This was a great and entertaining read that I finished in a few hours.
A well written story that kept me hooked from the very beginning.
The characters draw you in and keeps you flipping the pages.
I really enjoyed the writing style. I found myself hooked, turning the pages.

Ali McCain is an 18 year old American, recently enrolled in Oxford. He develops a group of friends, some of whom have secrets that will lead to their possible downfall (or great success). Ali is a vulnerable boy trying to reconcile with the rock star father who abandoned him. He is perhaps too eager to join one of Oxford’s exclusive clubs.

This was my third time reading this author, and I have enjoyed all three books. There are a lot of literary references in this book, but they aren’t hidden like Easter eggs. The author tells you the exact source of each quote or reference, so this isn’t a literary puzzle. However, it’s a puzzle of a different sort, and the twist really did take me by surprise. The book dragged at times, and one character was a little too obviously up to no good. I think the plot was believable and it came together convincingly at the end. All three narrators of the audiobook did an excellent job.

I received free copies of the ebook and audiobook from the publisher.

“Oxford University” + “dark academia” + “a dangerous secret society”…I mean, this sounds like my dream novel, but I threw in the towel at 50%. Yes, 50%. I really tried, but the chapter format, time jumps, and anonymous narrator finally became too much.

While this is definitely one for fans of dark academic novels (teens behaving badly), it's also a love letter to literature, with lots of Oxford relevant references. Ali has enrolled at an Oxford college not only to study but also in the hopes of connecting with his drug addled rock star father. Things don't go as planned, to say the least. There's an undercurrent that threatens to sweep Ali in. This is best when it focuses on Ali's experience with his new friend group. Know that there's a dual time line that might be a bit confusing at first but that all will be revealed in the end. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. A clever one.

I haven't read a ton of books that could be considered "dark academia" but having finished the Rabbit Club, I'll be adding a few more to my TBR. This book was a 10/10 for me. The pacing was unrushed, which built tension beautifully, and the literary references were plentiful and delightful. The multiple POVs worked for me, and I always love it when a character breaks the fourth wall. I will be recommending this one all over the place for the rest of the summer.

Of course, any novel categorized as dark academia is going to be compared to Donna Tartt's, the Secret History, the masterpiece of dark academia, and anyone brave enough to even consider writing a book in this genre has to know their novel will be scrutinized against Tartt's work of perfection. Many don't stand a chance. Readers, we know this. We read them all anyway, every single one, desperately hoping to catch that same spark of awe we experienced when reading the Secret History for the first time. Then we listened to Tartt read it to us on the audiobook version. Fans of this genre have been searching for the next novel that can evoke that same feeling without overwhelmingly trying too hard to be the Secret History.

Well, readers, finally, this is the one.

The Rabbit Club by Christopher Yates is the one you've been looking for all these years.

It's fresh, it's distinctive, it's intriguing, it's special.

Summarizing the plot here, is pointless. Read the jacket cover if that's your vibe, but it's more fun to just dive right in.

To the author, Christopher Yates, I'm sorry for all of references to Tartt and The Secret History (you knew this would happen, though, right?). Your novel is unique and brilliant and worthy of praise on its own merit. Black Chalk was great, but this is the one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | Hanover Square Press for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.

4.5⭐️

This book takes a lot of references from Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass and it was just as wild as both of those stories. Ali being admitted to Oxford after living in LA for almost his while life was like watching a fish out of water. I've said it before but I'm always here for a secret society and The Saracens scratched that itch for me. I loved the way Ali uncovered the secrets of the society and I loved even more the way the truth was actually revealed.

At times this gave The Secret History vibes and I really appreciated that. I liked trying to figure out Ali's relationships with the other characters and the way he tried so hard to rebuild his relationship with his father. The interactions between Ali, his roommate William, and Ali's father were always so tense and left me curious as to who was planning what. This book had a major plot twist that I didn't expect and that made me love it even more!

Thanks Netgalley and Hanover Square Press for providing this ARM to me!

I loved all the Alice in Wonderland reference thru out this book.

3 stars, its good but just not for me. dark academia is normally a miss for me but this one sounded interesting so I gave it a shot.

DNF at 25%. There was nothing wrong with this book, I just wasn’t being drawn to this one so it’s not for me. Appreciate the opportunity!

This is a wonderfully gothic, dark academia novel. It immediately sucks you in and down the rabbit hole for sure. Ali is a wonderful character, who is blissfully naive. There are tons of references to Alice in Wonderland throughout the novel that really help to complement the darker themes of the book. However, I did feel that the pacing of the book was a little on the slower side which allowed for my attention to wander. I think this was also a missed opportunity for building the suspense and tension, as the slower pace allowed for a lot of that to fall through. I also felt that there was a bit too much descriptive area in the book and less actionable moments. I did, though, really enjoy the dual timelines and very much enjoyed the characters overall.

Secret society and dark academia. Alice in Wonderland inspired with lots of twists. Definitely a page turner until the very end.

Great pacing and enjoyed the overall story!! maybe enhancing a few character descriptions towards the beginning of the book, but otherwise i thoroughly enjoyed.

The Rabbit Club by Christopher J. Yates
Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
4 stars

I was sucked in by the synopsis; dark academia, studying literature at Oxford, the oldest secret societies and I wanted so, so much to love this book.

I didn’t. I felt like the pacing was extremely slow and I had to push to slog through it. It didn’t hold my attention very well and I didn’t connect with any of the characters.

With that said, this book IS written extremely well. It has the elements that a dark academia novel should have. You catch the Alice in Wonderland and Brideshead Revisited (along with other classic novel,) references and the hints at Shakespeare. While I noted that I didn’t connect with the characters, they were still well developed, especially the main character Alistair. I think this is a case of this novel just isn’t right for me and while I didn’t enjoy it much, it’s wonderfully written, will be enjoyed by many, many readers and is deserving of more than an average three star rating.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I have to be honest in that I really wanted to love this book. The premise was extremely intriguing, and I love books that pull on the nostalgia of the 1990s. But, unfortunately, this book didn't hit for me like I wanted it to.

Ali is an intriguing main character and one I found myself cheering for, just as I was invested in his new found Oxford family. What didn't work for me was the addition of the Gel McCain story line. I understand the purpose of having Ali need and want to reconnect with his father; however, I felt that in the big picture of the book and themes it just convoluted the story. I wanted more time with Victor, Izzy, Guy, Emma, and even T-Bone in the 1990 timeline, and I felt cheated out of delving into them and their respective relationships with Ali.

I did enjoy the duel timelines and the air of mystery that surrounded the future timeline. This plot structure definitely kept me engaged and wanting to discover who our mystery guide was. And the pay off there was worth it.

If you're a fan of A Separate Peace, Dead Poet's Society, Catcher in the Rye, and even The Great Gatsby, then The Rabbit Club might be for you. Unfortunately, for me, I feel as though this books tried to be too many things and lost it's identity along the way.

My official star rating is 3 1/2 stars.

I was beyond excited to see this book on NetGalley. Was it really back in 2018 that I read Grist Mill Road? Time really does fly.
Ali arrives at Oxford, a world away from his home in Los Angeles. He was born in England, his father, a famous rockstar, who wasn’t the staying type. Ali has dreamed of not only studying here, but maybe even forging a relationship with his father.
He is a tad naïve, and definitely too trusting. I’m not going to give anything away, but readers, be ready, you’ll soon find yourself going down the rabbit hole. If you are intrigued by an academic setting, this story just might grab your attention too.
Did I finally get an inkling what was going on? Yes, I did but not long before the author reveal. Ali and William Goodwin mostly tell the story. I would like to say more about William, but that would be telling.
This publishes in July, and if you did not notice the fact that I am a huge fan of this author, you have time to read Grist Mill Road or Black Chalk if you have not already. Just saying they are both good too.

"The author of Black Chalk, "the smart summer thriller you've been waiting for" (NPR), returns with a mesmerizing new novel about a dangerous secret society at Oxford University, and the first-year Literature student whose life begins to unravel in its shadow.

When Ali McCain, an eighteen-year-old from Los Angeles, is accepted at Oxford, it's a chance to fulfill his dreams. To study English literature in England; to meet true intellectuals; and to glimpse the life he might have lived had his father - British rock star Gel McCain, legendary frontman of the Pale Fires - not abandoned him and his mother when he was a toddler.

But not long after he arrives at the storied campus, Ali is drawn into a dark, disorienting world where events grow more and more curious by the day. Trading on his father's name, he gains entry into one of Oxford's oldest and most selective secret societies, the Saracens. As he immerses himself in this rarefied world, he inadvertently sets in motion a series of events that might culminate in disaster.

A mind-bending literary house of mirrors, replete with bookish allusions and Easter eggs ranging from Brideshead Revisited to King Lear, The Rabbit Club is an arresting work of dark academia by the category's finest writer."

I mean, seeing as we're in the middle of a dark academia celebration here hells yes to this book!

At the age of eighteen Allistair McCain is leaving Los Angeles behind, after he's been accepted to attend Oxford University. It's been his dream to study Literature in England, and have the opportunity to meet intellectuals at the university. He is also hoping to initiate a relationship with his legendary rock star father, Gerry McCain, who abandoned Ali and his mother, when Ali was a toddler. As Ali navigates his way through his new life, he longs to be a part of one of Oxford's oldest secret societies, using his father's fame as a way to gain entry. But Ali's desire to be accepted among the rich and elite of the Saracens sets a dangerous game in motion, that Ali could have never expected.

The Rabbit Club is a satisfying dark academia story, with a young, naive Ali entertaining a world of wealth and nepotism. His initial optimism is a great balance to the darker side of the story, and it made him a lovable character right from the start. Even though Yates is building the story toward tragedy, I was rooting for Ali throughout the book.

There are a lot of literature references in the book, and Ali is a big fan of Shakespeare. I enjoyed the fact that Yates used that as a connection between Ali and his father. I found that their relationship gave a lot of heart to the story, and I just loved the over the top eccentric personality of Gerry (Gel). Yates also uses a lot of references to Alice in Wonderland, and I thought it worked well with the darker themes in the book, especially paralleling with Ali's determination to be accepted into the Saracens.

I did find the pacing of the book to be a bit slow, and I think it missed the opportunity to build up the suspense and tension in the story. Some of the dark academia feel got buried, for me, under overly-wordy dialogue and long stretches of things that were happening that I felt didn't add much to the story. There are two alternating POVs in the book, and while I did initially enjoy the mystery of the chapters from William Goodwin, I felt they eventually became a bit repetitive.

Overall, I really enjoyed the story at the heart of The Rabbit Club, and I would recommend it if you love secret societies, university life, questionable characters, and the machinations of those in powerful positions.

This book was quite a ride! It's the story of a young American at Oxford who has a lot to deal with, and has echoes and callouts to (among other works) King Lear, Alice in Wonderland, Brideshead Revisited and a very quick mention of The Secret History. It's pretty dark and somewhat confusing and a puzzle to figure out, but I liked it a lot. It won't be everyone's cup of tea, and I wish there were a few more signposts to help me figure out things. 4 1/2 rounded down to 4.

This book had an interesting premise, but unfortunately, it didn’t quite live up to its potential. The pacing felt uneven, with long stretches where not much happened, and the characters lacked the depth needed to make their journeys compelling. The writing style was serviceable but sometimes clunky, and the plot twists were either predictable or underdeveloped. While there were a few moments of intrigue, they weren’t enough to sustain the story. Overall, this was a disappointing read that left me wishing for stronger execution and more emotional impact.

Alistair "Ali" McCain is traveling across the pond to Cockbayne College at Oxford University to pursue English Literature and learn more about his infamous rockstar father, Gel McCain, who left when Ali was a toddler. Ali quickly finds a group of friends including those who move in the circles of the English elite. However, Ali's not-so-secret ambition is to join an exclusive social club, the Saracens however, his entry might just mean disaster.

After recently reading Black Chalk, I was so excited to return to Oxford through another one of Christopher Yates' novels. There are literary allusions abound--Shakespeare, Nabokov, and Carroll. While I am only familiar with Alice and Wonderland and Alice and Through the Looking-Glass, there were so many parallels, which were a joy to spot. I can only imagine how much more I would have enjoyed The Rabbit Club if I had been familiar with some of the other works mentioned. Using context clues, I deduced which college was real-life college was used as a reference and enjoyed the Cockbayne pronunciation fact (and Ali's reference to Kurt Cobain) that mirrors the pronunciation blunder most Americans, myself included, would make of Magdalene (am I right, is Cockbayne modeled off of Magdalene College?!). This ending was spelled out very clearly in a way that the ending to Black Chalk was not--I think there is something to be said for both approaches, leaving me more satisfied with the end to The Rabbit Club, albeit missing the ambiguity and mystery of a less overtly spelled out ending. I loved the reference to "games", both in the beginning and end, because whether is intentional or not, it connected Yates' novels and made me think that there was something grander at play--a higher, shadier power working behind the scenes. I have many more unformed thoughts, but overall I highly recommend this book. If I could give this half stars I would give it a 4.5/5. A 9/10 is more accurate.