Wild Hare is a fast paced work of apocalyptic and dystopian fiction penned by author Laura Koerber. Combining such varied concepts as fantasy and magic with climate change and political domination is no mean feat, but the plot of this adventurous tale does just that. The central character is Bobby Fallon, an acerbic petty criminal who happens to be part forest fairy. Attached to the Wild Hare clan and guarding a small patch of turf, Bobby negotiates the problems of the real world as everything slowly turns to chaos around him. Poking fun at the exacerbation of conservativism, Bobby’s daily struggles are leading him to the end of the world, and he knows it.

Author Laura Koerber has created a truly unusual work of fiction, painting a portrait of a more realistic apocalypse that everyone can actually see coming. Charged with in-jokes about the current state of politics in the USA, the themes are gently wound into a humorous and genuinely compelling tale of ordinary people trying to get on with their lives. Despite the disaster around him and some of Bobby’s more questionable actions, it’s clear that he is written with affection, and grows on you as a fashionable anti-hero rebelling against every plot twist that hits him. The atmosphere is well maintained from scene to scene, dwelling in that strange place where you can’t believe that something is true, yet you know it really is. Overall, Wild Hare is masterful in its blend of satire and dystopian adventure, with a magical twist that offsets the reality of the plot beautifully.

Wild Hare by Laura Koerber focuses on the point of view of a half hare fairy, half human named Bob Fallon. His life is a cycle, a routine of sorts. He helps Arne, hangs out with Sally, Charlie, and Danni, waits for the next fairy dance… feeds, fornicates, and fights. Overall, Bob’s personal life is as good as it is going to get in Secret Lake and Bear Lake. Still, Bob burns inside as he looks around at the dying forests and greedy insatiable humans. He knows that his life might be ‘okay’ right now, but with the way things were going, it probably wouldn’t last. Even though he is a fairy that could hypnotize people sometimes, the power he and the other native spirits have is nothing compared to human stupidity and greed. Money is the most powerful magic of all, but as things go from bad to worse, he finds he just can’t keep standing by to watch the greedy people win.

Laura Koerber’s characters are so innately human in their actions, thoughts, and words that I was left stunned. The characterization of Bob is amazing as someone who is vindictive and angry at the state of the world, at the state of the poor, but had the power to actually do something about it, even giving in to pettiness just to get back at someone (anyone) who is directly or indirectly the cause of how the horrible the world has become. When I place myself in Bob’s shoes, and although I do not agree with some of his actions, I ‘understood’ and sympathized with his reasons for doing them. Bob is angry with himself for doing nothing, with the humans for hurting the forests, the lake, the world. He had a right to that anger, injustice constantly surrounded him and he felt helpless, useless. But that anger led him to do the wrong things and his actions had consequences.

Koerber emphasized these key points skillfully in Wild Hare, with well thought out and quotable lines like, “Is this how bad people do bad things—by forgiving themselves?” and “When you fight a violent and mean enemy, it’s difficult not to become violent and mean yourself.” I am impressed with how Koerber weaved unforgettable moral lessons through the tough tangles of the problems their society faced in Wild Hare. The content is intense and, to me, there is never a dull moment with every turn of the page. This was truly a one of a kind story. Thank you to the author for the unforgettable reading experience.