t's 2018, and Silas and Rosa have just sold their first script. The only problem is that before they can get any money for it, they have to do some rewrites, and they only have a few weeks to do it. They live in New York, and it's not cheap, and so, even though rewriting his work to fit the capitalist machine goes against everything Silas believes in, they decide to quit their jobs and leave New York to write permanently until their deadline is up.

Silas's mother, Lou Lou, and his Aunt, Bunny, live in the woods outside the small town of Hamner in New England. To save money while they write, the couple and their dog son Goober decide to move to the childhood home. The trauma Silas experienced as a child all leads back to this house and the two sisters who live there, and it's the reason he hasn't returned in years.

Lou Lou would often go on dates with inappropriate men, and she would leave Silas in the care of his aunt, Bunny. It is fair to say that both his mother and her sister had problems with alcohol, and years later, his aunt's addiction has all but taken over her life. Returning to the house, Silas finds the elderly women merely existing on the property, grotesque forms of their former selves. Bunny wanders the woods at night, and is never without a cigarette between her lips, and a mug of gin clutched in her bony hands. She still terrifies Silas, and Rosa and their dog Goober are not excluded from the feelings of unease that hang over the place like a death shroud.

It doesn't take long before strange things start happening in the house, and the woods beyond. Even the small town seems to have an odd vibe. Though as strange as the town is, nothing is quite as terrifying as his family home, and the people that live there, and Bunny has become more disturbing than ever.

Bunny's plot flashes between the 2018 present and the years 1994 and 1995 when Silas was a boy, and he experienced such terror that he would end up in therapy, and filled with resentment. The nostalgia wrapped around the 90s infuses the novel with an atmosphere not unlike early Stephen King and his penchant for Maine locations. S.E. Tolsen, the name of the novel's writing duo it is worth noting are damn good writers as evident in this paragraph:

The backyard is tarry black; no moon. Even the starlight seems reluctant to make the journey down through the night sky. And yet, there in the no man's land of his backyard glows the aqua light of his ringing phone, like the fallen teardrop of an enfeebled god.

Bunny is two things: a symbol of the perils of alcoholism, and a physical manifestation of fear. Her presence is grotesque and an example of the visceral horror that gives slasher films of the '70s and '80s the gag reflex we appreciate having. As well as being a fantastic ode to the horror tropes of old, Bunny is also a truly terrifying novel, and it should feel quite at home on the bookshelf next to King and all the best horror writers both alive and dead.

Book Review: Bunny by S.E. Tolsen - 5 Stars

Bunny by S.E. Tolsen is an extraordinary psychological horror that pushes the boundaries of the genre in ways that will leave readers captivated and disturbed. Written under the pen name of S.E. Tolsen, the book is a collaboration between the talented husband-and-wife duo, Emma Olsen and Vere Tindale. Published by Mirari Press and represented by the Lennon-Ritchie Agency, Bunny offers a unique and haunting experience.

The novel centers around Silas and Rose, a pair of screenwriters who, in hopes of securing a big break, visit Silas' childhood home to work on revisions for their latest project. However, their creative retreat soon takes a sinister turn, thanks to the presence of Aunty Bunny: an eccentric and troubled woman who was once a stunning beauty but is now a reclusive alcoholic with a strange and unsettling demeanor. Aunty Bunny's mysterious nocturnal disappearances into the woods add an eerie layer to the tension that builds throughout the story.

While Bunny certainly delivers a chilling horror experience, its true brilliance lies in the deeper exploration of human relationships. The novel delves into the complexities of parental, marital, and even pet relationships, skillfully analyzing the dynamics of love, resentment, and self-preservation. Tolsen expertly dissects how we can simultaneously care for and despise those closest to us, weaving these emotional intricacies into a spine-tingling narrative.

Bunny is much more than just a horror novel. It's a profound meditation on the darkness that resides within us all. With its masterful blend of psychological tension and emotional depth, this book is an unforgettable read. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a fresh and thought-provoking take on the genre.

I received this book from Mirari Press in exchange for an honest review.

This book was gifted to me by Miriapress for an honest review and it arrived on Friday. I read the first chapter because I wanted to know the tone of the book. I blind read books and don't read the synopsis. I usually know the genre but I don't know anything about the story.

I wasn't at all prepared. The introduction to the characters was spine chilling and immediately made me know something was not right here.

The writers blend gorgeous writing with a mystery that reveals itself through a look at the characters past and the present. Usually I don't enjoy time jumps, but in this story it heightens the tension.

The book deals with alcoholism and the effects the addiction has on the people closest to it, with a supernatural aspect that makes you wonder if it's real or just a side effect of the addiction.

The twists and turns I was taken on within the pages leaves me reeling after finishing it in a day. I needed to know what happened! The story is still sitting with me.

If you enjoy horrors, mysteries and good metaphors, this is definitely the book for you.

Let me tell you, this book scared the heck out of me. SE Tolsen has a remarkable ability to tap into that deeply primitive cache of childhood fears we all have. The opening chapters will stay with me for a long time. I genuinely had to stop reading Bunny before bed because it was messing with my sleep. (In a good way! Bunny won the Aurealis Award for Best Horror Novel for a reason!)

I found Aunt Bunny herself to be a fascinating character. I feared her, but I felt for her. I hated her actions but understood her reasons. Her fractious relationship with Silas encapsulated what it is to be scared, as a child, of the person who is meant to love you most of all. The supernatural elements to this story were an added unsettling cherry on top.

Mirari Press provided me with a free copy for review purposes.

A book that will captivate your attention and make

you feel eerie and creeped out. The writing of this

book makes you imagine everything so clearly that

you feel as if you're in the book.

From wanting to binge the book because I couldn't

put it down to having to put it down at night because

I was getting scared, it definitely did what it needed

to.

"Bunny crawls on hands and feet into the bathroom.

Her limbs bend at acute angles as her writhing jaw

juts forward as she speaks.

The crawling definitely creeped me out. It was one

of the most interesting parts of the story because I

had no clue when something scary would happen it

felt like a jump scare!

Bunny is a haunting psychological-supernatural

thriller that delves into the role that addiction plays

in family dysfunction, and how it inevitably changes

everyone around it.'

I received this book from Mirari Press in exchange for an honest review.