Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC.

The Burrow follows the Lee family as they adopt a pet rabbit in the wake of a family member's death.

This book was beautifully lyrical, chock full of interesting characters and rich themes, and also spectacularly concise. Though short, it is mighty, and it frankly knocked the wind out of me in the best of ways. The story at its core is poignant, beautiful in its simplicity, and masterfully captures the strange, difficult feelings of isolation that came with the COVID pandemic. I've never read Melanie Cheng before now, and I'm starting to think that is a mistake I will quickly need to rectify.

I wanted this bleak look at a grieving Australian family during the pandemic to be something more. The chapters move from family member to family member and it's very effective writing, but not much actually happens except for the author eventually explaining a tragic event from five years earlier. Maybe I'm just not ready to look back at 2020 quite yet, but it felt pointless to me. .

I liked how this relatively short novel consistently unspooled the inner thoughts and workings of its four main characters: Amy, Jin, Lucie, and Pauline, navigating unimaginable grief amidst the uncertainty and isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic era. Each chapter centers around a character's perspective, and throughout the narrative, the audience learns detail after detail about life pre- and post-Ruby, the unseen, yet omnipresent force that propels the family to great despair, longing, and resentment. This book is in line with some recent titles like "The Friend" by Sigrid Nunez (also featuring a prominent animal presence), "Western Lane" by Chetna Maroo, and "The Furrows" by Namwali Serpell. I'm instantly drawn to these sorts of "grief narratives," and in turn, might unfairly rate them against each other. There's much to be said over a quiet novel that delivers its story efficiently without drawing unnecessary attention to itself. Some might criticize that high level of interiority as being boring or false, but I found it to be one of the novel's greatest assets. The characters were flawed and raw throughout, grappling with harsh realities that they weren't prepared to properly handle. My favorite character here was, of course, Fiver, the aloof, unassuming, and defenseless pet rabbit that nudges its way into the psyches of each family member and forever changes them. Sadly, the ending disappointed me, leaving the family in a rushed and somewhat unearned space, along with an ambiguous plot point that bugged the hell out of me. I would have personally had a greater connection with these characters had the perspectives been written in first person instead of third person. Overall, a gripping entry that I would recommend to others.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tin House for eARC access.

A slow and gentle novel of a family navigating grief. The Lee family is living through the lockdown of the pandemic while trying to come to terms with the loss of a child. Each family member is dealing with the anguish and guilt (whether deserved or not) of their roles in the tragedy. While the book is well-written it didn't resonate with me. I wasn't able to relate to any of the characters, nor did I find them particularly likeable. The book moved very slowly, too slowly for me to really enjoy it.

I think I can confidently say that I’m not a huge fan of covid-era fiction. However, this novel (despite the covid setting) was sweet, pensive, thoughtful, & focused on a family entrenched in grief. The rumination of traumatic events & the loss of a child are heavy & well-written. My heart was specifically invested in the younger daughter, Lucie, as she traverses the tense & often strikingly uncomfortable situations she is put through between her father, grandmother, and especially her mother. Grief can be pretty tricky to encapsulate in writing - but using the perspectives of several characters was a brilliant way to showcase how it can manifest. I applaud Melanie Chung for that. Overall, I don’t think I’d pick up another quarantine-specific book again as it did impact the amount of enjoyment I got from it.

Thank you to Net Galley, Tin House, & Melanie Chung for an ARC of this novel - I greatly appreciate it!

Can a rabbit heal a family? This novella lyrically describes the grief of Jin, Amy, and Lucy about the death of baby Ruby, whose demise is tied to a medical emergency suffered by her grandmother Paulie. The arrival of the rabbit, Pauline, and COVID coincide. This is gentle even when it's a punch. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I'd not read Cheng before but I will seek her out in the future.

This is such a lovely book! I admire its brevity; the shorter length feels exactly right for the story. (Kudos to the author and publisher for recognizing that and not trying to make it longer with unnecessary padding.)

I fell completely in love with the Lee family especially as they deal with their grief in such a trying time. Each family member is carefully rendered, and we are pulling for them to grasp onto hope in the form of their new pet rabbit. There is a leisurely pace to the story, but don't get me wrong, there is plenty of plot to keep us turning the pages. I especially admired how the author combines a meditative quality with an intriguing narrative and absolutely beautiful character work.

I will look forward to more from this author.

Highly recommended for fans of literary fiction.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-galley; all opinions in my review are 100% my own.

4 ⭐️. What a beautiful, lyrical book about grief, navigating COVID lockdowns and the bonds that keep us together (and also pull us apart). This short read had me wanting more and more.

TY to Tinhouse Books & NetGalley for the advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

Quietly haunting and heartbreakingly hopeful.

“The most beautiful thing about my burrow is the stillness. Of course, that is deceptive. At any moment it may be shattered and then all will be over.“ ~ Frank Kafka, The Burrow.

Four years ago, the Lee family - father Jin, an emergency doctor; mother Amy, a writer; and their 10-year old daughter Lucie - faced unthinkable tragedy when their baby daughter Ruby died in a drowning accident. Now very much three strangers sharing a home, separated by their individual grief and finding themselves even more isolated in the middle of a global pandemic, „The Burrow“ starts with Jin bringing home a pet rabbit for Lucie. The tiny, fury creature disrupts their estranged family and shatters their uneasy, reluctant routines almost as much as the unexpected arrival of Amy‘s mother Pauline does. Told from the viewpoints of these now four humans, „The Burrow“ examines how they, to varying degrees, take an interest in and take care of the bunny while being forced to finally confront long-simmering fears and guilt.

„The Burrow“ is a relatively short read, and perhaps blessedly so, because once I started it, I had a hard time putting it down. Written in lyrical, concise prose, the tense, lonely atmosphere in the family home, along with the looming threat of a global pandemic, felt almost physical, with respite and, ultimately, healing coming in the unexpected fury form of the new family pet. Quietly haunting in its tangible description of loss, grief, guilt, and its aftermath, the novel doesn‘t shy away from the trauma at its core, but proves ultimately hopeful in the way the family members start finding their ways back to themselves and each other.

A splendid, noteworthy, moving, and beautifully written novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tin House Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

„The Burrow“ is slated to be released on November 12, 2024.

Loved this completely original look at grief and family. I enjoyed the writing and the story kept me interested and pulled at my heart strings in equal measure. I'm excited to read more from the author.

For being a 200ish page book, this one felt a lot longer.

I loved that this novel took the aim of a family pet being the thing to keep a family together through grief and loss. It was even better that it was a non-typical pet: a rabbit.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I began this book without knowing where it could take me. I felt like I was missing parts of the story where I was waiting for it to be explained. I wish the grandma would have given a clearer explanation of what happened on the day of the incident. I think she was more central to helping the family than the rabbit, which felt more like a side character. I did like the grandma and the little girl more than her parents. I only think it was rough for me to read the dad’s perspective because of how he treated his wife after the hardship they both went through. Overall, it did take me awhile to finish the book. I wish there was more to the ending of the story, I did not feel like there was a moment where I thought they felt they could move on and focus on their growing daughter.

***Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ebook.


This is a hard one to describe, but still lovely. Heavy with grief and very open about the way it changed each of them, Jin, Amy, Pauline and Lucie. The characters while maybe not likeable...were very believable. Jin cheated on Amy and losing their 6 month old daughter significantly impacted all of them. Jin's own feelings about his inadequacy as a physician and how empty he felt, and Amy--who was resentful and relieved to be away but then the worst happened. There are lots of moments that are easy to dwell on and I enjoyed how both flawed and forgivable each character was.
Even though it was a quick read, the pacing was well done and closure was still reached for each of them.
Also a great quote from the beginning of the book that I think wraps up the energy of the novel very well:

‘The most beautiful thing about my burrow is the stillness. Of course, that is deceptive. At any moment it may be shattered and then all will be over. “The Burrow” - Franz Kafka.’

This is a beautiful, extremely moving novel. I loved it's use of characterization and the way the rabbit became a central character as well. Furthermore, the plotting and narrative pacing was excellent. It would be a wonderful text to teach in a college classroom.

First novel taking place during COVID that I didn’t hate. Love the connections of each family member to their new furry guest.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tin House for an ARC of this book.

3.75/5 - A very lyrical exploration of grief. I was impressed by how the writing style literally made me feel like I was in a liminal space, as open brought about by trauma. The development of relationships and how different characters come to understand each other with the highlight, very well executed without spelling every thought or emotion out for the reader. And I loved all the symbolism surrounding the rabbit! The ending, while staying pretty open ended, was satisfyingly circular. The story reminded me a lot of "Tuesdays with Morrie."

I do think the characters all sounded a bit the same. I especially think that Lucie's point of view sounded rather mature (even for the precocious child she is said to be). Overall, it packs an emotional punch for how short it is.

A neat little novel with a big impact, I enjoyed my time with The Burrow, it left me with much to digest and ponder, which is always a plus.

Interesting novel, I felt it did a good job exploring the dark side of trauma. I found some of the characters to be a little thin. The ending was pretty good, though. Felt like a book I might have liked a lot on audio.

This was a sweet and heartwarming novel, but I didn't care for the writing style. I appreciated the quirkiness of the characters. They were the best part of "The Burrow". This is a story about grief, loss, and healing from trauma, I just wished the writing was stronger. I liked the whole vibe of the novel and the humor and hear as well. It's a nice little book, but nothing memorable.

The Burrow by Melanie Cheng was well well-written and at times lyrical about family going through an extremely tough season in their lives. One of their daughters died suddenly, and the family is trying to work through the grief and guilt. While they’re processing this they decide to get a pet rabbit to help the surviving daughter have a distraction. Then the grandmother comes to live with them, and this is all happening during the pandemic. I have to say as a rabbit owner, I truly think Cheng must also have a pet rabbit because she described that accurately, at the very least, did her homework.

The story makes you feel how claustrophobic it is for the family and how trials keep compiling on. It’s such a sad and heartbreaking at first. It’s easy to be invested in these character’s lives. It is also a beautiful story of recovery and learning to live with grief. I highly recommend this and I hope more people get to read this beautiful story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tin House Books for allowing me to read this book early for an honest opinion.