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Quick answer: If you loved Bunny, read Mona Awad's Bunny, then Leigh Bardugo's Ninth House, then Olivie Blake's The Atlas Six, and Donna Tartt's The Secret History and M.L. Rio's If We Were Villains. All are dark, sharp campus novels.
Mona Awad's 2019 novel follows a lonely student drawn into a strange clique at a writing program. It is dark, funny and surreal. These picks share its campus mood.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bunny | Mona Awad | Adult | readers who like weird fiction |
| Ninth House | Leigh Bardugo | Adult | adult readers ready for mature content |
| The Atlas Six | Olivie Blake | Adult | readers who like dark academia |
| The Secret History | Donna Tartt | Adult | readers who want the original |
| If We Were Villains | M.L. Rio | Adult | readers who like theater |
| Carmilla | Sheridan Le Fanu | Adult | readers who want a short classic |
| Mexican Gothic | Silvia Moreno-Garcia | Adult | gothic horror fans |
| Rebecca | Daphne du Maurier | Adult | readers who want the classic |
| Piranesi | Susanna Clarke | Adult | readers who like puzzles |
| The Pisces | Melissa Broder | Adult | bizarre romance |
| Mrs. March | Virginia Feito | Adult | creeping paranoia |
| Sharp Objects | Gillian Flynn | Adult | readers who like psychological thrillers |
| The Girls | Emma Cline | Adult | readers who like coming-of-age darkness |
| My Sister, the Serial Killer | Oyinkan Braithwaite | Adult | readers who want a quick read |
| Wintergirls | Laurie Halse Anderson | 15+ | older teens ready for heavy topics |
1. Bunny by Mona Awad
Samantha joins a writing program at a New England university and is drawn to a clique of women. Surreal, dark and funny.
Best for: readers who like weird fiction.
2. Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
Alex Stern, a survivor, attends Yale to watch over its secret societies, which practice real magic. Dark and violent.
Best for: adult readers ready for mature content.
3. The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake
Six young magicians are recruited by a secret society to study forbidden knowledge. Complex and morally gray.
Best for: readers who like dark academia.
4. The Secret History by Donna Tartt
A group of classics students at a Vermont college commit a murder and cover it up. The book that defined dark academia.
Best for: readers who want the original.
5. If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio
Seven Shakespeare actors at an elite arts college face a death and a decade in prison. Dramatic and quotable.
Best for: readers who like theater.
6. Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu
A young woman befriends a mysterious girl who is a vampire. A short, atmospheric novella that predates Dracula.
Best for: readers who want a short classic.
7. Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Noemí travels to a decaying mansion in the Mexican countryside to check on her cousin. Gothic, atmospheric and creepy.
Best for: gothic horror fans.
8. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
A young bride arrives at Manderley and lives in the shadow of the first Mrs. de Winter. A masterpiece of gothic suspense.
Best for: readers who want the classic.
9. Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
A man lives in a vast house of statues and tides and slowly learns the truth about his world. Strange, quiet and brilliant.
Best for: readers who like puzzles.
10. The Pisces by Melissa Broder
A woman in Venice Beach falls for a merman. Dark, funny and strange.
Best for: bizarre romance.
11. Mrs. March by Virginia Feito
A wealthy woman descends into suspicion after reading a novel. Eerie and sharp.
Best for: creeping paranoia.
12. Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
Camille returns to her hometown to report on the murder of two girls and faces her family. Dark and stylish.
Best for: readers who like psychological thrillers.
13. The Girls by Emma Cline
Evie, a lonely teen in 1969 California, is drawn to a cult-like group of girls. Atmospheric and unsettling.
Best for: readers who like coming-of-age darkness.
14. My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
Korede cleans up after her beautiful sister Ayoola's murders in Lagos. Short, dark and funny.
Best for: readers who want a quick read.
15. Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
Lia struggles with anorexia after the death of her friend Cassie. Haunting and heavy, with strong content notes.
Best for: older teens ready for heavy topics.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Bunny: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to Bunny. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most.
How to Choose
For dark academia, read If We Were Villains or Ninth House. For the supernatural, try The Atlas Six. For gothic, pick Carmilla or Mexican Gothic.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote Bunny?
Mona Awad, in 2019.
Is it horror?
It mixes horror, satire and fantasy.
Is it dark academia?
Yes, in a twisted way.
Which book here is best for older teens ready for heavy topics?
Try Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson, which suits readers looking for older teens ready for heavy topics.
Which book here is best for readers who want a quick read?
Try My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite, which suits readers looking for readers who want a quick read.