Review: A Taste For Rabbit

Title: A Taste For Rabbit
Author: Linda Suckerman
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
ISBN: 978- 0-439-86977-5

In a world without humans, animals have evolved to fill the sentient niche.  Not all animals are sentient, those that are are predators. The foxes face a sever famine and starvation as winter causes their food supply to dwindle. Meanwhile, and not too distant, but inaccessible, rabbits have achieved society unbeknownst to anyone and unknowing of any other society.

Harry Fox is employed by his brother a dirty politician to gain access to the rabbits rumored to live on the inaccessible plateau. Harboring dreams of showing his brother up or even better shaming him, Harry goes on his hunting trip. He encounters a con-artist and is out maneuvered into delays and misdirection.

Meanwhile Quentin, a rabbit, runs afoul of the military during a trying time in the rabbit colony. Rabbit families are vanishing and the politicians and military are creating a police state with the blessing of the populous in the name of safety. Quentin and his friends decide to escape the compound, dodging the draft, and join the rebels. Quentin gets separated from his friends after the escape and learns the terrible truth of the vanishing rabbits.

Harry and Quentin encounter each other and from each other’s influence learn the truth of their metal and that necessity breeds heroes, honor comes from within, and a wider worldview.

On the whole, the story was well told with the two intertwining storylines meshing well. However, the Harry Fox storyline was distracting as Harry was consistently beset with daydreams and flashbacks that did not separate from reality but blended so that the reader had to pay close attention or risk getting lost (The Quentin storyline has but one flashback.). The story was a fun, if disturbing romp – Spoiler: The rabbits are being kidnapped by some of the military, killed, and sold as food to a few of the well off foxes on the black market. And as the story is an exploration of humanity, this equates to cannibalism. – end too leaves the reader hopeful, nigh on demanding, for a sequel. This is because the story leaves one major thread flapping in the wind – though this can be called life – and the characters speaking of their future possibilities and desires in the final pages.

I would cautiously recommend this read. The reader should be aware that the story is more intellectual than a driving page-turner; in essence test the waters before buying.