3.5 rounded down.
I don't know. I think this started good, it had a lot of potential...and then just flopped.

It's far more a character development story than a thriller (do not expect a thriller). The problem is Teddy seemed to get more frustrating as time progressed. I wanted to see character growth, I wanted to see something but it just didn't happen. Perhaps it was because I started All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker (which is going to be a top pick of the year) while i was still reading this one and this one just fell short in comparison of the disappearance stories.

I am going to be completely honest and say that I did not love this book and was super disappointed by the ending. I wouldn't call this a mystery and definitely not a thriller, but I would call it depressing and disappointing. Some of my opinion may be rooted in the fact that I was expecting something completely different than what I got.

While the story kept my attention and the writing and narration were good, I kept expecting something more and was left just feeling, meh. And I really kind of hated the ending - like, really? So, so, so just depressing.

4.5 out of 5 stars

Thank you for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.



Teddy's older sister Angie snuck out to go to a party one night and never returned. Her whole life became all about her missing sister no matter how hard she tried to move on Teddy never really could. This really felt a lot like Sadie by Courtney Summers in that sad melancholy way.

I would have rated this book higher if not for two things.
1) it has graphic descriptions of animal death. Violent death at that. Normally I don't care about other's opinion on euthanasia but claiming that a violent painful death is better than euthanasia was barbaric and I would have liked a warning that I would be subjected to this.

2) the ending. It just felt too much effort and nothing to show for it

I enjoyed the narrator and I did finish the audiobook. I was very frustrated at the end. I felt like this was not a twisty thriller as described. It was more of a book about grief and how someone deals with it. I thought Teddy's character towards the end just didn't flow with the way she was in the beginning of the book. There were things that happened that I wasn't sure if they were real or imagined. It was very confusing and there was an event at the end of the book that made no sense to me. While it wasn't my favorite I did finish it. I have read some other descriptions of this book and some people loved it. I would recommend listening to the audiobook instead of reading.

A taut, twisty novel on the vortex of grief that we must navigate, and the devastating consequences of obsession. Darkly compelling, Rabbit Hope showcases the ways in which true crime sensationalism, social media, and societal pressures place more stress on victims of loss and trauma, and how uncertainty is fueled by the whims and discretions of others. It is a chilling reminder that the subjects of theories, chat threads, video essays, were real people with real friends and families, who often push themselves to extremes in the pursuit of answers, justice. Hauntingly sad with a faint core of hope, this novel is a winding trip into the whirlpool of coping mechanisms, the chase of information, the peeling back of layers, an examination of hard truths, of crossroads.

A dark, slow-burn downward spiral...…..

Book Information

Rabbit Hole by Kate Brody is a 374-page mystery published on January 2, 2024. Rebecca Quinn Robertson narrates the audio version which spans 12 hours and 45 minutes. Thank you to RB Media for providing me with an Advance Readers Copy for review.

Summary

A decade ago, Teddy Angstrom's sister Angie vanished, leaving a cold case behind. Now, after their father's suicide, Teddy discovers his involvement in a Reddit community dedicated to Angie's disappearance. As Teddy delves into the mystery, she faces opposition from just about everyone around her. Caught up in an obsession with her newfound friend Mickey, Teddy's moral boundaries blur. With her sanity teetering, she refuses to halt her search for Angie, even if it means self-destruction.

My Thoughts

"Rabbit Hole" by Kate Brody offers a narrative that delves into grief, obsession, and the downward spiral of its main character. While it promises to appeal to fans of true crime podcasts like "My Favorite Murder," the execution falls short of capturing the elements that make such podcasts enjoyable. The book focuses heavily on grief, self-destruction, and bad decisions, which diverges from the more appealing aspects of true crime.

The story presents a melancholy character study that lacks significant action and feels slow-moving. This is not a thriller. It reads more like narrative fiction than a suspenseful novel, with some parts, particularly concerning the family dog, feeling unnecessary and gratuitous. I expect many will have issues with “Wolfy” the dog throughout the book. Similarly, the inclusion of sex scenes appears more for shock value than for advancing the plot.

Throughout the book, the narrative feels repetitive, lacking resolution and failing to establish a compelling atmosphere. The main character's choices become increasingly irrational, stretching the bounds of reason and detracting from the story's credibility. Additionally, the ending feels abrupt and unsatisfying.

The audiobook version poses challenges, especially during passages involving online posts and texts, which may work better in a printed format. However, the narrator, Rebecca Quinn Robertson, delivers a clear and engaging performance.

Despite its flaws, "Rabbit Hole" offers a window into the darker side of true crime obsession. It also serves as a reminder of the real people affected by such events and impacted by people who consume their tragic stories as entertainment.

Recommendation

If you appreciate slow-burn character studies centered on grief, this book may hold some appeal, though it may not satisfy fans of the mystery/thriller genre.

Rating

3 Downward Spiraling Stars

This book was well written as we get to know Teddy by being in her head the entire book. This book never became a thriller in my opinion. I kept waiting for the “thriller” aspect, but it never surfaced. I started this book with the wrong expectations, and I think that may be why I didn’t truly enjoy it. Reading the book description, I thought it would be more of a thriller. I felt the description was slightly misleading. It needs to be made clear that this is more of a general fiction book instead of being promoted as a thriller. Though the writing was solid, the plot fell flat for me.

Thank you NetGalley and RB Media for an ALC in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.

I listened to this one on audio, courtesy of #netgalley, and while I enjoyed the narrator in general, the book was sad and depressing.
Teddy has gone home to deal with her father's untimely death. She's helping her mom clear up the house and in the process of trying to figure out how something like this could happen to her dad. Many difficult issues were discussed in this book.
TW: Suicide, substance abuse, manual health issues, grief, toxic relationships, etc
As Teddy begins to unravel the end of her father's life, she is faced with grief, remorse, and regret. She turns to Reddit for answers and she also finds herself in a relationship with an older man who was a friend of her dad's.
Overall, this book was tough for me. I like this narrator (like her as an actress too) and I thought she did an amazing job capturing the mood of the book; however, it was all so sad and depressing to me. It was a difficult read to get through.

Thank you #NetGalley for offering me an #ARC in return for my honest opinion of #RabbitHole

3.5 stars.

Theodora “Teddy” Angstrom’s older sister, Angie, went missing. Ten years later, her father, Mark, killed himself. Unbeknownst to Mark’s family, he had been active in a Reddit community fixated on Angie, and Teddy couldn’t help but fall down the same rabbit hole. Teddy’s investigation quickly got her in hot water with her gun-nut boyfriend, her long-lost half brother, and her colleagues at the prestigious high school where she taught English. She soon became obsessed with Mickey, who she believed had clues to her sister’s disappearance.

The synopsis of this book might have given me a bit of pop-corn thriller vibe, but I soon found out it was far from it. This was a slow burn, character-driven mystery which spent more time on the exploration of grief and trauma, rather than clues and mystery solving. I could definitely see Teddy’s spiral down the rabbit hole!

The book was quite enjoyable overall. It had some great sad-girl moments with profound pondering. I just wish the storytelling wasn’t as monotone throughout. Perhaps my experience was highly influenced by the audiobook narrator’s delivery. I’d still recommend it if you’re in the mood for it - it was a fairly fast read, I flew through it in a day and a bit.

I can say that Rabbit Hole is a psychological thriller and crime fiction, too, but I think the dominant feature is in this book is mourning. We are reading traumatic effects of losing one and grief. Teddy's hopeless life which is in a journey like hitting rock bottom and maybe a way to recovery. Rabbit Hole is like a search for hope in the dark. I like the book, thanks netgalley and storm books💫

If you loved THE GUEST, like me and if you are fans of EILEEN and FLEABAG you may want to add Rabbit Hole to your TBR list!

This hits me in the literary fiction space with beautiful prose and the emotional downward spiral being the thrill (we all love to read/watch a crash).

RABBIT HOLE is a literary thriller about a woman who falls into a Reddit conspiracy around her sister's disappearance. Author @allierowbottom (AESTHETICA) called it “blistering, sexy, and concentric.”

Grieving the loss of her troubled father and haunted by family secrets, Teddy embarks on a journey of self-discovery, wrestling with depression and making questionable decisions. Despite her flaws, she remains a compelling protagonist, her emotional journey mirrored by the setting's blend of beauty and decay (plus a nod to Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart”).

The setting, a blend of majestic Maine forests and seedier urban landscapes, mirrors Teddy's internal landscape, reflecting her struggles with darkness and redemption. Brody's keen eye for detail, particularly in capturing human movement and subtle nuances, lends an almost cinematic quality to the storytelling.

The interspersed Reddit interactions serve as a reminder of the harsh realities of online anonymity. Brody's masterful storytelling delves into the labyrinth of human emotions, creating a captivating and thought-provoking read.

Rabbit Hole, by Kate Brody, was not the book I expected it to be. I would have preferred for the mystery to be solved at the end, but I understand what the author intended with this particular ending. I found the book to mostly be a stream of consciousness by the main character. The writing was well done and the characters were thoroughly developed. The story itself has more depth to it than the twisty psychological thrillers I’m addicted to. It’s a story for someone who wants to enjoy the writing moreso than the story.

This was a dark and wild read read and could definitely use some trigger warnings. I feel so bad for their puppy, they kept him around for so much longer than necessary for selfish reasons! These people need some therapy for sure! This was my 1st book by Kate Brody but will not be my last!

#RabbitHole
#NetGalley

I was unsure how to feel about this one. I had some trouble connecting to the main character and the poor dog was tough to read about because the suffering was so unnecessary, but I ended up enjoying this book over all.. It was def different from what I normally read, and I am interested to see what this author puts out in the future. :)

I want to thank Netgally and RB Media for the audio ARC of Rabbit Hole by Kate Brody.

This story start out following Teddy as she finds out about her father's death on the 10th anniversary of her sister's disappearance. I found this story to be more of a slow burn and story of grief than a thriller with a twist I didn't expect. I did feel there were triggers of animal suffering and substance abuse. While it was well written and well narrated, this story was not for me.

Rabbit Hole

2 ⭐️⭐️

True crime + conspiracy theories on Reddit engulfs the main character in her search to solve the mystery of her older sister’s cold-case disappearance that occurred 10 years ago. I was really excited for this book and wanted to like it so much but this fell short for me. I felt like the book read more like a contemporary fiction novel about the main characters life, which happened to include her trying to solves her sister’s murder. There was little mystery in this story and I found myself bored throughout.

Thank you RB media and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I’m honestly angry with the publisher for misrepresenting the subject matter of this book. It’s not the intriguing solve-the-mystery-of-the-missing-girl novel that it was advertised to be. Really it’s a trauma dump of every harrowing experience the main character has experienced.

Fifteen minutes into the audiobook, the MC finds a dead cat in a clear plastic trash bag. This brings up a horrific childhood memory for her of her big sister finding two kittens who had been crushed by a car and petting them and getting blood on her hands. The description is gratuitous.

The MC has a sweet old Irish Wolfhound “Wolfie” who is dying of cancer and really needs to be humanely euthanized but isn’t.

Emotionally I don’t need this gut wrenching feeling in my life and I am bailing out on the book now because it’s obviously only going to get more harrowing.

I was motivated by this book to create a new Goodreads shelf named “too much animal suffering” so if you are also sensitive to reading about that, you may want to visit that shelf to know what else to avoid reading.

I’m giving Rabbit Hole by Kate Brody one star, even though the writing is skillful, because I can’t think of one single person who would like this book or who I could recommend it too.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me a free arc audiobook download for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Side note: If you want to read a fantastic book about the investigation and solving of the mystery of a missing teenager girl, I recommend The Short Drop by Matthew FitzSimmons. That is what I thought Rabbit Hole would be similar to based on the publishers description.

This book was so wild and weird, and I was totally here for it! I flew through this audio because I hated to stop!

What a wonderfully wild ride this book was!!
Highly recommended!
I have recommended to every reading friend I have! Thank you!