What do you think?
Rate this book
Scared Little Rabbits
We stand in a tight cluster, high above the lake. One-by-one, we made our way up the narrow trail from the edge of campus. Now, we wait shoulder to shoulder behind the police tape. Nineteen summer students.
All but one.
When Nora gets accepted into her dream summer program at the prestigious Winthrop Academy, she jumps at the chance to put her coding skills to use. But then a fellow student goes missing—and the tech trail for the crime leads back to Nora. With no one else to trust, Nora must race to uncover the truth and clear her name...or she might be the next to disappear.
All but one.
When Nora gets accepted into her dream summer program at the prestigious Winthrop Academy, she jumps at the chance to put her coding skills to use. But then a fellow student goes missing—and the tech trail for the crime leads back to Nora. With no one else to trust, Nora must race to uncover the truth and clear her name...or she might be the next to disappear.
336 pages, Paperback
First published December 3, 2019
37 people are currently reading
1695 people want to read
About the author
A.V. Geiger
5 books554 followersA.V. Geiger writes contemporary young adult fiction. Her YA thrillers FOLLOW ME BACK and sequel TELL ME NO LIES are available now from Sourcebooks Fire. Her next book SCARED LITTLE RABBITS will release in December 2019. An epidemiologist by training, she has always enjoyed a professional life that combines both creativity and logic. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and two kids.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 164 reviews
January 10, 2020
"These games have gone on between us for too long already."
The synopsis of this book immediately drew me in, but it ended up being pretty misleading. It sounded like this was going to be a suspense novel about a missing student, but the student didn't even go missing until the last 100 pages (this book is 350+ pages). Scared Little Rabbits is a contemporary romance disguised as a thriller. I don't have a problem with contemporary romance, but I don't like being misled into picking up a book.
I wanted to know what was going to happen, so I kept going, but I probably should have just set this one aside. I kept thinking it was going to get better, and it didn't. This book also tries to throw rabbits into every conversation because it's in the title, and it feels very forced and unnecessary. This one did not work for me.
The synopsis of this book immediately drew me in, but it ended up being pretty misleading. It sounded like this was going to be a suspense novel about a missing student, but the student didn't even go missing until the last 100 pages (this book is 350+ pages). Scared Little Rabbits is a contemporary romance disguised as a thriller. I don't have a problem with contemporary romance, but I don't like being misled into picking up a book.
I wanted to know what was going to happen, so I kept going, but I probably should have just set this one aside. I kept thinking it was going to get better, and it didn't. This book also tries to throw rabbits into every conversation because it's in the title, and it feels very forced and unnecessary. This one did not work for me.
November 2, 2019
4 stars
This book goes crescendo with a last part that will have you grip the edge of your seat when the tension culminates and the mystery unravel. I read it till 2 AM in the morning as I was glued to the pages!
Scared Little Rabbits is a YA mystery/crime happening in the span of three weeks at summer camp for geek the “Winthrop Academy Summer Maker Program”.
Nora is your very socially awkward geeky teenager. She is genius at coding and worked hard to get that place on the Fair Maker summer camp at the prestigious and private Winthrop Academy.
She was a very endearing character. One that as a mom I wanted to encourage when she was always overlooked by her peers because she was on the very shy scale when confronted with her summer classmates.
She felt transparent. She was the nerdy wallflower. The first scenes with Nora being talked about but not talked to, given a patronizing nickname like "Lowercase" was perfect to make us remember what it was being in high school when you were not members of the "school royalty" clique.
She is the new kid at the Maker Program, a little fish in a sea of posh sharks and she stood out like a sore thumb!
But Nora is brilliant at what she does! She lives for coding and robotics is her passion!
Thanks to that gift she will soon be enrolled to give a hand on a “sure to win” project! She will work with "High and Mighty" controlling Eleanore Winthorp, "Single minded and focused driven" Reese and "Ubercute charmer" Maddox.
They need her skills and the prospect of being on this advanced project is enough for Nora to mostly overlook the contempt she gets from Eleanor and Reese.
It does not help either that Maddox seems to have taken a liking to Nora at the great fury of his Girlfriend... Eleanor!
From the opening scene we know right from the start that a murder or a something terrible happened to a student. All students of the academy are gathered atop a cliff to witness the police retrieving something or someone from a lake down below.
We brace ourselves as we know this whole story will lead to that moment and that killers are probably on the loose.
But who did it? And why?
I guessed who did it but late in the story. Nearly when we would have known anyway. A.V. Geiger did a great job erasing her trail and sending us on goose chase.
Take Maddox for example. I never knew if he truly liked Nora or played a twisted game. Each time I thought he was a great guy I was thrown on a loop, doubting everything once more.
Eleanor was also a mystery with her unsend and erased messages in the dropbox. You could see that she was hiding something but what? I never liked her conniving and blackmailing ways but maybe this was all an act and there was more to the true Eleanor?
In this story I liked:
-the concept of working on augmented reality project through the InstaLove app. I think it set the story in today's teenage life and interests. It also delivers some important messages about how you can lose yourself in a very addictive virtual world, perfect venue for shy and awkward teens. It's so much easier to interact hiding behind your augmented avatar. Nora 2.0.
It also showed the dangers of such games if they are hacked or altered.
- Nora. She was very relatable and felt “real”. A.V. Geiger took the time and care to flesh out her character is such way that you can’t help but think about the shy nerdy girl next door. I also loved her sarcasm that we got to enjoy when she was having her inner dialogs. Self-deprecating.
-the other characters portrayed to confuse you and have you guessing at if they were friends or foe!
-the mystery and the dramatic ending! My heart was beating frantically! I love grand finale!
I want to thank Sourcebook Fire for gifting me this copy through Netgalley. It had no influence on my willing and always honest review.
Have you read A.V. Gegeir's books? Do you love YA mysteries?
Thanks for reading!
Sophie
Find me on:
Wordpress: Beware Of The Reader
Facebook: Beware Of The Reader
Facebook group : Beware Book Boyfriends Alert
Instagram: @bewareofthereader
Twitter: @BewareOffReader
This book goes crescendo with a last part that will have you grip the edge of your seat when the tension culminates and the mystery unravel. I read it till 2 AM in the morning as I was glued to the pages!
Scared Little Rabbits is a YA mystery/crime happening in the span of three weeks at summer camp for geek the “Winthrop Academy Summer Maker Program”.
Nora is your very socially awkward geeky teenager. She is genius at coding and worked hard to get that place on the Fair Maker summer camp at the prestigious and private Winthrop Academy.
She was a very endearing character. One that as a mom I wanted to encourage when she was always overlooked by her peers because she was on the very shy scale when confronted with her summer classmates.
She felt transparent. She was the nerdy wallflower. The first scenes with Nora being talked about but not talked to, given a patronizing nickname like "Lowercase" was perfect to make us remember what it was being in high school when you were not members of the "school royalty" clique.
“He never really saw me. Neither did those girls I passed back there. Are we sensing a theme yet? I don’t know why, but people tend to overlook me. I swear if I had a superpower, I know what it would be: invisibility.”
She is the new kid at the Maker Program, a little fish in a sea of posh sharks and she stood out like a sore thumb!
But Nora is brilliant at what she does! She lives for coding and robotics is her passion!
“I’m not the only girl on the planet who makes robotic landscaping equipment for fun, am I?”
Thanks to that gift she will soon be enrolled to give a hand on a “sure to win” project! She will work with "High and Mighty" controlling Eleanore Winthorp, "Single minded and focused driven" Reese and "Ubercute charmer" Maddox.
They need her skills and the prospect of being on this advanced project is enough for Nora to mostly overlook the contempt she gets from Eleanor and Reese.
It does not help either that Maddox seems to have taken a liking to Nora at the great fury of his Girlfriend... Eleanor!
From the opening scene we know right from the start that a murder or a something terrible happened to a student. All students of the academy are gathered atop a cliff to witness the police retrieving something or someone from a lake down below.
We brace ourselves as we know this whole story will lead to that moment and that killers are probably on the loose.
But who did it? And why?
I guessed who did it but late in the story. Nearly when we would have known anyway. A.V. Geiger did a great job erasing her trail and sending us on goose chase.
Take Maddox for example. I never knew if he truly liked Nora or played a twisted game. Each time I thought he was a great guy I was thrown on a loop, doubting everything once more.
Eleanor was also a mystery with her unsend and erased messages in the dropbox. You could see that she was hiding something but what? I never liked her conniving and blackmailing ways but maybe this was all an act and there was more to the true Eleanor?
In this story I liked:
-the concept of working on augmented reality project through the InstaLove app. I think it set the story in today's teenage life and interests. It also delivers some important messages about how you can lose yourself in a very addictive virtual world, perfect venue for shy and awkward teens. It's so much easier to interact hiding behind your augmented avatar. Nora 2.0.
It also showed the dangers of such games if they are hacked or altered.
- Nora. She was very relatable and felt “real”. A.V. Geiger took the time and care to flesh out her character is such way that you can’t help but think about the shy nerdy girl next door. I also loved her sarcasm that we got to enjoy when she was having her inner dialogs. Self-deprecating.
"I actually sounded friendly there. Weird. I suppose that happens once in a while. In moments of high awkwardness, random words come out of my mouth—unpredictable, but occasionally friendly."
-the other characters portrayed to confuse you and have you guessing at if they were friends or foe!
-the mystery and the dramatic ending! My heart was beating frantically! I love grand finale!
I want to thank Sourcebook Fire for gifting me this copy through Netgalley. It had no influence on my willing and always honest review.
Have you read A.V. Gegeir's books? Do you love YA mysteries?
Thanks for reading!
Sophie
Find me on:
Wordpress: Beware Of The Reader
Facebook: Beware Of The Reader
Facebook group : Beware Book Boyfriends Alert
Instagram: @bewareofthereader
Twitter: @BewareOffReader
December 9, 2019
When I saw that A.V. Geiger wrote a new book, I had to read it. I loved the Follow Me Back books, full of open-mouthed twists and turns. Scared Little Rabbits is like that, too!
Even if I had difficulty believing in the student's disappearance for a bit, when everything unfolded, I was blindsided by all the twists (in a good way) to doubt it anymore. I was completely glued to the pages, wanting to know more and more until the end.
Many thanks to Sourcebook Fire for the complimentary e-copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Even if I had difficulty believing in the student's disappearance for a bit, when everything unfolded, I was blindsided by all the twists (in a good way) to doubt it anymore. I was completely glued to the pages, wanting to know more and more until the end.
Many thanks to Sourcebook Fire for the complimentary e-copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
August 23, 2019
Hello there! If you’d like to see the content notes for this book, I’m posting them here (behind the spoiler tag for those who prefer not to see them).
November 21, 2019
Full of twists and turns and a cast of characters brimming with secrets, this YA thriller will keep readers on the edge of their seats from the second they crack the cover!
I love a good boarding school mystery, and A.V. Geiger has set this one in such a fascinating setting. The school is full of technology that's believable yet absolutely enchanting. I wanted to enroll in Winthrop Academy right alongside Nora.
The mystery was compelling from the very first page, and Geiger did a great job laying the groundwork for the big twist, but at the same time, I still didn't see it coming. It was fast-paced and just so much fun!
While Nora was incredibly likable and relateable, the rest of the cast was totally unreliable and hiding some big secrets, which made them fascinating to read about and added some fun layers to the mystery. Geiger wove the big reveals throughout the plot seamlessly and in a way that kept me glued to those pages. I'm so excited to see what she has up her sleeve for us next!
I love a good boarding school mystery, and A.V. Geiger has set this one in such a fascinating setting. The school is full of technology that's believable yet absolutely enchanting. I wanted to enroll in Winthrop Academy right alongside Nora.
The mystery was compelling from the very first page, and Geiger did a great job laying the groundwork for the big twist, but at the same time, I still didn't see it coming. It was fast-paced and just so much fun!
While Nora was incredibly likable and relateable, the rest of the cast was totally unreliable and hiding some big secrets, which made them fascinating to read about and added some fun layers to the mystery. Geiger wove the big reveals throughout the plot seamlessly and in a way that kept me glued to those pages. I'm so excited to see what she has up her sleeve for us next!
May 21, 2020
Oh boy, where do I even start with this mess? I read and really enjoyed the author's first book, Follow Me Back. It wasn't great writing or anything, but it was addicting and had a great twist at the end. I was pretty excited to see she had a new book coming out, I actually pre-ordered Scared Little Rabbits and read it very shortly after it arrived. WHAT. A. HOT. MESS. If you don't like rant reviews, then move along - this is not for you.
The basic premise is our main character, Nora goes to an elite summer program at “Winthrop Academy Summer Maker Program”. Nora's there to work on a tech project she submitted for the next three works, but things get a little crazy when another girl in the program goes missing and Nora is the number one suspect. I am all over books that feature young women in STEM programs, like yes! Give me more of this! Throw in a crime, I'm listening! How the hell did this author make sure a mess of such a cool premise?
First of all, we do get some talk of some of the tech projects going around, but nothing goes very in-depth. It didn't really make me feel very immersed in the whole story when the tech kids make incredible, innovative projects seem a little too simple or basic all the time. My major issue though is we have a supposedly really intelligent, full of potential female main character, who has worked insanely hard to get a chance to come to this prestigious program and within the first day - the FIRST DAMN DAY, she becomes completely enamored with the most popular guy around. Yep, screw everything you worked for because OH MY GOD - IT'S A BOY!!! Of course, he is instantly drawn to her - even though she is the author writes her as this really awkward, shy and never had a boyfriend type of girl, so of course, those sparks fly instantly. Too bad he is already dating the most popular girl in school - kill me now. This story is about to become about a couple hundred pages of, "Omg you're a guy *teeehee* "Omg I'm a girl"* blush blush*" and forget any intelligence this story might have ever had a chance of having (which was very little).
We also have some of the stupidest catty shit I ever have seen and I've watched my share of teen drama's growing up. Most of it makes no sense and makes even littler sense when everyone else around goes along with it as if it's law. We also have a bunch of the popular kids that are working on a virtual reality simulation where you can put on a headset and see whatever reality they have uploaded. This is cool in theory but not in practice - at least in this awful book. These idiots are all walking around in an uncontrolled environment testing this shit out and trusting what they see on the screens - while walking around things like trees, pools, etc... Oh and flipping giant cliffs. Yeah, I'd totally go tramping through the woods with a protype on my head and no one watching where I was stepping. Geniuses go to this school I tell you.
The mystery is basic - been there, done that. It was predictable and just sloppy. If you haven't figure this out by now, I didn't enjoy this book at all. I think I only finished it to see how much more stupid it could get. I haven't decided if I'll try the author's next work or not. This was just a hot mess though.
The basic premise is our main character, Nora goes to an elite summer program at “Winthrop Academy Summer Maker Program”. Nora's there to work on a tech project she submitted for the next three works, but things get a little crazy when another girl in the program goes missing and Nora is the number one suspect. I am all over books that feature young women in STEM programs, like yes! Give me more of this! Throw in a crime, I'm listening! How the hell did this author make sure a mess of such a cool premise?
First of all, we do get some talk of some of the tech projects going around, but nothing goes very in-depth. It didn't really make me feel very immersed in the whole story when the tech kids make incredible, innovative projects seem a little too simple or basic all the time. My major issue though is we have a supposedly really intelligent, full of potential female main character, who has worked insanely hard to get a chance to come to this prestigious program and within the first day - the FIRST DAMN DAY, she becomes completely enamored with the most popular guy around. Yep, screw everything you worked for because OH MY GOD - IT'S A BOY!!! Of course, he is instantly drawn to her - even though she is the author writes her as this really awkward, shy and never had a boyfriend type of girl, so of course, those sparks fly instantly. Too bad he is already dating the most popular girl in school - kill me now. This story is about to become about a couple hundred pages of, "Omg you're a guy *teeehee* "Omg I'm a girl"* blush blush*" and forget any intelligence this story might have ever had a chance of having (which was very little).
We also have some of the stupidest catty shit I ever have seen and I've watched my share of teen drama's growing up. Most of it makes no sense and makes even littler sense when everyone else around goes along with it as if it's law. We also have a bunch of the popular kids that are working on a virtual reality simulation where you can put on a headset and see whatever reality they have uploaded. This is cool in theory but not in practice - at least in this awful book. These idiots are all walking around in an uncontrolled environment testing this shit out and trusting what they see on the screens - while walking around things like trees, pools, etc... Oh and flipping giant cliffs. Yeah, I'd totally go tramping through the woods with a protype on my head and no one watching where I was stepping. Geniuses go to this school I tell you.
The mystery is basic - been there, done that. It was predictable and just sloppy. If you haven't figure this out by now, I didn't enjoy this book at all. I think I only finished it to see how much more stupid it could get. I haven't decided if I'll try the author's next work or not. This was just a hot mess though.
December 4, 2019
3.5 STARS
Nora arrives for a three week coding camp, hoping to break free from her nerdy, awkward persona. She immediately falls for Maddox, whose girlfriend Eleanor is as mean as she is wealthy. They team up to improve the popular INSTAlove virtual reality app with potentially deadly consequences for at lease one of them.
Runaway like SCARED LITTLE RABBITS comes from a command choice on the virtual reality game, referring to choices Nora makes at the beginning of the game. Being an older reader, I have only a vague understanding of virtual reality (VR), so I needed a good portion of the story to truly understand how the game operated. I assume young adults have the experience I lacked.
Other than wondering the draw to the game, I enjoyed the plot and A.V. Geiger’s writing was able to overlook the tropes I usually avoid. INSTAlove, the name of the app is what happened when Nora and Maddox saw each other, each began making choices with potential future consequences. I hated that Nora was almost ready to throw everything away for a guy she didn’t know. She was smart and goal-oriented, sure, she longed to kiss a boy, but I would have preferred to see her act less like a boy-crazed young girl. I wondered why she was so willing to trust Maddox when everything about him seemed untrustworthy. I thought he was probably a good guy under the shadiness, but I didn’t know for sure.
Nora’s low self-esteem was evident in her inner dialogue, adding to her authenticity. Told in Nora’s and Maddox’s points of view and Eleanor’s online journal the story unfolds in ways I hadn’t imagined but made perfect sense.
Eleanor seemed straight out of central character casting, a gorgeous, controlling, mean, rich bitch, very little to see beneath the exterior.
If Geiger wasn’t such a compelling writer, I’d likely not enjoyed this book at all, but she has a way of pulling me in and not letting go until after I’m finished. That’s why I preorder her books.
Nora arrives for a three week coding camp, hoping to break free from her nerdy, awkward persona. She immediately falls for Maddox, whose girlfriend Eleanor is as mean as she is wealthy. They team up to improve the popular INSTAlove virtual reality app with potentially deadly consequences for at lease one of them.
Runaway like SCARED LITTLE RABBITS comes from a command choice on the virtual reality game, referring to choices Nora makes at the beginning of the game. Being an older reader, I have only a vague understanding of virtual reality (VR), so I needed a good portion of the story to truly understand how the game operated. I assume young adults have the experience I lacked.
Other than wondering the draw to the game, I enjoyed the plot and A.V. Geiger’s writing was able to overlook the tropes I usually avoid. INSTAlove, the name of the app is what happened when Nora and Maddox saw each other, each began making choices with potential future consequences. I hated that Nora was almost ready to throw everything away for a guy she didn’t know. She was smart and goal-oriented, sure, she longed to kiss a boy, but I would have preferred to see her act less like a boy-crazed young girl. I wondered why she was so willing to trust Maddox when everything about him seemed untrustworthy. I thought he was probably a good guy under the shadiness, but I didn’t know for sure.
Nora’s low self-esteem was evident in her inner dialogue, adding to her authenticity. Told in Nora’s and Maddox’s points of view and Eleanor’s online journal the story unfolds in ways I hadn’t imagined but made perfect sense.
Eleanor seemed straight out of central character casting, a gorgeous, controlling, mean, rich bitch, very little to see beneath the exterior.
If Geiger wasn’t such a compelling writer, I’d likely not enjoyed this book at all, but she has a way of pulling me in and not letting go until after I’m finished. That’s why I preorder her books.
November 18, 2019
"Scared Little Rabbits" promises more thrills and intrigue than it delivers. Instead of the "And Then There Were None" delivery that was expected, the book is filled with uninspiring characters, minor plot twists, and a lackluster finale. Recommending a hard pass for purchase in any library.
November 14, 2019
I received a free e-ARC through NetGalley from the publishers at Sourcebooks Fire. Trigger warnings: death, violence, injury, threats.
Nora is thrilled to be accepted to a prestigious summer program at Winthrop Academy, where she plans to put her coding skills to use on an awesome project for the annual Maker’s Fair. Before long, she’s pulled into an existing group that’s working on a sure winner: a set of virtual reality visors that will allow students to play one of the campus’s most popular apps, InstaLove, without their phones. When Nora spots a dangerous flaw in the program and another student goes missing, the technology trail leads to her–and she may be accused of murder.
I have a fondness for the YA thriller genre that I can’t shake. Set it at an elite school, add some pretentious teenagers, and throw in a murder or two, and I’m bound to pick it up. There’s something comforting about the familiar setup, no matter how many times I’ve read it. Scared Little Rabbits fits easily into that category without really setting itself apart. It’s exactly what I expected and not a bit more, and that’s fine. Sometimes, that’s all I want from a book. If there’s anything slightly unique about it, it’s all the fun coding references among the characters; I always enjoy reading about people who are smarter on a subject than I am.
In this case, the romance is a lot heavier than the thrills. The novel spends a lot of time establishing Nora’s relationship with Maddox, which is (as advertised) InstaLove-ish and utterly unremarkable. Nora is the smart, quiet girl who’s never had a relationship; Maddox is the charming, handsome guy with secrets, who’s apparently way out of her league but likes her anyway. (It doesn’t actually say she’s “not like other girls”, but it’s sort of implied.) I liked Nora well enough but tired of him quickly, particularly in his repeated references to Nora as a “scared little rabbit” or some other juvenilizing rabbit comparison. Put your visor on and walk off a cliff, please. As probably the third most developed character, Maddox’s ex-girlfriend, Eleanor, is utterly baffling; between her features in Nora and Maddox’s chapters and her online journal entries, she seems like two completely different characters, which is never really reconciled on page. I guess we’ll never know the real Eleanor.
As far as murder mystery thrills go, it’s slow to kick in. No one goes missing until 70% of the way in and, unfortunately, there’s very little mystery to be had. The plot has moved so glacially that every reveal is painfully obvious, from what happened to the missing student to who Eleanor has been plotting with behind the scenes. There are no surprises, and any thrills to be had happen in a single scene, which ups the body count rather abruptly for a book with only one previous death. Ah, well. I knew what I was getting into. It’s nice escapism, but I doubt I’ll remember much about it a year from now.
I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.
Nora is thrilled to be accepted to a prestigious summer program at Winthrop Academy, where she plans to put her coding skills to use on an awesome project for the annual Maker’s Fair. Before long, she’s pulled into an existing group that’s working on a sure winner: a set of virtual reality visors that will allow students to play one of the campus’s most popular apps, InstaLove, without their phones. When Nora spots a dangerous flaw in the program and another student goes missing, the technology trail leads to her–and she may be accused of murder.
I have a fondness for the YA thriller genre that I can’t shake. Set it at an elite school, add some pretentious teenagers, and throw in a murder or two, and I’m bound to pick it up. There’s something comforting about the familiar setup, no matter how many times I’ve read it. Scared Little Rabbits fits easily into that category without really setting itself apart. It’s exactly what I expected and not a bit more, and that’s fine. Sometimes, that’s all I want from a book. If there’s anything slightly unique about it, it’s all the fun coding references among the characters; I always enjoy reading about people who are smarter on a subject than I am.
In this case, the romance is a lot heavier than the thrills. The novel spends a lot of time establishing Nora’s relationship with Maddox, which is (as advertised) InstaLove-ish and utterly unremarkable. Nora is the smart, quiet girl who’s never had a relationship; Maddox is the charming, handsome guy with secrets, who’s apparently way out of her league but likes her anyway. (It doesn’t actually say she’s “not like other girls”, but it’s sort of implied.) I liked Nora well enough but tired of him quickly, particularly in his repeated references to Nora as a “scared little rabbit” or some other juvenilizing rabbit comparison. Put your visor on and walk off a cliff, please. As probably the third most developed character, Maddox’s ex-girlfriend, Eleanor, is utterly baffling; between her features in Nora and Maddox’s chapters and her online journal entries, she seems like two completely different characters, which is never really reconciled on page. I guess we’ll never know the real Eleanor.
As far as murder mystery thrills go, it’s slow to kick in. No one goes missing until 70% of the way in and, unfortunately, there’s very little mystery to be had. The plot has moved so glacially that every reveal is painfully obvious, from what happened to the missing student to who Eleanor has been plotting with behind the scenes. There are no surprises, and any thrills to be had happen in a single scene, which ups the body count rather abruptly for a book with only one previous death. Ah, well. I knew what I was getting into. It’s nice escapism, but I doubt I’ll remember much about it a year from now.
I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.
December 17, 2019
Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for a complimentary copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Scared Little Rabbits
By: A.V. Geiger
*REVIEW* ⭐⭐⭐
I have always enjoyed mystery stories centered around prep schools. Scared Little Rabbits is that type of story, but the plot just didn't grab my attention like I expected it to. The story is intriguing but definitely on a more juvenile level. I do think young adult readers will enjoy this story because it's teens unsupervised solving a mystery. So, for the proper audience, this book is ideal, but it didn't suit my taste personally.
Scared Little Rabbits
By: A.V. Geiger
*REVIEW* ⭐⭐⭐
I have always enjoyed mystery stories centered around prep schools. Scared Little Rabbits is that type of story, but the plot just didn't grab my attention like I expected it to. The story is intriguing but definitely on a more juvenile level. I do think young adult readers will enjoy this story because it's teens unsupervised solving a mystery. So, for the proper audience, this book is ideal, but it didn't suit my taste personally.
November 8, 2019
Did I read this book in one sitting? Yes. Did I stay up too late reading it? Also yes. If I had to choose a book to read over and over and over again would it be this one? Yes. I think we see how this review is going. READ IT.
A.V. Geiger is a fantastic author. If you haven't read her other series, Follow Me Back and Tell Me No Lies, this might be new to you. Also if you haven't read those books, go read them, because the plot twists are incredible and of course the story and narrative rival Scared Little Rabbits. As expected of this author.
The book is a great twenty-first century YA who-done-it with a great female lead who is brilliant and just a great all-around character. She feels like she could be your best friend... or even you! The characters around her are just as great, but mysterious, so you're always guessing. Which is the best part of these kinds of books! It has a thrilling and, to me, a unique plot that meshes well with today's teenagers. I'm far from one, but I enjoy reading about them. People of all ages will love this book.
And as always.... the ending..... SCREAMS. That's how I felt about the FMB ending. It carries on to this. I think I was sweating. No. I knew I was lol.
A.V. Geiger is a fantastic author. If you haven't read her other series, Follow Me Back and Tell Me No Lies, this might be new to you. Also if you haven't read those books, go read them, because the plot twists are incredible and of course the story and narrative rival Scared Little Rabbits. As expected of this author.
The book is a great twenty-first century YA who-done-it with a great female lead who is brilliant and just a great all-around character. She feels like she could be your best friend... or even you! The characters around her are just as great, but mysterious, so you're always guessing. Which is the best part of these kinds of books! It has a thrilling and, to me, a unique plot that meshes well with today's teenagers. I'm far from one, but I enjoy reading about them. People of all ages will love this book.
And as always.... the ending..... SCREAMS. That's how I felt about the FMB ending. It carries on to this. I think I was sweating. No. I knew I was lol.
August 16, 2019
A.V. Geiger is one of my most favourite writers out there. Her writing style, plot, characters and suspense keeps you up all night, you can't put the book down till you know all the answers. Read her book Follow Me Back and Tell Me No Lies, and now this one. Satisfying read.
She's a remarkable writer, no doubt!
She's a remarkable writer, no doubt!
June 23, 2021
This blurb was super misleading, to say the least. A student goes missing but that doesn't even happen until the last 100 pages. Yikes. And the rabbits? Goodness, the relation of rabbits to the story and title just made me want to gag. Ugh.
The story was original, no doubt. It created an eerie setting that strived to show the effects of cyber bullying. Really good. But ultimately, the execution fell really short. The ending was rushed, abrupt. The twist was not a good one, though.
I loved the author's first book and was looking forward to this but it ended up being a disappointment.
The story was original, no doubt. It created an eerie setting that strived to show the effects of cyber bullying. Really good. But ultimately, the execution fell really short. The ending was rushed, abrupt. The twist was not a good one, though.
I loved the author's first book and was looking forward to this but it ended up being a disappointment.
January 6, 2022
DNF'ed at 39 pages
I usually wouldn't review a book that I DNFed but this is the biggest case of a COMPLETE instalove troupe, with a pick me girl who's never "noticed", and feels completely written-by-a-14-year-old I have ever read in my life. I genuinely felt like I was reading some bad Dramione fanfiction again from 2010. If you don't mind those things, then by all means go for it. But I nearly ripped my hair out and barely got through three chapters.
I usually wouldn't review a book that I DNFed but this is the biggest case of a COMPLETE instalove troupe, with a pick me girl who's never "noticed", and feels completely written-by-a-14-year-old I have ever read in my life. I genuinely felt like I was reading some bad Dramione fanfiction again from 2010. If you don't mind those things, then by all means go for it. But I nearly ripped my hair out and barely got through three chapters.
November 27, 2019
**Review will be posted on my blog http://pastmidnight.home.blog on November 20, 2019**
Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this eARC.
Nora is a sixteen year old, coder who is accepted to a three weeks long summer program at Winthrop Academy. She’s a bit awkward in social situations and has trouble making friends. Nora has downloaded an app called InstaLove which is supposed to hook her up with someone special. Right away she runs into a fellow InstaLove player, Maddox, at Winthrop that she categorizes him as an InstaCrush in the game. But all is not what it seems at Winthrop and she doesn’t know who she can trust. Is Maddox really into her? Or is he still with his ex-girlfriend Eleanor who basically rules the school (but I mean, her parents own it)? Is Nora just a Scared Little Rabbit?
What I Liked:
*The story starts off with a mysterious incident which gives it a slightly dark vibe. We get a dual perspective from Nora and Maddox but also journal entries from Eleanor (Maddox’s ex). I was mistrustful of Maddox, and everyone else that Nora encountered at Winthrop Academy. I definitely enjoyed the suspense. The reveal in the end included lots of action, so that was my favorite part of the book.
*The coding and technology information in this book is pretty legit. I think it’s fascinating that the story revolved around a dating app that uses augmented reality. As a mild gamer (like SO mild, my son and hubby are the gamers), and one who tried Pokemon Go (not my thing), having a dating app like that kind of scares me but can I see that being a reality for my kids, in their future? Oh for sure! My son’s VR games make me dizzy, so I don’t think I’d be someone who would want to wear a visor all the time to check out some potential hookup haha. But I can see the appeal for future generations I suppose. It’s obvious the author knows her coding and tech knowledge. 👏🏼
*I liked seeing these characters, a lot of them girls 🙌🏼, so adept and confident at their coding skills. These girls at this summer program are smart, techy, innovative, okay most of them were mean girls or just weren’t nice to Nora (which sucked) but I do like that these girls were good at what they do. Maddox also was good looking AND smart, so that was good.
Things That Made Me Go Hmmm:
~I guess it was obvious in the first chapters that this was going to be an insta-love story when it introduced Nora playing a game called InstaLove! 😂 So…if you aren’t into books with insta-love, this book is clearly one to stay clear of. It’s a three week summer program but Nora falls fast and hard for Maddox so fast. I felt bad for her at times, because clearly his situation was “complicated” with his ex-girlfriend who was Queen Bee on campus. That being said, I thought okay…it’s a crush, she’s sixteen, but…she was in LOVE and telling her parents that she needed to BE with Maddox and he was coming to visit her by the end of the story. 😳
~Speaking of the ending…I thought it was abrupt. We barely get to know anyone’s parents in this book, but all of a sudden there is Nora and her mom having a scene at the end! It felt awkward.
~Nora’s nickname given by the girls in the summer program got of my nerves. I understand it’s a “mean girls” type of story, but seriously, having them call her Lowercase, including Maddox, like really? That’s the guy who falling hard for? No. 🙄
Final Thoughts:
Overall, I thought the story was fairly enjoyable especially when it came to the suspense and mystery aspect but it fell short for me in the romance department since I didn’t feel like Nora and Maddox’s connection was that deep. If you like a suspense story about technology and don’t mind some insta-love, then you might enjoy this one.
Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this eARC.
Nora is a sixteen year old, coder who is accepted to a three weeks long summer program at Winthrop Academy. She’s a bit awkward in social situations and has trouble making friends. Nora has downloaded an app called InstaLove which is supposed to hook her up with someone special. Right away she runs into a fellow InstaLove player, Maddox, at Winthrop that she categorizes him as an InstaCrush in the game. But all is not what it seems at Winthrop and she doesn’t know who she can trust. Is Maddox really into her? Or is he still with his ex-girlfriend Eleanor who basically rules the school (but I mean, her parents own it)? Is Nora just a Scared Little Rabbit?
What I Liked:
*The story starts off with a mysterious incident which gives it a slightly dark vibe. We get a dual perspective from Nora and Maddox but also journal entries from Eleanor (Maddox’s ex). I was mistrustful of Maddox, and everyone else that Nora encountered at Winthrop Academy. I definitely enjoyed the suspense. The reveal in the end included lots of action, so that was my favorite part of the book.
*The coding and technology information in this book is pretty legit. I think it’s fascinating that the story revolved around a dating app that uses augmented reality. As a mild gamer (like SO mild, my son and hubby are the gamers), and one who tried Pokemon Go (not my thing), having a dating app like that kind of scares me but can I see that being a reality for my kids, in their future? Oh for sure! My son’s VR games make me dizzy, so I don’t think I’d be someone who would want to wear a visor all the time to check out some potential hookup haha. But I can see the appeal for future generations I suppose. It’s obvious the author knows her coding and tech knowledge. 👏🏼
*I liked seeing these characters, a lot of them girls 🙌🏼, so adept and confident at their coding skills. These girls at this summer program are smart, techy, innovative, okay most of them were mean girls or just weren’t nice to Nora (which sucked) but I do like that these girls were good at what they do. Maddox also was good looking AND smart, so that was good.
Things That Made Me Go Hmmm:
~I guess it was obvious in the first chapters that this was going to be an insta-love story when it introduced Nora playing a game called InstaLove! 😂 So…if you aren’t into books with insta-love, this book is clearly one to stay clear of. It’s a three week summer program but Nora falls fast and hard for Maddox so fast. I felt bad for her at times, because clearly his situation was “complicated” with his ex-girlfriend who was Queen Bee on campus. That being said, I thought okay…it’s a crush, she’s sixteen, but…she was in LOVE and telling her parents that she needed to BE with Maddox and he was coming to visit her by the end of the story. 😳
~Speaking of the ending…I thought it was abrupt. We barely get to know anyone’s parents in this book, but all of a sudden there is Nora and her mom having a scene at the end! It felt awkward.
~Nora’s nickname given by the girls in the summer program got of my nerves. I understand it’s a “mean girls” type of story, but seriously, having them call her Lowercase, including Maddox, like really? That’s the guy who falling hard for? No. 🙄
Final Thoughts:
Overall, I thought the story was fairly enjoyable especially when it came to the suspense and mystery aspect but it fell short for me in the romance department since I didn’t feel like Nora and Maddox’s connection was that deep. If you like a suspense story about technology and don’t mind some insta-love, then you might enjoy this one.
December 19, 2019
3.5 stars.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I don't read a huge amount of YA books anymore but there's something about A.V. Geiger that makes me come back. It might be a bit of a guilty pleasure but I enjoy her books because they're not overly sappy and she does write a good climax, even when the beginning of this book was just a tiny bit slow to start.
Nora is accepted into a summer program where she has to develop something new. When she's able to put her coding skills to the test, she barely hesitates but it leads to twists and turns that has the reader guessing who did it and what happened in the process.
What I like about Geiger is that she clearly puts thought into her books. This one involved coding so while it went over my head at times, it felt authentic. Just like with the interrogations from the Follow Me Back series. She's able to write compelling characters that aren't one note. I liked Nora and you can really see her grow from beginning to end. Without meeting too many supporting characters, you get a sense of the cliques within this techy school. Every kid has a skill that is used to push forward the plot and comes to light in the climax. There's always a good amount of tension in Geiger's books that makes you want to read more and figure out what happened. This book had a twist that I barely called before it was revealed and I liked that I didn't catch it immediately.
It would be higher rated if it wasn't so slow to start and the love connection between the two main characters wasn't as strong as it could be. They worked better as partner and there was little chemistry between them.
Overall, it's a solid book with an interesting plot that's fun to read.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I don't read a huge amount of YA books anymore but there's something about A.V. Geiger that makes me come back. It might be a bit of a guilty pleasure but I enjoy her books because they're not overly sappy and she does write a good climax, even when the beginning of this book was just a tiny bit slow to start.
Nora is accepted into a summer program where she has to develop something new. When she's able to put her coding skills to the test, she barely hesitates but it leads to twists and turns that has the reader guessing who did it and what happened in the process.
What I like about Geiger is that she clearly puts thought into her books. This one involved coding so while it went over my head at times, it felt authentic. Just like with the interrogations from the Follow Me Back series. She's able to write compelling characters that aren't one note. I liked Nora and you can really see her grow from beginning to end. Without meeting too many supporting characters, you get a sense of the cliques within this techy school. Every kid has a skill that is used to push forward the plot and comes to light in the climax. There's always a good amount of tension in Geiger's books that makes you want to read more and figure out what happened. This book had a twist that I barely called before it was revealed and I liked that I didn't catch it immediately.
It would be higher rated if it wasn't so slow to start and the love connection between the two main characters wasn't as strong as it could be. They worked better as partner and there was little chemistry between them.
Overall, it's a solid book with an interesting plot that's fun to read.
January 12, 2020
Nora has yearned for her opportunity to get involved in the Winthrop Academy summer program. She has the opportunity to show her coding knowledge, but little does she know that this is going to be the kind of experience nobody could predict.
In spite of her lack of social presence, Nora finds herself caught up in new relationships. She develops a huge crush on a fellow student called Maddox and thinks the feeling might be mutual, but Maddox seems to have a complicated relationship with Eleanor Winthrop.
We immediately work out that something odd is happening, but characters throw us off-track with alarming regularity. There’s hints of problems between a number of characters and there are always going to be problems with keeping tabs on people who are skilled at finding their way round security protocol.
It’s hard to imagine someone so capable would find themselves caught up in such a mess. However, it’s not completely implausible. The resolution did throw things up in the air a little, though in light of the whole story you are given some clues.
In spite of her lack of social presence, Nora finds herself caught up in new relationships. She develops a huge crush on a fellow student called Maddox and thinks the feeling might be mutual, but Maddox seems to have a complicated relationship with Eleanor Winthrop.
We immediately work out that something odd is happening, but characters throw us off-track with alarming regularity. There’s hints of problems between a number of characters and there are always going to be problems with keeping tabs on people who are skilled at finding their way round security protocol.
It’s hard to imagine someone so capable would find themselves caught up in such a mess. However, it’s not completely implausible. The resolution did throw things up in the air a little, though in light of the whole story you are given some clues.
July 22, 2020
A girl gets accepted to a summer program and a coding competition at a prestigious academy, where she ends up collaborating on a virtual reality game called InstaLove. This book had such an interesting premise, but sadly, it failed to deliver. First of all, the plot synopsis makes you think this book is about a girl going missing and the main character being framed... but the girl doesn't even go missing until 72% of the way through, so that is entirely misleading. And really, up until that point, not much happens, plus the writing is just so basic - the book just didn't have anything going for it. Second of all, the big reveal at the end wasn't even shocking. I had guessed it as either being that person or one other, and I had guessed the why as well. It was something so common as to be boring and just ridiculous. I really wouldn't have missed out on much if I hadn't read this in the first place, I'm sad to say.
March 10, 2021
I was a little concerned when I started this one.
I was expecting a thriller. Instead it seemed like it was going to be angst and omg he’s hot and mean girls. If it seems that way to you, give it a minute. Once the author gets going, this becomes a tense and suspenseful thriller.
It soon becomes clear that most of the character are more complex than you expect…and most have some dark secrets.
There’s some fun text, cute crushes, and, yes, danger!
A very enjoyable, fast-paced read!
I was expecting a thriller. Instead it seemed like it was going to be angst and omg he’s hot and mean girls. If it seems that way to you, give it a minute. Once the author gets going, this becomes a tense and suspenseful thriller.
It soon becomes clear that most of the character are more complex than you expect…and most have some dark secrets.
There’s some fun text, cute crushes, and, yes, danger!
A very enjoyable, fast-paced read!
November 30, 2019
I really didn't get into the story until about 70% and at that point nothing surprising happened the ending fell flat and unfortunately this book just wasn't for me.
I think if you like the slow burn thriller/mystery you will enjoy this, so check it out for yourself.
My thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I think if you like the slow burn thriller/mystery you will enjoy this, so check it out for yourself.
My thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 16, 2019
Review to come
December 2, 2019
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started Scared Little Rabbits. It starts off as a thriller but quickly morphs into a teen drama filled with mean girls, outcasts, and cute boys.
Set at a summer program for tech geniuses, it follows teenage engineer Nora, as she navigates the social landscape of the program. There she meets Maddox, a seemingly bad boy, on the social media app known as InstaLove. Maddox, the former longtime boyfriend of program sweetheart and billionaire daughter Eleanor, is interested in Nora as well, and the two pair up to write a module for InstaLove to showcase at the end of the program. But when Eleanor goes missing, secrets are exposed and everyone starts to wonder what’s real and what’s for appearances.
Scared Little Rabbits does an excellent job of imagining an exploitative social media application in InstaLove. As an engineer, I’m always fascinated to see how people reference technology in media, and Geiger did an excellent job. She drops in references to bits of code and programs seamlessly with her story in a way that feels natural. A large part of the story centers around AR, wearable tech, and privacy. It provides a unique commentary on the ethics of AR and its impact on our world.
As far as the story goes, I thought it jumped around quite a bit in a way that often made it difficult to follow. It switches points of view from Nora to Maddox to journal entries from Eleanor. The technical part was well-executed, but the story was lacking at times and dragged at several points. Overall I enjoyed it!
Thank you to @netgalley and @sourcebooksfire for the review copy!
Set at a summer program for tech geniuses, it follows teenage engineer Nora, as she navigates the social landscape of the program. There she meets Maddox, a seemingly bad boy, on the social media app known as InstaLove. Maddox, the former longtime boyfriend of program sweetheart and billionaire daughter Eleanor, is interested in Nora as well, and the two pair up to write a module for InstaLove to showcase at the end of the program. But when Eleanor goes missing, secrets are exposed and everyone starts to wonder what’s real and what’s for appearances.
Scared Little Rabbits does an excellent job of imagining an exploitative social media application in InstaLove. As an engineer, I’m always fascinated to see how people reference technology in media, and Geiger did an excellent job. She drops in references to bits of code and programs seamlessly with her story in a way that feels natural. A large part of the story centers around AR, wearable tech, and privacy. It provides a unique commentary on the ethics of AR and its impact on our world.
As far as the story goes, I thought it jumped around quite a bit in a way that often made it difficult to follow. It switches points of view from Nora to Maddox to journal entries from Eleanor. The technical part was well-executed, but the story was lacking at times and dragged at several points. Overall I enjoyed it!
Thank you to @netgalley and @sourcebooksfire for the review copy!
January 14, 2020
I liked the technological details and the characters of Nora and Reese but I felt the book dragged in places.
April 8, 2020
Nicht ganz so toll wie die Follow me Back Reihe, aber trotzdem sehr spannend und super geschrieben.
June 7, 2025
Ok so actually I didn’t want to read this book because the cover low-key scared me but it was super good and cool.
October 27, 2022
i did not like this book as you can tell from the one star. it was weak and istg the plot didn’t even start until page 250!!! cmon man 😔 but there was also some things about this book that were just plain annoying and didn’t make sense
-maddox : flat cardboard cutout of a character who’s only personality was calling the mc a rabbit and being controlled by his girlfriend
-nora : can’t stand up for herself and she barely did anything to prevent the tragedies of the plot. i also didn’t like how the ending painted nora to be some “new person who’s experiences made her stronger and more brave” like what experiences did she have besides falling into a pool and wearing sandals on a hiking quest
-reese : there’s nothing to say because we had like three pages of her character actually interacting with any other characters
- eleanor : the victim who has a lot of power but can’t seem to break off her controlling bff
and what’s with the plot??? if you can call it that. the entirety of the book was stupid- actions leading up to the tragedy when the accident could have been introduced on page 50 and have flashbacks of nora’s time at the academy and also have time to actually create suspense for once in this novel. which was way too short for a plot like this.
also where in the book did it even say that nora was a suspect?? just 2 people said that!!!! and the fact that it says that she might disappear next like no lol she wasn’t even in danger until the second to last page.
and don’t even get me started on her relationship with maddox. it felt like a creative writing story for half the time and the romance felt so rushed. like ok she liked this guy who never brushed his hair and broke into her dorm room + acts like some middle school boy. this felt like some watt pad fanfic and was indescribably boring.
:( well whatever
-maddox : flat cardboard cutout of a character who’s only personality was calling the mc a rabbit and being controlled by his girlfriend
-nora : can’t stand up for herself and she barely did anything to prevent the tragedies of the plot. i also didn’t like how the ending painted nora to be some “new person who’s experiences made her stronger and more brave” like what experiences did she have besides falling into a pool and wearing sandals on a hiking quest
-reese : there’s nothing to say because we had like three pages of her character actually interacting with any other characters
- eleanor : the victim who has a lot of power but can’t seem to break off her controlling bff
and what’s with the plot??? if you can call it that. the entirety of the book was stupid- actions leading up to the tragedy when the accident could have been introduced on page 50 and have flashbacks of nora’s time at the academy and also have time to actually create suspense for once in this novel. which was way too short for a plot like this.
also where in the book did it even say that nora was a suspect?? just 2 people said that!!!! and the fact that it says that she might disappear next like no lol she wasn’t even in danger until the second to last page.
and don’t even get me started on her relationship with maddox. it felt like a creative writing story for half the time and the romance felt so rushed. like ok she liked this guy who never brushed his hair and broke into her dorm room + acts like some middle school boy. this felt like some watt pad fanfic and was indescribably boring.
:( well whatever
October 13, 2019
This is a quick, fun book that was easy to fly through. While I did mostly enjoy myself it was a bit of a mixed bag of awesome and not so great. Let’s start with an aspect of the story that I feel is very positive and that is the representation of teen girls. The tech/coding aspect is something I haven’t come across very often, especially featuring girls. And these girls are amazing! I bow down to their skills. It’s nice to see smart, young women valued for their brains and depicted in such a progressive way. They are still judgy, backstabbing, and bitchy but I can attest that that is pretty much the truth in real life. It would have been unrealistic if they all got along and were nice to each other and a boring story too. But don’t worry, the mean girls provide all the drama you would expect.
The one aspect of this book that I didn’t like was the main character, Nora. I’m rather sick of that overused YA trope of the super clumsy, plain nerd who has faced only rejection from boys and has never been kissed and yet the handsome, most popular boy in school is instantly smitten with her, and (mild spoiler alert) within two weeks they are madly in love. It was terribly annoying and I rolled my eyes so much it hurt. That said, in the end I did quite enjoy this book. It had its positive side with an interesting, unique plot and a ton of suspense. If you can look past the cringe-worthy romance this one is worth a read!
Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire for providing an Electronic Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley for review.
The one aspect of this book that I didn’t like was the main character, Nora. I’m rather sick of that overused YA trope of the super clumsy, plain nerd who has faced only rejection from boys and has never been kissed and yet the handsome, most popular boy in school is instantly smitten with her, and (mild spoiler alert) within two weeks they are madly in love. It was terribly annoying and I rolled my eyes so much it hurt. That said, in the end I did quite enjoy this book. It had its positive side with an interesting, unique plot and a ton of suspense. If you can look past the cringe-worthy romance this one is worth a read!
Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire for providing an Electronic Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley for review.
November 4, 2019
This was not really what I expected from A.V. Geiger. Follow Me Back is just crazy in building up confusion and suspense and generating insane theories and freaking out about what's going to happen next, but Scared Little Rabbits kind of fell short in that sense.
I think what really ruined a lot of it for me was the characters. They weren't particularly likable or complex as a whole, and my dislike and dismissal of their thinking and actions kind of muted what was actually happening in terms of the plot.
I'm also still kind of confused about the whole technology-basis of the book? It's really cool how it was supposed to be a new techy layer of existence, almost similar to Marie Lu's Warcross, and I like how it kind of explored how technology is still fundamentally sourced to people and human error, which is really easy to forget in the modern day. But biggest things are clarity and development, and I feel like the oversimplification of tech descriptions drew away from the complexity that should have been more present.
Anyway, my lack of being enraptured by the characters extended to the plot, so while it was nice to be able and read how everything resolved, I didn't really feel like I had an opinion on the ending or actual plotline. Drama, drama, revelations, drama, drama, the end.
Regardless, I really appreciate that I've been able to read Geiger's next book, as I've been following her for years, and continue to look forward to what comes next for her.
Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the access to this ARC <3
I think what really ruined a lot of it for me was the characters. They weren't particularly likable or complex as a whole, and my dislike and dismissal of their thinking and actions kind of muted what was actually happening in terms of the plot.
I'm also still kind of confused about the whole technology-basis of the book? It's really cool how it was supposed to be a new techy layer of existence, almost similar to Marie Lu's Warcross, and I like how it kind of explored how technology is still fundamentally sourced to people and human error, which is really easy to forget in the modern day. But biggest things are clarity and development, and I feel like the oversimplification of tech descriptions drew away from the complexity that should have been more present.
Anyway, my lack of being enraptured by the characters extended to the plot, so while it was nice to be able and read how everything resolved, I didn't really feel like I had an opinion on the ending or actual plotline. Drama, drama, revelations, drama, drama, the end.
Regardless, I really appreciate that I've been able to read Geiger's next book, as I've been following her for years, and continue to look forward to what comes next for her.
Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the access to this ARC <3
November 21, 2019
I stayed up all night just to finish Scared Little Rabbits and it was SO GOOD. I have always enjoyed reading YA books and when I read the synopsis for this book, I knew I had to read it. I was shocked at all the twists and turns, I loved the strong female lead, and it was captivating from beginning to end.
The story follows Nora as she is starting a new journey in her life. She got accepted into a summer program because of her outstanding coding skills. She starts at Winthrop Academy, she is both nervous and excited. Nervous because she has always been the awkward girl but hopes she can be different here. And she is excited to put her skills to good use.
She learns pretty quickly who the 'popular kids' are and to her surprise, they have interacted with her. This academy is full of smart individuals and there is an app that only just about everyone in the school is using. It's called InstaLove. This one app is the catalyst for so much.
InstaLove helps Nora come out of her shell but it also causes so much pain. The app is the reason a girl at the school is missing.
I loved everything about this book. It had mystery, romance, suspense, and keep me guessing until the very end.
I give Scared Little Rabbits 5 stars. It was a genius YA novel about a girl realizing that she doesn't need an app to give her the confidence she already has. It's my favorite YA book of the year!!
The story follows Nora as she is starting a new journey in her life. She got accepted into a summer program because of her outstanding coding skills. She starts at Winthrop Academy, she is both nervous and excited. Nervous because she has always been the awkward girl but hopes she can be different here. And she is excited to put her skills to good use.
She learns pretty quickly who the 'popular kids' are and to her surprise, they have interacted with her. This academy is full of smart individuals and there is an app that only just about everyone in the school is using. It's called InstaLove. This one app is the catalyst for so much.
InstaLove helps Nora come out of her shell but it also causes so much pain. The app is the reason a girl at the school is missing.
I loved everything about this book. It had mystery, romance, suspense, and keep me guessing until the very end.
I give Scared Little Rabbits 5 stars. It was a genius YA novel about a girl realizing that she doesn't need an app to give her the confidence she already has. It's my favorite YA book of the year!!
January 5, 2026
First, the summary says this book is “dark and suspenseful YA thriller” which is flat wrong. Scared Little Rabbits is 2/3 a middle grade romance novel with Nora and Maddox angsting after each other. The last 100 pages (out of 348) is when there is a death and the thriller starts. The book is about a group of teens in a STEM summer camp. They have to create a project in 3 weeks and they are competing to win money. That’s the real plot. I am nerdy enough to enjoy that, but it definitely wasn’t what was promised in the summary. The story itself is a fast read, though not particularly thrilling-maybe because I’m 40 and sick of teen romance. Also this is the 2nd book in a row I’ve read that just has awful mean girls in it for no reason other than to be awful. I deal with enough bullying during the school year, and I hate when it’s the focus of the book. The spice is non-existent (they don’t even kiss) and swearing is minimal. The bullying is awful, but it could easily be in a middle school library though it’s definitely geared towards teens. Overall, a fast read and it kept my attention. It’s helps that this was a traveling book from the Literally Bookish Facebook group so it made it more fun to read and annotate.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 164 reviews