Black rabbit summer by Kevin Brooks

[Gina]

If you go down to the fair today...
you may not come out alive.

Pete had been feeling lazy for the whole summer. He lay around daydreaming until one day, Nichole called. She was one of the friends in their old gang back then. She suggested for them to meet up at the shed they made for old times' sake. Seemingly harmless, Pete agreed. Then he went on to asking his close friend, Raymond, whether he wanted to meet the gang again. After all, it might be the last time they could meet up for a simple chat.

At first, everything was normal. They talked about the old times. Then the topic went out of focus after they smoked a bit of the pot and some sips of wine. Pauly made everyone uncomfotable as he raked up their old secrets. So they headed for the fair one by one. First, Pete found Raymond playing along with the rich and famous Stella. Not exactly what the normal Raymond would do. Second, a fortune-teller warned Pete to keep a close eye for Raymond and to bring him home fast. Pete did what he was told, but he had a major urge to relieve himself as he made Raymond promise to stay in the toilet.

Unfortunately, that was when troubles started. When Pete came out, Raymond was nowhere. He frantically searched around but couldn't be bothered. He went around as usual but when he reached Raymond's garden, he saw the head of Raymond's beloved black rabbit hanging on the gate. It was an omen, he knew. As things unravelled in a mess, he found out that Stella had disappeared together with Raymond. And Raymond was the prime suspect of Stella's disappearance.

Pete had to find out what had happened. Raymond was his friend. He wouldn't do anything as to kill Stella. While the situation began to become clearer and clearer, Pete found out that maybe his old gang wasn't as trustable as before. They have secrets of their own. And only them own the key to figuring out what exactly happened that fateful night at the fair. He have to find out, even with his life at stake.

A very suspenceful and fast-paced book. I couldn't stop flipping the pages. Maybe my hand was possessed, but the plot caught me so tightly. I wanted to know what happened to Raymond. Then there was all those drama throughout but what really touched me was the friendship between Pete and Raymond. How Pete tried all he could to find Raymond. It was really touching in the end.

I couldn't say I liked the ending. It felt incomplete. I was hoping that Raymond might pop out somewhere and save Pete then the twosome can be united. But at least, the killer of Stella was known. And towards the end of the book, I felt that thing started rushing too fast. Nevertheless, I would give this book a thumbs-up. A book that would really tell how it was to feel responsible for a friend and to know that people change constantly, it would be hard to know who you could really trust.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10