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Cover of Down the rabbit hole

Down the rabbit hole

96 pages

A darkly comic and delirious fever dream of corrupted innocence inside a cartel hideout.

What it feels like

This darkly comic novel plunges the reader into a surreal and claustrophobic atmosphere where extreme wealth and criminal underworlds collide with childhood innocence. The narrative moves at a brisk, delirious pace, filtering the grim reality of hit men and drug barons through the surprisingly naive desires of a young boy who simply wants a pygmy hippopotamus. It feels like an absurdist fever dream, balancing a wry, satirical tone with the genuine, albeit twisted, dynamics of a father-son relationship. The prose is masterful in its ability to juxtapose whimsical childhood wishes against a backdrop of isolation and implied violence. It is a perfect match for readers who delight in macabre humor, unconventional family structures, and stories that find absurdity in the darkest of places.

Mood
  • surreal
  • delirious
  • claustrophobic
  • absurdist
Tone
  • darkly comic
  • satirical
  • naive
  • ironic
Pace
brisk
Themes
father-son dynamics · corrupted innocence · the absurdity of extreme wealth · unconventional family life
The writing
Masterful and darkly comic, filtering grim realities through a surprisingly innocent and delirious lens.
The arc
A whimsical childhood desire spirals into a delirious, darkly comic exploration of a deeply corrupted world.
Who it's for
Readers who love dark comedy, absurdist situations, and stories told from a uniquely naive perspective amidst chaos.
Content notes
  • drug cartels
  • hit men
  • implied violence

About the book

What Tochtli wants more than anything right now is a new pet for his private zoo: a pygmy hippopotamus from Liberia. But Tochtli is growing up in his drug baron father's luxury hideout, shared with hit men and dealers. Down the Rabbit Hole, a masterful and darkly-comic first novel, is the chronicle of a delirious journey to grant a child's wish.

Description from Open Library.

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