To this day, I am mystified by how much I loved this book. Mostly I hated extremely simple books, but Pat the Bunny? Pat the Bunny is cool as @#%!
MergTo this day, I am mystified by how much I loved this book. Mostly I hated extremely simple books, but Pat the Bunny? Pat the Bunny is cool as @#%!
Merged review:
To this day, I am mystified by how much I loved this book. Mostly I hated extremely simple books, but Pat the Bunny? Pat the Bunny is cool as @#%!...more
I have alexithymia, which means sometimes I don't know what I'm feeling, just that it's happening. If a feeling is brand-new, it's a mystery. So I donI have alexithymia, which means sometimes I don't know what I'm feeling, just that it's happening. If a feeling is brand-new, it's a mystery. So I don't really how I feel about this book, but I know two things for sure that are probably all the basis you need to decide whether you read it:
1. This book is upsetting in at least four different directions. Most upsetting reads will be upsetting if x (for example, this will be upsetting if you struggle with depictions of animal cruelty). But this is one of those unique stories where it's upsetting if you very much Y, but also if you don't Y at all, and also W, Q, Z, -Z, and 5. How did a number get in there, this was a list of variables? At some point I didn't know if I was having a ptsd response or something else, I just felt... things... a bunch!
To put it simply: if you look for trigger warnings to filter or time your reads, consider this a definitive trigger warning for whatever triggers you. But it's NOT a nuclear trigger: for example, a book that endorses abuse as love would mess me up for days. Animal cruelty is depicted in this story, but not endorsed or dragged out at length. This doesn't adopt a troubling position, it just explores a lot of weird ugly stuff in all its mixed, confusing glory. I felt better after I read it, not worse (though I'm sure this will vary).
2. I don't remember a ton of details from this, or even when I read it, but it's been over five years and I still think about it on a regular basis. That's only true for a very small percentage of reads at my age, especially YA reads. I love them, but most kind of blend together over time. NOT THIS ONE.
And it made me feel things I haven't experienced before (TBD what they are!), which is remarkable. I vividly remember one of the character's deep confusion at the end over how she feels about everything that happened, and girl, me too.
You'll know if #1 is a con for you, and if #2 is a pro. I'll let you decide, because it's probably going to be years before I really know what rating to give this, and I'm certainly not going to recommend this to anyone directly. Way too risky. If it works for you, it works, but if not it'll be unpleasant or weird (or, as in the case of my only friend to pick it up, a quick DNF). You'll probably know quickly.
Good luck! And if you read it, I'm super interested in hearing about your thoughts. I still think about it all the time......more
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