody was able to humanize these deeply flawed characters and keep me compelled throughout the deliberately paced plotting. Sometimes, I like slow-burn stories, but other times, I get too impatient for them, so I'm glad Rabbit Hold falls in the former category. And sure, this book boasts some twists, per se, but they're quieter than you'd expect. They're not the big swings you'd anticipate from your typical psychological thriller. Again, that's why I think the marketing should have been adjusted.

Overall, I'm officially rating Rabbit Hole 3.75 out of 5 stars, which I'm rounding up to 4 stars. I'll certainly be interested in checking out more work from Brody in the future.

The older I get the more I devour stories about the messy lives of 20-somethings who seem to be perpetually teetering on the brink, or maybe perpetually trapped in free-fall. Wildly careening out of control, numbing with sex, drugs, and dangerous, stupid scenarios, it seems like they never quite hit bottom, yet it's always too late to stop from tipping over the edge. They fixate and fuck up and fail spectacularly--out of school, jobs, relationships--they can't seem to get a grip on the messiness of their lives and it spirals ever further into chaos over the course of the story. I might be so obsessed with these characters because, in my late teens and early twenties, my life was practical and predictable;  I held down jobs while attending school and paying rent. I didn't always get it perfect and my family had its own issues, but my life looked nothing like these books. Then again, my sister did not disappear and become an unsolved cold case, and my father did not die by suicide, consumed by grief and guilt, ten years later. That's a lot of loss and trauma, and that is what our main character Teddy is dealing with. Teddy begins to piece things together from Reddit threads and accounts she finds on her father's computer, she falls into an uneasy friendship with an amateur internet sleuth, and becomes involved in a fraught relationship with an older man that she suspects had something to do with her sister's disappearance. Her job performance as a teacher at a local private school becomes more and more erratic and her life is basically going to shit --and she's not doing anything to stop it. It's such an uncomfortable, unrelenting study of a grieving person that it feels almost exploitative in a morbidly fascinated "I can't look away from this train wreck" kind of way. It wraps up confusingly and abruptly, and I am a little embarrassed to say that toward the end I had no idea what was going on. It's not that it seemed all that complicated or twisty, and yet I still couldn't really figure out what was happening. Up until that point though, I couldn't tear myself away.