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Blue Rabbit
In Knoxville, Tennessee, there’s a bridge to another world. When they first cross it, Erika and her friends feel like they’ve stumbled into a dream. Magical and mysterious, the other world becomes their little paradise, a place to explore and escape from their everyday lives. Until one night a boy from school, Mike, follows them to the other side―and he’s kidnapped by strange and powerful Creatures. Back home, everyone thinks Erika and the gang are responsible for Mike’s disappearance. The dream has become a nightmare. How can they negotiate with these Creatures to rescue Mike and clear their names? And why are the Creatures fixated on Erika, who feels drawn to their world even as she senses the danger?
254 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 2013
1 person is currently reading
77 people want to read
About the author
Jimena I. Novaro
5 books36 followersJimena I. Novaro always knew she would be a writer. She wrote her first stories before she could spell and hasn't stopped since. She was born and raised by wildlife biologists in the arid steppe of Neuquén Province, Argentina, identifying stool samples, dreaming up other worlds, and climbing mountains without her pants (that one time). She graduated with a major in Creative Writing from Warren Wilson College in Asheville, North Carolina. You can get her latest novel, Codex of Mechanical Dreams, for free on her website!
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 21, 2019
Blue Rabbit, a YA portal fantasy by Jimena I. Novaro, chronicles the adventures of five teenagers who cross over into an alien world from Knoxville, TN. Their crossing comes with consequences, and the five suddenly find themselves struggling to save both worlds while keeping themselves alive.
I really enjoyed that the novel starts in the middle of the story, enhancing the mystery. The book begins with the five teenagers already in trouble because of their discovery of this new world. The eldritch world on the other side of the portal is an extreme setting. It is one creepy place. The novel moves along at a brisk pace with short interludes detailing character moments from the teenagers’ past lives. While this is a YA novel, I found it to be near the upper end of YA, much closer to a New Adult novel.
A fine novel, must better than most of the YA novels I see on bookshelves today, pick up Blue Rabbit if you like "It" by Stephen King or The Wayward Children Series by Seanan McGuire. I look forward to reading more by Ms. Novaro in the future.
I really enjoyed that the novel starts in the middle of the story, enhancing the mystery. The book begins with the five teenagers already in trouble because of their discovery of this new world. The eldritch world on the other side of the portal is an extreme setting. It is one creepy place. The novel moves along at a brisk pace with short interludes detailing character moments from the teenagers’ past lives. While this is a YA novel, I found it to be near the upper end of YA, much closer to a New Adult novel.
A fine novel, must better than most of the YA novels I see on bookshelves today, pick up Blue Rabbit if you like "It" by Stephen King or The Wayward Children Series by Seanan McGuire. I look forward to reading more by Ms. Novaro in the future.
December 28, 2013
Blue Rabbit is a young adult urban fantasy about an interesting clique of friends: Haley, her brother Dorian, Erika, Nathan, and Sandra. I love the opening scene in the school cafeteria where Haley and Erika bicker over how much they’ve (not) eaten and Haley builds battlements with toothpicks. It’s a great introduction to the group dynamics. Haley is the glue.
Haley could feel all her friends around her. Sandra’s knee pressed against her leg; Dorian’s shoulder brushed hers; Nathan sprawled out across the backrest of the couch, had his hand on her shoulder; Erika sat on a cushion on the floor with her back against Haley’s legs. It felt comfortable.
The group has been friends a long time as documented by the engaging passages regarding home videos and photo albums, but their bonds are being tested.
They’ve stumbled onto another realm of existence… populated by strange creatures. Creatures who kidnapped a fellow student. Now, the police are asking questions and when the gang attempts a rescue everything goes awry.
“And we just ask people to hand over a blood sample?” Sandra asked.
“No. We’ll be creative.”
This sounded just as half-assed as all of Erika’s previous plans. So far, none of them had done any good, and Sandra didn’t believe this one would be any different.
The story is told from multiple points of view, different colored threads weaving the fears and hope of each character into a whole cloth of intense bonds.
Novaro captures the unique identities, shifting loyalties, and fraying ties in exquisite scenes. A new arrival, Chloe, adds pressure to existing group fractures.
All this is set against a psychedelic, alternate, Avatar-like world, where the physics of things like water defies our own.
She bit off a tiny chunk, just to try it. Secretly, she got a thrill out of the idea of a piece of this world inside her. To her surprise it tasted wonderful, if odd—kind of like a sweet tangerine, but with the consistency of a hard-boiled egg.
The novel is as thoughtful as it is entertaining, when it plays with themes like connection, aliveness, and individuality. One of its many wonderful qualities is the maleness of the guys and the femaleness of the girls, without any of them becoming a gender stereotype. I also love the way the needs and desires of the cast of characters converge in an explosive climax.
Throughout, Novaro’s narrative voice, fragile and strong, tentative and assured, amplifies the tale. It’s a wonderful read that I highly recommend.
I’ll leave you with a couple more of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite characters, Dorian.
As someone obsessed/haunted by time, I laughed out loud when I read this:
The clock did not make sense. Dorian hated clocks and wished they would all blow up simultaneously.
And as someone who appreciates The Lord of the Rings …
The doctor came to discharge her after breakfast, interrupting Dorian’s improvisational rendition of The Lord of the Rings, starring the plastic fork as Aragorn, the plastic spoon as Frodo, and the plastic knife as Sauron—Haley didn’t feel like eating, so the toast was the Shire and the cup of juice was Mount Doom.
Haley could feel all her friends around her. Sandra’s knee pressed against her leg; Dorian’s shoulder brushed hers; Nathan sprawled out across the backrest of the couch, had his hand on her shoulder; Erika sat on a cushion on the floor with her back against Haley’s legs. It felt comfortable.
The group has been friends a long time as documented by the engaging passages regarding home videos and photo albums, but their bonds are being tested.
They’ve stumbled onto another realm of existence… populated by strange creatures. Creatures who kidnapped a fellow student. Now, the police are asking questions and when the gang attempts a rescue everything goes awry.
“And we just ask people to hand over a blood sample?” Sandra asked.
“No. We’ll be creative.”
This sounded just as half-assed as all of Erika’s previous plans. So far, none of them had done any good, and Sandra didn’t believe this one would be any different.
The story is told from multiple points of view, different colored threads weaving the fears and hope of each character into a whole cloth of intense bonds.
Novaro captures the unique identities, shifting loyalties, and fraying ties in exquisite scenes. A new arrival, Chloe, adds pressure to existing group fractures.
All this is set against a psychedelic, alternate, Avatar-like world, where the physics of things like water defies our own.
She bit off a tiny chunk, just to try it. Secretly, she got a thrill out of the idea of a piece of this world inside her. To her surprise it tasted wonderful, if odd—kind of like a sweet tangerine, but with the consistency of a hard-boiled egg.
The novel is as thoughtful as it is entertaining, when it plays with themes like connection, aliveness, and individuality. One of its many wonderful qualities is the maleness of the guys and the femaleness of the girls, without any of them becoming a gender stereotype. I also love the way the needs and desires of the cast of characters converge in an explosive climax.
Throughout, Novaro’s narrative voice, fragile and strong, tentative and assured, amplifies the tale. It’s a wonderful read that I highly recommend.
I’ll leave you with a couple more of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite characters, Dorian.
As someone obsessed/haunted by time, I laughed out loud when I read this:
The clock did not make sense. Dorian hated clocks and wished they would all blow up simultaneously.
And as someone who appreciates The Lord of the Rings …
The doctor came to discharge her after breakfast, interrupting Dorian’s improvisational rendition of The Lord of the Rings, starring the plastic fork as Aragorn, the plastic spoon as Frodo, and the plastic knife as Sauron—Haley didn’t feel like eating, so the toast was the Shire and the cup of juice was Mount Doom.
April 13, 2019
4.75 stars, rounded up to 5
A thrilling, imaginative indie read! Blue Rabbit was excellent, beginning to end. The story follows five friends who, after a school-mate goes missing, are blamed for his disappearance. But what the other kids at school don't know is there's another world connected to their own; a magical world that until recently, wasn't frightening but enchanting.
Beyond that, I won't say more about the plot. What I will focus on is how beautifully written this book was. The narrative flowed well, each character POV portrayed main characters as different and interesting as the other, all with their own flaws and strengths--and traits that, depending on the circumstances, were a mix of both. The details regarding this other world and the beings inhabiting it were vivid and atmospheric, bringing to mind something akin to Wonderland and the most beautiful and interesting of sci-fi/fantasy environs. The plot was steadily paced, neither too fast nor too slow, and the dialogue was masterfully done.
Another thing I really liked was how the MCs' parents weren't just randomly absent; they played a part in the plot, sometimes served as hindrances (well-meaning though they were) or served to help the MCs achieve their goals.
All in all a wonderful read, and one I would recommend to anyone who likes portal fantasy with a touch of thriller and mystery.
A thrilling, imaginative indie read! Blue Rabbit was excellent, beginning to end. The story follows five friends who, after a school-mate goes missing, are blamed for his disappearance. But what the other kids at school don't know is there's another world connected to their own; a magical world that until recently, wasn't frightening but enchanting.
Beyond that, I won't say more about the plot. What I will focus on is how beautifully written this book was. The narrative flowed well, each character POV portrayed main characters as different and interesting as the other, all with their own flaws and strengths--and traits that, depending on the circumstances, were a mix of both. The details regarding this other world and the beings inhabiting it were vivid and atmospheric, bringing to mind something akin to Wonderland and the most beautiful and interesting of sci-fi/fantasy environs. The plot was steadily paced, neither too fast nor too slow, and the dialogue was masterfully done.
Another thing I really liked was how the MCs' parents weren't just randomly absent; they played a part in the plot, sometimes served as hindrances (well-meaning though they were) or served to help the MCs achieve their goals.
All in all a wonderful read, and one I would recommend to anyone who likes portal fantasy with a touch of thriller and mystery.
March 22, 2019
A unique young adult fantasy story with multiple characters...
Blue Rabbit is an intriguing tale that follows a group of school friends who discover a gateway that leads to another world. As the story opens we learn that they have been visiting this place hidden in the Knoxville trees that seems like a forest but is a world totally different to their own full of creatures and immersive imagination by the author. A school kid called Mike follows this group one night and is seemingly captured by the creatures that reside in this other world and becomes a missing person. It's up to the group of friends to find out where Mike was taken and look for a way of bringing him back, that is without knowing much about this other world.
The strength of this story comes from the multitude of great characters that help tell it. Five friends; Erika, Haley, Nathan, Sandra and Dorian all seem to take it in turn at the beginning stages to tell the story although Erika eventually breaks away from the group and becomes the lead somewhat with her assured confidence and even sarcastic style; something I enjoyed, even if she did come across as a being full of herself. And to begin with I wasn't sure about any of the group, but over the course of the story they earned my affection, Sandra and Nathan's chemistry over the course of the story added to the many dimensions of believable and relatable characters this story has. These five friends and their journey together and as individuals makes for some rewarding reading much like the book as a whole which is highly readable and immersive.
There are several original concepts that carry the story to a level that becomes quite epic in the latter stages with some action and real tension leading towards saving the day and world. Other characters such as 'Riven' and 'Chloe' really galvanized this story as a character led adventure with twists, turns and plenty of drama.
"I'm going to save the world. Who's with me?"
Blue Rabbit is an intriguing tale that follows a group of school friends who discover a gateway that leads to another world. As the story opens we learn that they have been visiting this place hidden in the Knoxville trees that seems like a forest but is a world totally different to their own full of creatures and immersive imagination by the author. A school kid called Mike follows this group one night and is seemingly captured by the creatures that reside in this other world and becomes a missing person. It's up to the group of friends to find out where Mike was taken and look for a way of bringing him back, that is without knowing much about this other world.
The strength of this story comes from the multitude of great characters that help tell it. Five friends; Erika, Haley, Nathan, Sandra and Dorian all seem to take it in turn at the beginning stages to tell the story although Erika eventually breaks away from the group and becomes the lead somewhat with her assured confidence and even sarcastic style; something I enjoyed, even if she did come across as a being full of herself. And to begin with I wasn't sure about any of the group, but over the course of the story they earned my affection, Sandra and Nathan's chemistry over the course of the story added to the many dimensions of believable and relatable characters this story has. These five friends and their journey together and as individuals makes for some rewarding reading much like the book as a whole which is highly readable and immersive.
There are several original concepts that carry the story to a level that becomes quite epic in the latter stages with some action and real tension leading towards saving the day and world. Other characters such as 'Riven' and 'Chloe' really galvanized this story as a character led adventure with twists, turns and plenty of drama.
"I'm going to save the world. Who's with me?"
March 10, 2019
I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Blue Rabbit is an urban fantasy novel that focuses on the adventures of 5 friends; Haley, Erika, Sandra, Nathan and Dorian.The relationship portrayed between the five friends shows a strong bond through hard times and difficult trials. When the book opens the friends have already found a magical land within the forest filled with creatures of its own. The friends have visited this magical land multiple times,when one night they are followed by a classmate named Mike. Mike is kidnapped by the creatures in the magical land and held captive there. The last time Mike was seen in his world was with the five friends, now everyone they know are blaming them for Mike's murder. The story opens with the friends devising a plan to get Mike back and clear their name. Their plan soon falls apart however, as they find out the creatures are after Erika who they believe is a "dark human". The book takes you through their adventure to find out if they can save Mike and clear their names. And if they can, how?
I was able to get through this book rather quickly as it was quite interesting and easy to gobble up. It was easy to enjoy the characters and watch the story unfold. There's lots of twists turns and emotional tugs to keep this story going until the last page. A great debut novel by the author. I look forward to reading other works by Jimena Novaro in the future.
Blue Rabbit is an urban fantasy novel that focuses on the adventures of 5 friends; Haley, Erika, Sandra, Nathan and Dorian.The relationship portrayed between the five friends shows a strong bond through hard times and difficult trials. When the book opens the friends have already found a magical land within the forest filled with creatures of its own. The friends have visited this magical land multiple times,when one night they are followed by a classmate named Mike. Mike is kidnapped by the creatures in the magical land and held captive there. The last time Mike was seen in his world was with the five friends, now everyone they know are blaming them for Mike's murder. The story opens with the friends devising a plan to get Mike back and clear their name. Their plan soon falls apart however, as they find out the creatures are after Erika who they believe is a "dark human". The book takes you through their adventure to find out if they can save Mike and clear their names. And if they can, how?
I was able to get through this book rather quickly as it was quite interesting and easy to gobble up. It was easy to enjoy the characters and watch the story unfold. There's lots of twists turns and emotional tugs to keep this story going until the last page. A great debut novel by the author. I look forward to reading other works by Jimena Novaro in the future.
January 15, 2014
I flew threw this book! A very unique urban fantasy with a portal to another world. It kept me guessing with twists and turns. The story throws you right into the middle of the action. The five friends have already discovered the portal to another world, explored it a little, and found out its dangers when another boy from their school follows them into the forest, then gets kidnapped by the Creatures--and suddenly our protagonists are blamed for his murder! So they're already struggling to figure out a way to fight back and hopefully rescue the other boy. The story continues to fast pace by leaping forward through numerous complications and action. At times I wanted a little bit of a breather and a chance to see the things that happened in between, but it definitely kept me hooked.
My favorite part is the relationships between the five main friends in the book. From the beginning, it's obvious how bonded they are, and we see a few glimpses of their pasts growing up together through little photographs, videos, and other mementos. Later on, I learned that some of these relationships were a little complicated, but that loyalty stayed a common thread throughout the story. It reminded me of some of the intense friendships I had in my own teen years.
There was one disturbing part of the story, but the author handled it with subtlety and the actual event took place off-camera. I was nervous when I realized what was going to happen but relieved that I didn't actually have to read it described directly. Instead, the author just shows how it affects the character afterward, in a very delicate and realistic way.
A lot of sacrifices were made along the way, and I was saddened by some of the ending, but overall it resolved the story and I felt there was hope for the future of the survivors. Interestingly, the final scene is not shown from the perspective of any of the main characters, but by a minor family member. It was intriguing to see a glimpse of the group of friends from an outsider's viewpoint.
Overall, I loved this book, and I look forward to reading it again! A stunning debut novel from Jimena Novaro!
My favorite part is the relationships between the five main friends in the book. From the beginning, it's obvious how bonded they are, and we see a few glimpses of their pasts growing up together through little photographs, videos, and other mementos. Later on, I learned that some of these relationships were a little complicated, but that loyalty stayed a common thread throughout the story. It reminded me of some of the intense friendships I had in my own teen years.
There was one disturbing part of the story, but the author handled it with subtlety and the actual event took place off-camera. I was nervous when I realized what was going to happen but relieved that I didn't actually have to read it described directly. Instead, the author just shows how it affects the character afterward, in a very delicate and realistic way.
A lot of sacrifices were made along the way, and I was saddened by some of the ending, but overall it resolved the story and I felt there was hope for the future of the survivors. Interestingly, the final scene is not shown from the perspective of any of the main characters, but by a minor family member. It was intriguing to see a glimpse of the group of friends from an outsider's viewpoint.
Overall, I loved this book, and I look forward to reading it again! A stunning debut novel from Jimena Novaro!
January 6, 2021
Loved this story.
For a first book it was fantastic. It took me forever to find it but I was determined. I have read her other books and they were fantastic and magical and all the reasons I have always loved reading. Jimena I can't wait for you to write more. Thankyou.
For a first book it was fantastic. It took me forever to find it but I was determined. I have read her other books and they were fantastic and magical and all the reasons I have always loved reading. Jimena I can't wait for you to write more. Thankyou.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews