Rabbits

A darkly funny, unsettling and sharply observed novel about privilege, power and the dangerous secrets lurking beneath the surface of elite boarding‑school life.

Included in The Times Best Paperback Books of 2025, Hugo Rifkind’s brilliantly satirical coming‑of‑age story blends humour, menace and social commentary with razor‑sharp precision.

About the Ebook

Rabbits follows Tommo, a middle‑class teenager thrust into the rarefied world of a prestigious boarding school in the early 1990s. Suddenly surrounded by the fading British elite — heirs to crumbling estates, dwindling fortunes and outdated traditions — he is drawn into a world that is both intoxicating and deeply unsettling.

At first, Tommo is dazzled by their confidence, their hedonism and their effortless entitlement. But beneath the charm lies something darker: a simmering resentment, a sense of decline, and a suppressed violence waiting to erupt.

When the brother of his friend Johnnie is found dead with a shotgun at his feet, Tommo begins to realise that this world is built on secrets — secrets everyone knows, but no one acknowledges. And some of those secrets are deadly.

Blending satire, tension and emotional insight, Rifkind delivers a novel that is as funny as it is disturbing — a sharp portrait of class, identity and the dangerous rituals of adolescence.

Critical Praise

"Keeps the outrageous laughs and twists coming in equal measure."
— Alexander Larman, The Observer

Why You'll Love This Ebook

• A darkly comic coming‑of‑age story set within the crumbling world of the British elite.
• Sharp social satire with a sinister, slow‑burning mystery at its core.
• Rich 1990s atmosphere blending nostalgia with unease.
• Perfect for fans of campus novels, class commentary and twist‑driven fiction.
• A standout Polygon fiction title recognised by The Times as one of the best books of 2025.

About the Author

Hugo Rifkind is a columnist, critic and leader writer for The Times and a presenter on Times Radio. Formerly a columnist for The Spectator, GQ and The Herald, he is a regular panellist on BBC Radio 4’s The News Quiz and an occasional guest on television programmes that are not supposed to be funny. Born and raised in Edinburgh, he studied in Cambridge and now lives in North London in a household where everyone else — including the dog — speaks German.

Publication Details

Publisher: Birlinn Ltd

Imprint: Polygon

Publication Date: 6 June 2024

Print Length: 352 pages

ISBN (Ebook): 9781788856621

Format: Ebook

Language: English

Categories: Fiction

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