Splintered

Original author: A. G. Howard

THE LOWDOWN:

Alyssa Gardner hears the thoughts of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.

When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own. 


FIRST IMPRESSION:

I’ve been collecting bugs since I was ten; it’s the only way I can stop their whispers.  Sticking a pin through the gut of an insect shuts it up pretty quick.

 

SNAPSHOT:

In this lyrical debut, a re-imaging and sequel to Alice in Wonderland, teenage Alyssa’s voice is instantly likable.  The gorgeous details of her human world—with her bizarrely grotesque but oddly captivating artwork, the acid-trip skater-park, and the dust-and-lace vintage shop she works at—and the incredible world-building surrounding Wonderland itself will have readers eagerly devouring Alyssa’s journey.

While the questions of her own and her mother’s madness is enticing, the novel does digress into a more straightforward love triangle that parallels Alyssa’s struggles.  Does she give her heart to her human life and skater-boi Jeb, or her fae-touched life and Wonderland bad-boy Morpheus?  Readers familiar with the genre will know the answer early on.

Appropriate for ages 13+.  Some strong language, intense fantasy-horror situations, and morbid imagery.

Deals with mental health issues in a strong and positive manner, even if the outcome is more fanciful than realistic.  A good starting point for open conversation.


GET IT ON YOUR SHELF:

If you…

  • Loved Tim Burton’s or American McGee’s versions of Alice
  • Are a skaterpunk, emo-artist, or vintage fiend
  • Know that the mad ones are the best ones
  • Need a touch of magic with your tea
  • Have ever wondered what happened next for Wonderland

 

THE ESSENTIALS:
YA fantasy romance
Hardcover & Ebook, 384 pages
Published January 1st 2013, by Amulet Books (ISBN 1419704281)
http://www.abramsbooks.com/Books/Splintered-9781419704284.html
(Review copy provided by Laura Mihalick at Amulet Books.)


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