There is no possible way to explain the effect of this book to someone who's never dropped acid, consumed ayahuasca, or been down the psilocybin road. If you know, you know; if you don't, quite a lot of what is happening here is simply...weirdness. Which, to be fair, it is; but it is so much more than merely ornamentally weird.

If you're the one who read [Ready Player One] and thought, "hey, that could be me!" then you're prime meat for the story's more esoteric references. And you'll probably like it even more if you loved [The Matrix] but less so the sequels. I'm betting that, if you've read [The Trial] and/or [Kafka on the Shore] more than once, you'll read this book with relish.

But, crucially, absent a strong desire to seek out and complete patterns in the world, and in your head, the main pleasure of the book will slightly elude you. K (hi, Franz!) who narrates the book to us, isn't gendered. K's girlfriend Chloe is not inclined, under the circumstances of the book, to compliment K on diagnostic body parts. When talking through the extreme weirdness of life inside the rabbit hole of a planet-wide conspiracy with the stakes being your very life, suchlike stuff ain't no big. But in fact, there are little indicators that K is more than a gendered presence, is in fact a Jungian archetype, several in turn by my count. But that's a discovery for the reader to make. I will say this: I liked the hunt for those tells, too.

What worked best for me in the read was that very sense of patterns hanging from the trees, drifting in the air, making explicit shadows on the sidewalk as you're coddiwompling among the words. I enjoy the sensation of being led and misdirected to get to a story that won't take a final shape. I don't know Seattle, I took a serious aversion to it during my 1990s foray there, so a lot of the subtext from the locale was simply lost on me. (Greenness and verdant growth are menacing in two places on Earth: The Pacific Northwest and Ireland.)

There's something very soothing about conspiracy theories. One is assured of being Right: no evidence will ever penetrate the bunker mentality. There's a Reason for the random shit that happens: THEY want it to! And, if it's too random to fit into the pattern, THEY lost a round (which is scary and satisfying) or the computer introduced a new variable. Standing on the edge, looking down, and seeing Something is the only way most people can keep going. (I myownself see nothing, and absolutely vibrate with eagerness to lose myself in it.)

So on so many levels, this isn't a book aimed at me...I'm too old, too cynical, and too disinclined to believe there's a Purpose...but it's told in that densely imagined and deeply felt way that draws me in every time. That there are trappings I could do without, well, that's because they're there for others to enjoy. That there is no rush in Author Miles's unfolding of the story is a net good thing. He could've told the whole megillah in 200pp and had room for the publisher's entire catalog of SF/F titles. But the point of the story would've been violated.

Go on a journey. Listen to the people around you. I don't mean keep your ears open, I mean *listen* as the words come towards you. It takes a lot of practice to get good at listening, but this book is both a good place to practice and a rewarding discovery when you practice the skill here. I expect a lot of readers didn't fare well with the book because it simply doesn't follow ordinary trails to get between the start and the finish. If you're a Neal Stephenson reader, if [Cryptonomicon] and [Reamde] delighted you, here's another scratcher for that itch. You're not likely to be disappointed, either, Murakami readers. And best of all, you can get a paperback to take to the beach for Labor Day!

Very interesting concept and story. I’m usually amazing at guessing where a story is going, but this one had me stumped until the end. I still have a lot of questions, as I feel there were a lot of small loose ends.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. This is an interesting read and I share my best wishes with the author.

I really liked this book! The science, the multi-universes, the ambiguity of the main characters gender, and all the mind bending! All in all, the entire idea is super solid and this secret game was super enthralling.

However, the end felt super, super rushed, and frankly, a tad bit confusing. I don’t want to post any spoilers but it seemed like the life of on universe blurred over the life of another, and in the end, one of the live’s just wasn’t talked about. I felt like the book left many questions open.

That being said, I loved it. I couldn’t put it down and I’d definitely recommend it.

This book was not my personal cup of tea.. I did not enjoy the way the game was presented, I never really felt invested in the characters, and too often the story lagged, circled back, or just ran out of steam. It's a book I found myself putting down a lot. Having said that, I can see why some really liked it and I was told by another reader that you need the physical book in your hands to get the full effect as there are apparently some cleverly embedded clues that allow you to engage in a way I wasn't able to with my digital review copy. I don't know if that would have made a difference for me, but its something to keep in mind.

Thanks Netgalley for my copy of this ebook.

DNF @ 28%

Honestly, I just couldn’t get into it. I didn’t find the main character very likeable. The game the played seemed so random and nonsensical. It was a fun concept to have a game in reality that you play throughout the world but it was too mysterious that the stakes never set in for me.
There was a bit of a repetitive aspect as well, probably due to the fact that the game is so hush hush, it repeated a lot of the same information because it couldn’t give you anymore.

I am a huge fan of Terry Miles' work in the podcasting world. I've been listening to The Black Tapes, Tanis, and Rabbits since 2016/2017. For any fan of the podcasts, this book is a must have. It does not have the same stylistic flow and beauty and suspense that the podcasts have, but it is still enjoyable. If I were able to give half stars I would probably give this a 3.5. It's a great recommend for fans of Ready Player One.

This was extremely hard to read. I could follow a lot of it nor did I really want to. I like the premise but the execution was too odd for me. This just wasn't a good story for me.

This had an intriguing premise, with some very creepy, mind-blowing aspects…but too often, I felt confused. Maybe because I’m not a gamer…maybe the multiverse-tech angles were above my head…I just didn’t get as swept up in this as some readers might.

I don't know what I just read! It was kind of like a mashup of Dark Matter and Ready Player One but less understandable. I liked it, but I have clue what happened or why. I think I'll check out the podcast though!

I just could not connect to this book at all. I could not follow it. It seemed to go all over the place. Rabbits is a secret game that one looks for patterns and coincidences to guide them. It is also a very dangerous game. There have been 10 previous games and no one knows what happens to the Winner, but it is thought great rewards come his/her way.

Science Fiction and Fantasy is not my Genre. I read the blurb about this book and it sounded interesting. I decided to give it a try. This was a mistake. I am not the right reader for this book. I lost interest trying to figure out what was happening. Was K, in an alternate universe or was that fake? It was based on Science, Quantum Physics and such. I honestly just could not get drawn into the story enough to care and try and figure out what was happening.

I think the idea of this book was creative and those who enjoy gaming and alternate reality I could see liking this book. So, I’d recommend it for for big gaming fans, trying to know if you are in an alternative universe, and trying to put disparate pieces of this puzzle together. I tried, but just could not follow the plot line.

Thank you NetGalley, Terry Miles, and Random Hose~Ballentine for sending me a copy of this book. I always review books I read and am happy to do so.

Immersive story that captivates its readers and will keep you guessing the entire time. I was sad when I reached the end, I felt like there could have been more to offer and I would have gladly read it. The narrative was woven so well for such a wild and crazy plot. I was so intrigued by the book that I began listening to the podcast.

If someone enjoys video games, mystery, and treasure hunts, this would be a great suggestion for them. I was questioning everything by the end of this book. Anyone interested in conspiracy theories, I highly suggest this novel

DNF - Did not finish. I did not connect with the writing style or plot and will not be finishing this title. Thank you, NetGalley and Publisher for the early copy!

This book was so good I needed up buying a copy as well. The author did not disappoint with this one. Our local book store even has it on their recommended reads. If you like sci-fi check this book out.

This read was a mind f*** if I ever saw one. There is so much depth and layers to Rabbits and I would love to read more. PErfect for those who enjoyed Squid Games, The Hunger Games and Battle Royal.

This book is a fun adventure! The story and plot were original and fresh with a writing style that captivated my attention and time. Rabbits is a game unlike any other so I won’t even try to explain it. I do not actually listen to Terry Miles podcasts, but I enjoyed this book. If you like the podcast, you will like this book.

It got a little confusing in the middle though and it was a bit hard to follow. I might attempt a reread to figure out some clues that I missed. Overall this book is worth a read if you like mystery adventure type books that are a bit mind bending.

This was a weird story in the best way. Books about video games always have a soft spot in my heart, and this one was no different. The story felt so real that I may or may not have googled the game once or twice just to make sure it wasn't a game people were actually playing. I've never listened to the podcast, but after reading this, I just might have to. If you like books that will totally mess with your head, pick this one up.

Rabbits by Terry Miles was received directly from the publisher and I chose to review it. I must admit, this book is about something I have never had an interest in (gaming), based upon a podcast and not a lot of action takes place in the book and I had never heard of this author. With that being said, those who read my reviews or blog know those are generally points taken away. This book however kept me interested all the way through, so yes, it is possible to not be boring while writing books. As always, I will not go into the plot, not that I could describe it anyway. if you, or someone you know, enjoys things like the TV show Lost or the Matrix movies (things that make no sense to most of us but to some they adore it), then give this book a read.

4 Stars

I tried, and finished it but it just wasn't for me. For someone that typically reads books similar to this, it might be a good choice.

Mixed review from me on this one. Rabbits is some sort of high-stakes game that's been played every few years for decades, yet seems to involve paranormal phenomena that happen to each player no matter where in the world they are. It's edgy and dangerous, and recently, many players have been disappearing and/or dying. I spent the first 2/3 of this being really confused as to what was going on, but somehow intrigued to keep reading, and then things finally got explained and it came together... a little bit. There was still a lot left unexplained, and I found the whole thing rather confusing. Afterward, I later learned this is based on a podcast - so maybe I would have enjoyed it more if I was a fan ahead of time? As it was, I kept thinking about it for a little while after reading, but it felt so out there and confusing throughout that I really couldn't recommend it. A friend read it at the same time, and while we were eager to discuss it together, it was more to be like "do you understand what's going on?? HELP." I think this could have been tightened up a lot before publication - it felt like a lot of the book was happenstance rather than the characters intentionally doing something.