Rabbits

A Novel

By: Terry Miles

Narrated by: Christine Lakin

Length: 14 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

A deadly underground game might just be altering reality itself in this all-new adventure set in the world of the hit Rabbits podcast.

Named One of the Best Books of the Year by The Wall Street Journal

“A wild ride...impossible to put down.” (Publishers Weekly, starred review)

It’s an average work day. You’ve been wrapped up in a task, and you check the clock when you come up for air - 4:44 p.m. You check your email, and 44 unread messages have built up. With a shock, you realize the date is April 4 - 4/4. And when you get in your car to drive home, your odometer reads 44,444.

Coincidence? Or have you just seen the edge of a rabbit hole?

Rabbits is a mysterious alternate reality game so vast it uses the entire world as its canvas.

Since the game started in 1959, 10 iterations have appeared and nine winners have been declared. The identities of these winners are unknown.

So is their reward, which is whispered to be NSA or CIA recruitment, vast wealth, immortality, or perhaps even the key to the secrets of the universe itself.

But the deeper you get, the more dangerous the game becomes. Players have died in the past - and the body count is rising.

And now the 11th round is about to begin.

Enter K - a Rabbits obsessive who has been trying to find a way into the game for years. That path opens when K is approached by billionaire Alan Scarpio, rumored to be the winner of the sixth iteration. Scarpio says that something has gone wrong with the game and that K needs to fix it before Eleven starts, or the whole world will pay the price.

Five days later, Scarpio is declared missing.

Two weeks after that, K blows the deadline: Eleven begins.

And suddenly, the fate of the entire universe is at stake.

©2021 Terry Miles (P)2021 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Rabbits chases the mysteries at the heart of gaming and popular culture. Cancel your evening plans and follow Terry Miles down the rabbit hole.” (Max Gladstone, Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author)

“Rabbits is a remarkably assured debut, deftly written and laced with intrigue. It combines Haruki Murakami’s slice-of-life surrealness with the thrilling pace and pop-culture throwbacks of Ready Player One. I loved it.” (Nicholas Eames, author of Kings of the Wyld)

“Seemingly benign coincidences become clues to a mind-bending scavenger hunt in [Terry] Miles’ outstanding debut technothriller.... Miles masterfully combines mystery, danger, and scientific theory to bring the game to life until readers are just as caught up in searching for the next clue as the characters themselves. It’s a wild ride and it proves impossible to put down.” (Publishers Weekly, starred review)

Not My Cup of Tea

A change of pace for me. Surprised I stuck with it. Rather rambling and at times confusing. Sure there are those who may love this. Back to murder mysteries for me.

Is this the end?

Rabbits is one of my favorite PNW Stories podcasts and I was excited for this book. Finishing this book in the middle of the current season of the podcast is a little weird if you pick up this up now but it doesn’t take away from that storyline. I really enjoyed the pacing as it felt familiar and easy to get into. I really hope this doesn’t end up being the end of the story as a whole but if it does, I just know I can revisit this and the podcast anytime I need my Rabbits fix.

Unique, Fun, and Engaging!

It seems rare to find a book that comes off as fresh and unique as Rabbits is. A really original story that touches on everything from mystery, to conspiracy, to classic video games. Miles does a great job at taking a story with some borderline fantastical elements to it and making it still feel real and down-to-earth.

Larkin does an excellent job bringing the characters to life. The narration is especially impressive since the main character’s mental state is a key component of the novel, and the Larkin is good at expressively reading the character’s perspective into her performance.

Loved it except for the ending

CAUTION: SPOILER MAYBE

CAUTION: SPOILER MAYBE

CAUTION: SPOILER MAYBE

CAUTION: SPOILER MAYBE

CAUTION: SPOILER MAYBE

I'm a huge fan of the podcast, so I loved being transported into that world again. It's just that I could have used something less tidy for an ending. A story like this should leave you feeling unsettled. It should haunt your dreams. Other than that, wonderful. I suppose you could say that about season 2 also.

Eh…podcast season 1 was best

I thought season 2 fell off, but this book was bore. Stop at season 1 of rabbits and you’re all set.

Loved the Podcast, and Loved the Book even More.

Had a great feel to the story and a great story and premise. It was a blast to Audio Read, and the story brought me to many great threads of my own. A Great Tale!

Solid page turner, really great

Yes, the plot winds its way through Seattle as gamers attempt to solve a seemingly impossible puzzle that may or may not have implications to the end of the world, but for me, that was the fun of it. The waffling between probability, the scenarios you expect to find in Legion or X-Files—sign me up. I found Rabbits a thoroughly enjoyable read. I loved spending time in the world and the characters were quite likable. I really couldn’t put it down.

Pattern Recognition meets Ready Player One

narration was good, story had quick hook, and the ending was plausible. I was expecting deus ex machina. left enough mystery to interest me to read the sequel.

Super fun

This was an exciting listen, I was quickly enchanted and had no choice but to binge it. Performance is fun and believable. I’m definitely going to re listen to the podcast and then the book in the near future!

Listen to the Podcast 1st and then READ this book!!

So many hateful reviews from people who haven’t even listened to the podcast! Don’t pay attention to them they don’t know what they are talking about! This story was jam packed with the deliciously suspenseful and mysterious clues that are Of RABBITS! I loved this book and “Riley” did a great job narrating it as well. I was at the edge of my seat at times and also finding myself a little creeped out but in a good way. If you’re a fan of the podcast you will LOVE this book! I totally recommend it!