Thank you so much to Net Galley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this book! Immediately upon reading the description for Rabbits, I was hooked! I really enjoyed this book and the plot. I feel like I wasn’t really attached to the characters. I definitely would read more by this author!

Rabbits is an underground alternate reality game where people try to follow trails of clues and find things that aren’t quite as they are supposed to be. Players need to look for signs in the world around them. This isn’t a game the general public is aware of.

K. Our protagonist has been obsessed with the game since they were a child. They make a living off the game, holding gatherings for others who are interested in the game. K. Finds themselves wrapped up in a Rabbits-related mess and so begins our adventure.

This was a fast-paced fun read that was full of puzzles, conspiracy theories, nostalgia and mind-f*cks. At times it reminded me of Ready Player One or even Black Mirror. I recommend this to those who enjoy twisty, nerd-fueled reads.

No rules, no clues, no advertisement, no......anything. And yet, the game exists.....maybe. An interesting concept and a heck of a story line. Rabbits, the game, exists in that gap between what you know and what you might know. Follow at your own risk for a chance to win.

I have tried to start this book a hundred thousand times. I thought I was getting an Alice in Wonderland type of retelling and maybe it would prove to be true. I just can’t get into the story. It tries too hard to be ambiguous about K, which I don’t like. It just seemed like it was going nowhere painfully slowly.

Rabbits was an insanely good book that I took an insanely long time to actually sit down and read! Once I started though, I couldn’t put the book down! It was a wicked unique story and cool concept.

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book. Once again, I chose the book because the plot sounded intriguing. And it certainly was. Although classified as fiction, the author notes at the end that the plot of this book is based on real events. I’m not sure which parts, and I’m honestly not sure I want to know. Sometimes ignorance is bliss.

This story is sometimes confusing, although I suspect that’s a me issue, and always tense. Reality was never certain, and descriptions were vivid and powerful. Sometimes, it was just funny. “She looked at me like I imagined an overworked clandestine government agent might look just as they were about to switch interrogation tactics from asking questions to beating the shit out of their subject with a phone book.”

The story is told entirely from the POV of K, who has some wry observations to share. This one is so detailed and wonderful. “My living room was filled with the pop culture anchors of my life—thousands of books looked like they’d been shelved by blindfolded maniacs, vintage videogame consoles precariously piled beneath the television on a fading Ikea stand that had some funny name I can’t remember, and countless shelves filled with a variety of toys, candles, board games, records, and antique nautical equipment. It was an eclectic collection of slightly used but mostly ornamental detritus.” Try saying “eclectic collection” five times, fast. Hmmm, I like the feel of those words together. Very alliterative.

When visiting her friend Baron, who has gotten immersed in a videogame and hasn’t showered in a long, long time, Kay observes: “It took about a minute or so for us to notice the smell. I thought maybe there was a dead badger rotting in his sink or something, but it quickly became clear it was Baron himself.”

Most of the descriptions of the atmospheric events happening around K were incredibly immersive, especially when the world seemed to be ending. I can’t begin to list quotes here because there were just so many. Suffice it to say, I was thoroughly impressed. While I was happy with the ending, a part of me was disappointed. It’s not quite what I expected, and there were many questions left unanswered. Which, I suppose, is part of what makes this story so believable. Life doesn’t always (or often) answer our questions. It only leaves us with more.

I was completely unfamiliar with the author prior to reading this book. I am glad I did, because I enjoyed it immensely, though it messed with my mind sometimes. It was very difficult to track what was real, and what was an illusion.
The second half of the book is a bit weaker than the first for me. But it kept me going, wanting to know how it all ends. definitely worth a read!

Patterns are everywhere. Seeming coincidences that most people brush off. Coincidences that build on each other, like messages from the universe, minor glitches in the code of reality. Sometimes you find yourself following those glitches, those patterns, and find yourself at the edge of something far bigger than you could know. You stand at the edge of a rabbit hole, the game waiting for you to take that last step. To join an Alternate Reality Game that stretches at least as far back as the nineteen fifties. A game that is rumored to reward its winners with immortality or wealth beyond measure or answers to the deepest mysteries of the universe. K has been following Rabbits for years, trying to find his way in, when the supposed winner of the sixth iteration of the game charges him with stopping the eleventh iteration from starting. The fate of reality rests on K’s shoulders and the eleventh iteration has just begun despite his best efforts.

I have what feels like complicated feelings towards Terry Miles' Rabbits. On the one hand, an ARG of cosmic horror proportions and consequences has all kinds of potential, especially when it appears that the game itself alters reality rather than being a fictional unreality. It becomes a sort of Mandela effect but provably real within the setting. Fascinating stuff that. On the other hand, I found myself frustrated with the characters and how the ARG seemed to only really be followable to K himself.

Part of that is down to K very much being a chosen one, he has the special pattern recognition that lets him make connections between seemingly unrelated things that are correct. But there was also a frustrating matter of K and his friends all seeming to be fairly wealthy and, more so, that that wealth was a big part of what allowed them to be involved in the game at all. That, more than the chosen one aspect, made the ARG feel wildly inaccessible. Like it was the kind of thing that regular people, regardless of how good at connections they were, could not have any chance of breaking into the game. It did not ruin the book for me or anything but it was a point of frustration, especially early on.

This is where I bring up that, while the frustration stuck with me, the chosen one narrative did reassert itself in a big way and it became clear that there is no solving Rabbits without being some flavor of chosen by the game itself. It is not just a matter of the average person not noticing the clues, but that the clues might not even be there if the person looking for them is not part of the game. Things that should not exist. Things altered in impossible ways. But everything is still just as it always has been, even while different. Which is brilliant.

That is both where the book lost me and where it held my attention tight. I sort of wanted to go down a rabbit hole with it. What are the implications of the world just altering like that? It creates a path, but also blinkers most people's perception of that path because the change never happened for them. Do the connections exist or is the game creating them? If the game is creating them, then what is the effect over time? Do the previous world states still exist or are they just to the side of the new version. K can follow the paths though, make the connections click together, which lends a sort of urgent strangeness to the last quarter or so of the book. It also makes for some fantastic horror elements.

The flip side to that is that the last quarter or so of the book also contains enough reveals and discussions of the game that I wound up feeling more than a little lost. Not in a bad way necessarily. But I do feel like I want to listen to the podcast to see if it might help clear things up a little. Or maybe more thorough notes while I read it.

Ultimately, my frustrations with Rabbits were over ridden by really solid world building later in, some delightful body horror, and well-constructed unreality that left me wanting to poke at the logic of the setting. There is this brilliant switch from K and his friends looking for clues to the ARG with a bunch of conspiracies attached to it to K desperately trying to solve this ARG for the sake of not just his friends but also existence itself, and it hits in stages so there is time for the latest bit of horror to sink in. Rabbits leaves a lot that I want to go back and look at again so I feel entirely justified in giving it a four out of five. I also intend on reading Miles’ follow up book here soon.

"Rabbits" by Terry Miles is a mind-bending and utterly addictive thriller that takes readers on an exhilarating journey into the mysterious world of an enigmatic and dangerous game. With its gripping plot, clever puzzles, and compelling characters, this book is a must-read for anyone seeking a thrilling and immersive reading experience.

From the very first page, "Rabbits" grabs hold of your imagination and doesn't let go. Miles has crafted a labyrinthine narrative that keeps you guessing at every turn, immersing you in a world where reality and fantasy blur, and nothing is as it seems. The game of Rabbits is a high-stakes enigma that draws readers into its irresistible web of secrets and conspiracies.

The protagonist, K, is a relatable and engaging character whose journey of discovery is as riveting as it is mind-boggling. As she delves deeper into the world of Rabbits, her determination and resilience shine through, making her an admirable and memorable lead.

What sets "Rabbits" apart is its unique and innovative concept. Terry Miles skillfully weaves elements of conspiracy theories, alternate realities, and urban legends into a coherent and captivating narrative. The result is a book that challenges your perception of reality and leaves you questioning everything you think you know.

Miles' writing style is immersive and atmospheric, creating a sense of tension and unease that lingers throughout the story. The puzzles and clues scattered throughout the book add an interactive element, making readers feel like they are participants in the enigmatic game of Rabbits.

In addition to its thrilling plot, "Rabbits" also explores deeper themes of obsession, the quest for truth, and the consequences of unraveling hidden mysteries. The book's thought-provoking exploration of the human psyche adds an extra layer of complexity to the story.

In conclusion, "Rabbits" is an enthralling and mind-bending masterpiece that showcases Terry Miles' talent as a storyteller. With its clever puzzles, immersive world-building, and compelling characters, this book is a must-read for fans of mystery and thriller genres. Prepare to embark on an unforgettable journey into the rabbit hole of secrets and conspiracies – "Rabbits" is a thrilling and mind-boggling experience that will keep you hooked until the very last page.

I'm not a gamer, I never listened to the Rabbits podcast, and I usually get bored/confused by books or movies about quantum physics or the multiverse, but this book kept me enthralled from the very beginning. There's a game (or maybe there's not) that promises the winner his/her/them their heart's desire, but this iteration of the game is "broken" -- strange things are happening and people are ending up dead.

There are so many twists and turns in this book, it's difficult to keep up, but that's what makes it so intriguing. I never knew what would happen next. Yes, some of the science is over my head, but the characters and the storyline kept me turning pages. This is a book for fans of Inception or the Matrix, but it's also just a great story -- what if everything you know is now suspect? Is it all in your mind? Or are there systems and events that are out of your control? Can playing a game really cause the end of life as we know it? Or can winning a game save the world?

K and Chloe are great characters, but the best parts are all the references to Seattle and pop culture. This would make a great movie!

As someone that always feels as though I am in a simulation I absolutely enjoyed this book and had a lot of moments of "Yupp - sounds about right!" My phone number ends in 666, my credit card ends in 666, I see 06/28 (my birthday everywhere) and oftentimes voice out loud that the simulation must be broken because I saw something f*c*ing weird.

So Rabbits really worked for me and I felt that Miles put together a perfectly weird universe that I could see myself living in. My negatives for this one were that the book stretched onnnn quite a bit without the reader really learning anything new, to the point that I felt like I was in my very own rabbit hole while reading this book.

Overall, I loved this book and will check out more from the author in the future - just a little wordy and I hoped for more action. Check it out and see what you think!

Great book! Wild ride from start to finish. K and Chloe were amazing together. At times K was a bit of an unreliable narrator, but the reader experienced things as she did or at least as she thought she did. Found this one difficult to put down. While I had listened to the podcast, the reader does not need to be familiar with it to enjoy this adventure.

Another book with a great concept that takes too long to get going. There's a great hook in there, but it's poorly executed and leaves a lot to be desired.

This is one of those books where I don't even know where to start with the review, let alone describe it.
It's a trip, that's what it is, in a mind-bending, brain twisting Blake Couch kind of way. A lot of it was over my head, but there was something about it that just kept me reading. Conspiracy theories, hidden patterns, a secretive game that you aren't supposed to talk about...and a fast paced, trippy plot.

I can't say that the players are fleshed out (K's gender isn't mentioned, but K has a girlfriend. Which tells me nothing.) This is wholly plot driven, with a driver that is maybe on acid, but in a good way.

What the heck did I just read? I don't know, but it took me on one wild ride, and it was weirdly fun.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me a copy of this book.

I DNF'ed this at forty-two percent. I gave it an honest effort, really I did, but this book was hard for me to get into. The characters are just placeholders with zero personality and nothing to differentiate them from one another. The book isn't that long, but it is MUCH longer than it needs to be. The story itself seems super repetitive and almost pointless, like things are going ACTUALLY NOWHERE and that isn't even an exaggeration. The summary sounded way more interesting that the book actually was. I doubt the ending would have been redeemable enough to force me to endure the rest of the book.

I appreciate the opportunity to read this novel, and if I ever come back to finish the book, I will update this review.

I received an advanced digital copy of this book from the author, publisher and NetGalley.com. Thanks to all for the opportunity to read and review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This novel is a mind bender and a bit of a trip. It's Fight Club meets Ready Player One meets Blake Couch meets Franz Kafka. Just read it and you'll get it, or you might not. Tough call.

4 out of 5 stars.

A book that you can't put down once you start and you may even dream about it, like I have. I'm absolutely blown away by this one!

This book was fascinating from the start, and although I didn't always understand what was happening, I still had a great time along for the ride. In a lot of stories like these, an explanation of what's actually happening makes it less interesting because, once you can fully understand it, a lot of the fascination born from curiosity fades away. With Rabbits, however, though there is an explanation that I could mostly wrap my head around, it retains enough mystery to remain engaging. The ending was still a little more open/unexplained than I would have liked, but on the whole it was still an excellent read.

I won't lie to you, this book went way above my head a lot of the time. However, it was definitely very good when I could understand it. It gave me some similar vibes as Blake Crouch's books. It centers around conspiracy theories about a game called Rabbits. The problem is that nobody is supposed to talk about Rabbits (think Fight Club). It kind of reminds me of when I was in middle/high school and "The Game" was a big deal. People would walk about and say "I just lost the game" and to this day I don't understand what was happening. Apparently there's a podcast that came before this book, so I'm not sure if that would have helped me comprehend or not.

Even when I didn't always understand what was going on, the writing was very well done. I could visualize bits at a time. Others have said this would make a great movie and based on the writing style, I think I would agree. Maybe that could fill in the gaps for me.

DNF, but this is not the authors fault. Life got in the way and reading was put on the back burner. The times I did want to sneak some reading in, the subject matter just didn’t do it for me, so I started something new.
Sometimes you just have to move on-there are too many good books out there.
ARC provided by NetGalley