Title: SplinteredAuthor: A.G. Howard
Genre: YA Fantasy
Published: January 1, 2013
Pages: 371
Goodreads
Synopsis
This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of a mystical under-land, as well as a girl’s pangs of first love and independence.
Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers 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.
Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers 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.
Review
I found a copy of this book just sitting underneath a tree next to a rather peaceful looking lake one day, and since I would have hated for the elements to destroy it and there was no one else around (the nearby parking lot was completely empty when we arrived), I assumed the owner would not be returning to retrieve their book, so I put it in my bag to take it home with me. I forgot all about it for a few weeks until I started to hear some strange noises coming from my bag. It sounded almost like whispers. I tried to ignore it, but those whispers were rather persistent.
Once I finally gave in and started reading the book, it was liked I'd been sucked down a rabbit hole. I literally could not put it down until I had finished reading it (this seems to be happening a to me a lot lately). I felt like I was actually part of this story. I grabbed a bucket to try and help Alyssa drain the ocean. I busted out a base drum to help her wake up the Mad Hatter and company, and I even acted as bait to subdue that freakin' bandersnatch (the doctor says I'll hardly have any scars at all after my wounds heal). By the end of the book, I was freakin' exhausted, and I didn't even get one of the guys. Freakin' Alyssa took both of them! Greedy bitch.
This book gets a Queen of Hearts on a scale of Ace to King.
Buy the Book
About the Author
A.G. Howard was inspired to write SPLINTERED while working at a school library. She always wondered what would've happened had the subtle creepiness of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland taken center stage, and she hopes her darker and funkier tribute to Carroll will inspire readers to seek out the stories that won her heart as a child.
When she's not writing, A.G.'s pastimes are reading, rollerblading, gardening, and family vacations which often include impromptu side trips to 18th century graveyards or condemned schoolhouses to appease her overactive muse.
When she's not writing, A.G.'s pastimes are reading, rollerblading, gardening, and family vacations which often include impromptu side trips to 18th century graveyards or condemned schoolhouses to appease her overactive muse.
Alternate Reviews
If you would like to read some legitimate reviews of Splintered, just click any of the following links.
