Horror Book Review: Happy Bunny and Other Mischiefs (Rebecca Gransden)

There were many moments throughout my read of Happy Bunny and Other Mischiefs where I had to stop and re-read the last sentence or paragraph. Not because it was poorly written, made no sense, or I was struggling to follow the story. No, I had to stop and re-read on occasion because author Rebecca Gransden’s writing style is so vibrant and coated in creativity that it needed a bit of extra work to help it sink in.

That doesn’t happen to me much. I’m a fast reader, and while I can be immersed in a story, I’m still always moving forward. At times, throughout Happy Bunny and Other Mischiefs it’s like I got stuck momentarily, forcing myself to relive the horror on the page and feeling the full impact of what is being described, before I could move on. All so I could better appreciate a series of stories that are so much more than just horror stories.

Happy Bunny and Other Mischiefs is a collection of tales that range in style and tone. Some are wildly fantastical, while others are rooted in more tangible horrors. What each has in common though is the feelings of dread, revulsion, despair, and delight they evoke in the reader’s mind. Rebecca Gransden does an outstanding job here of creating a myriad of feelings as the reader makes their way through the book.

One such feeling that emerges early on, is the feeling of confusion. Rebecca Gransden’s imagination is wild and that results in some really unusual stories. The first of which Turducken: Confirm Humanity and one that has a tongue in cheek approach, albeit from a very dark place. Honestly, it’s not the best start. Even though the descriptive style of writing is addictive, it’s a messy story.

Thankfully, things vastly improve with the next story Seeping Willow. A twisted tale about abuse and how far someone will go to help another suffering it. That the abuse described here comes from a parent makes it so much more horrible. This is a story that feels far too real.

Which is in vast contrast to Slug Slick and its fascinating madness, ReWipe, and its ‘on the noise’ violent tale about likes and follows, and The Disco Rice Club, which is so odd, but has a delightfully grim ending.

Bringing back the vibrant horror in huge fashion, Pageant is one of the strongest stories of all. Garish in detail, you can smell the blood and hear the screams coming from the pages of this one. Then along comes SparrowEyes to tell a story about making a deal with an ancient and malevolent entity but failing to hold the attention right to the end. Before Gut Punch changes the feel, keeps it short, and creates a more emotional connection.

There is no connective tissue between Rebecca Gransden’s stories here. This is a collection written in different times and that does mean the tone can be a bit wild and all over the place. Hence how a simplistic story like Cannon Fodder can sit alongside as creative as The Boredom Drive. The former is nothing special, but the latter is so unique. One of my favourites of the entire book.

I do like Fuck It and the Mod Hex from Hell and War Cannibal too. Both have that wackiness at the forefront of their tales, but both are wholly different in style. The only thing they have in common is, of course, the horror that Rebecca Gransden proudly displays. Is that a welcoming smile or a wicked grin? When you read something like Pigeon Clinic, you can’t help but think the latter. How else does a story about a pigeon lead to an underground cult?

Finally, it’s Happy Bunny, and one last confounding story to enjoy. It’s a challenging final tale, but the book has had no shortage of challenging tales overall. What it offers is 14 stories of spite, mischief, and malevolence. Where the majority stand out for their uniqueness and display a very talented writer’s twisted imagination for all to see… and enjoy.

Available in ebook at Amazon US, Amazon UK and elsewhere. Get a paperback at Lulu. Also available in hardcover.

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