4.5 stars rounded up.

“Well, this isn’t exactly fucking <i>Frankenstein</i>, Bunny.”

I was super excited and honestly honored to get an early review copy of this! Even though this is sort of a sequel but more-so a prequel, “We Love You, Bunny” feels most like a companion piece to volume 1. Almost as if Mona Awad were writing very capable fan fiction of her own universe. I realize this is a pretty strange thing to say considering the subject matter, but “We Love You, Bunny” is quite a bit more fantastical than “Bunny” was. So you should maybe know that going in if part one was a tad much for you. (I was obsessed with it.) In fact, I would even say that it’s ten times weirder than the first book. I have to confess that while “Bunny” is still one of my favorite novels in general, I have only read it once and since I have the memory of a goldfish I have forgotten some of it. It’s definitely time to revisit!

"WLYB" is completely made up of narration, so basically the chapters are all monologue. I can easily see this not being some people’s cup of tea. Especially if they find the casual and frequent use of “Bunny” as a pet name irritating. Oddly, I think that in another author's hands something like that would likely bother me but Awad manages to make it both cute and funny in a deranged way. The story of these characters gets pretty dark and violent, but I was consistently laughing even when I knew I shouldn't be. Mona Awad and Ottessa Moshfegh are both able to do this thing  where certain moments make me feel a little bit uncomfortable but also intrigued at the same time. I’m certainly not OKAY with what’s happening, but I’m fascinated and want to keep watching to see what happens. And Awad especially has such a beautiful and weird imagination. I'm an admirer, for sure. Though "WLYB" does have some strong things to say about going overboard with worshipping your muse...

It's always an interesting experience to read something primarily from the perspective of very flawed characters. The Bunnies are not good people in any way. (Tiny example: they refer to an unhoused person as simply, “A Homeless.”) Then there’s all the other highly questionable stuff. (They’re totally psychotic, lol.) But it all very much has an 80s/90s dark bratty humor sensibility to it. And I loved how different each of them were. If they designed a hotel, each of their rooms would have a completely different aesthetic and you would know instantly whose room belonged to who. Not a huge fan of how unlikable Sam was made out to be in this, because I liked her a lot in the first book. But then again, I have to keep in mind that every narrator present in this sequel hates her, so of course she won’t come across in the best light.

One minor complaint: Any time a character is narrating a memory back to someone else and that memory takes the form of entire chapters, I am unable to accept that the narrator would remember full conversations. That’s my nitpick with books that are in this type of format. If the entire thing is made up of memories, I automatically assume that none of it is reliable, and I doubt that every word spoken in the retelling is accurate. But maybe I'm supposed to doubt? No spoilery specifics, but this book has MULTIPLE unreliable narrators, and frequently alternating POVs. But Elsinore seems to get the stage a little more than the others. Though that might be for the best, because her narrative voice is the smoothest. (I think if I had to pick a favorite Bunny, though, it would hands down be Kyra.) I actually felt that the Poets were far less realistic and believable as characters than the titular “Bunnies.” From the way the Poets spoke to how they acted, I struggled whenever they showed up. Hilarious representation, though, of various majors at a liberal arts college. I only wish that some film students had been included, for personal reasons!

Did I catch a subtle reference or two confirming that Bunny and Rouge take place in the same universe? I also always appreciate American Psycho nods that are handled well.

Admittedly, there were times when this story was a bit too sappy/romantic for me, but I’m a very bitter person. On the other hand, I thought the conversation throughout about art and whether it truly belongs to you or if you create it as a means to change the lives of others was beautifully done, and there was a specific fourth wall breaking moment near the end that hit me like a punch to the chest and honestly made me cry. How dare you make me FEEL things, Mona Awad! 

The section that connects this narrative to the events of the first book seemed a little bit rushed, but overall I was a big fan of the ending. Yes to all of it!

This will likely be your cup of tea if:
- The first book is one of your faves
- You enjoy a good dark and funny “Heathers” dynamic
- You don’t need anything to be believable (This one is VERY important.)
- You went to a liberal arts college and can take a fair amount of roasting
 
You definitely will not love this if:
- You can’t stand narrators who use silly nicknames or made up slang a lot 
- It bothers you when women are especially awful in a novel
- The story is told in multiple POV’s that keep switching
- You didn’t enjoy the first book

“We’re artists,” Else prevaricated. “We just want to love what we make. And to make something that loves us. Is that so wrong?”

Thank you SO much to Netgalley and to the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own, Bunny.

Biggest TW: Self-harm, disordered eating, animal harm/death, Brief mention of SA, Depression, Alcohol abuse
*All quotes are from an early review copy and could change before the publication date.

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.

I love Mona Awad's writing, and this doesn't disappoint. If you enjoyed Bunny, you will enjoy this one, too.

recently re-read bunny, so I was excited to hear that mona awad had written a spin-off story, and even more so that it a was prequel centered on the bunnies 🐰

from the first few pages, I got sucked right back into the “bunny voice” — it’s in some ways even funnier than the first one (the hostile energy of the bunny hive mind had me laughing just about every other line) and very fun to see the bunnies take the reins of their own story.

about a third of the way in, this book takes an extremely frankenstein-ian (frankenstein-esque?) turn. concept-wise it was cool to explore, but the actual experience of reading that pov did get a bit grating after a while ( i will forever be traumatized by the sight of 🙂🙁). i also kept wondering why? there was such a clear drive in the first book with sam’s loneliness giving way to the creation of ava, whereas with this, I couldn’t understand why these bunnies were created beyond being blank objects of desire. maybe it just says something about the superficiality of the bunnys’ approach to the creative process (and why their results were so unimaginative) but it made the emotional stakes for their characters feel so low.

I think the first book was just so well-grounded within Sam’s character and this one had a hard time compensating without it. the bunnies are fun to tap into, but don’t really have substantial motivation. the franken-bunny does, I just wasn’t invested enough in his story. reimagining frankenstein is crazy difficult, even in a story as self-aware as this one, and i’m not so sure it ever really hits the mark.

all in all, definitely a fun read for any fan of bunny, if not a necessary one.

Mona Awad is writing some of the most fascinating and accessible weird fiction out there. This is a stupendous follow up to Bunny, that builds on what Bunny built while fully re-contextualizing it. Awad uses her own characters to hammer at the flaws of her own novel and break it wide open with an earth shattering follow up. It's a sequel, but also a prequel, and something else entirely. I am a fan of Awad completely, and admire her creativity and ambition to keep pushing the envelope. A second novel more than worthy of the first.

Ok, deep breath, GALLEY BRAGGGG!!! (s/o) If you liked BUNNY by Mona Awad, hot damn you are gonna love WE LOVE YOU, BUNNY when it comes out in September. All your favorite characters are back! Everyone is still called Bunny! Insane things happen on a creepy campus and we are loving every minute of it!

WIth this being a sequel, it is clear that we can now say the "Bunny" books have such a specific language that only Awad can pull off. I got completely lulled back into the rhythm of this very particular language and cadence, and especially loved one character's POV chapters (but I don't want to spoil anything just yet). I read BUNNY when it come out in 2019 so I didn't remember all of the details, but this could easily be a stand alone book. It's a prequel, a sequel, and a retelling all in one. There really isn't anything else like it, Bunny.

Mona Awad is a genius. I could end the review right there, but I won’t because I want you to know how good this book is.

When the prequel/sequel was announced, so many of my friends in my book group lost their minds in excitement. I had the first Bunny but had not read it and they gave me some serious FOMO about it so I knew it was time. Right as I started reading it, I received the ARC of We Love You, Bunny. So I went straight from one to the other.

The two books form a masterful look at creativity, sexuality, friendships, and mental illness. It’s funny, scary, heartbreaking, and just plain brilliant. The way the two books mirror each other in so many ways, turning everything you thought you knew about the first book on its head and has so many 🤯 moments I was damn near dizzy by the end. The multiple POVs in the second book also create such a different experience to not just be watching from Samantha’s mind but all of the Bunnies (and one bonus POV that will absolutely blow your mind).

These are books that I’m going to sit and think about A LOT. They are almost Moby Dickian in the fact that they can be read on their surface level and be very much enjoyed but when you start digging into symbolism and metaphor, you realize you are in the hands of an absolute master. I can’t stress it enough, read these books!!!

Mona Awad writes such creative books, and this one is no exception. The sequel to Bunny was excellent and those who liked the first book will enjoy this one as well. Definitely give it a read! Thank you, NetGalley, for the opportunity to read this ARC.