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iliv3inmyh3ad's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
mandi_luvgood's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
ashleyinscribbleland's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
cblunier's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
sas408's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
rusticreadingal's review
5.0
I absolutely loved this story! If you know me, you know I love a good retelling, and this was one of the most imaginative ones I've ever read. It's not only the best Alice in Wonderland retelling, but one of my favorite retellings in general.
I was very intrigued to learn about this dystopian Wonderland and thought the worldbuilding was spectacular. The whole concept behind the Wonder gene, and the fallout it caused, was really fascinating.
Alice was a great leading lady. I loved watching her wonderment (pardon the pun) as she discovered Wonderland. Chess was probably my favorite character. He was so complex, and while I wasn't sure I could 100 percent trust him, I wanted to. Speaking of trust, everybody seemed to have some sort of hidden agenda or secret, so I never knew who to trust.
I can't recommend this book highly enough. It was so much fun. I loved all the clever nods to the original story, but I thought it was unique in its own right too. It did leave off on a bit of a cliffhanger, so I'm very eager to grab a copy of the sequel.
I was very intrigued to learn about this dystopian Wonderland and thought the worldbuilding was spectacular. The whole concept behind the Wonder gene, and the fallout it caused, was really fascinating.
Alice was a great leading lady. I loved watching her wonderment (pardon the pun) as she discovered Wonderland. Chess was probably my favorite character. He was so complex, and while I wasn't sure I could 100 percent trust him, I wanted to. Speaking of trust, everybody seemed to have some sort of hidden agenda or secret, so I never knew who to trust.
I can't recommend this book highly enough. It was so much fun. I loved all the clever nods to the original story, but I thought it was unique in its own right too. It did leave off on a bit of a cliffhanger, so I'm very eager to grab a copy of the sequel.
sarahbowling6608's review
4.0
I am not a fan of Disney fairytale fiction or dystopian fiction or most Christian fiction but somehow this book made its way into my TBR list. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it! Full warning though—have the second book ready to go because this one ends on a cliffhanger!
CC: disappearing kids, magic, us vs. them mentality, fear used by government to control, mild romance (a kiss and a lot of arms brushing, etc.)
CC: disappearing kids, magic, us vs. them mentality, fear used by government to control, mild romance (a kiss and a lot of arms brushing, etc.)
fulltimebookish's review
4.0
Wow, this is everything you look for from a book inspired by a beloved classic. Sara Ella really smashed it out of the park, and I'll be reading into the looking glass pronto.
The character development was done beautifully, everyone had places to grow. Every side character felt unique and special and you were quite wrapped up in their worlds. Alice was loveable and so relatable. She acted exactly as a 16 year old that had to grow up so fast and face so much upheaval would. Chess was a fan favorite over here!
The plot really unfolds well. Layer by layer the truth is peeled back. I'm really interested to see where this goes and I'm certainly hooked on finding out where we're going. It's another book you can't say too much about in a non-spoiler review because your world goes topsy turvy and every which way.
Which brings me to the world. I thought the setting was really cool conceptually. The vaguely dystopian feel of the "real" world contrasted with Wonderland was quite lovely. I feel like I was missing a bit of backstory for why the world was the way it was and the progression to its current state. I was told, it just felt a little loose to me. The magic system is really interesting and very open ended. I can't wait to see how it develops over the coming books and if it's reigned in a bit. It was thoroughly enjoyable.
And finally, the writing. The prose was a treat. I'm a fan of a little purple and it was just enough to feel other worldly and fantastical. The wonder of it all jumped off the page. I both read and listened to this book at different times and the voice actress is FANTASTIC, she has the best accent (just don't ask her to do an American one, lol) which elevated the whole feeling of the story.
Overall I'm really excited to see the characters in the next book and watch the story progress! So many questions!!!
The character development was done beautifully, everyone had places to grow. Every side character felt unique and special and you were quite wrapped up in their worlds. Alice was loveable and so relatable. She acted exactly as a 16 year old that had to grow up so fast and face so much upheaval would. Chess was a fan favorite over here!
The plot really unfolds well. Layer by layer the truth is peeled back. I'm really interested to see where this goes and I'm certainly hooked on finding out where we're going. It's another book you can't say too much about in a non-spoiler review because your world goes topsy turvy and every which way.
Which brings me to the world. I thought the setting was really cool conceptually. The vaguely dystopian feel of the "real" world contrasted with Wonderland was quite lovely. I feel like I was missing a bit of backstory for why the world was the way it was and the progression to its current state. I was told, it just felt a little loose to me. The magic system is really interesting and very open ended. I can't wait to see how it develops over the coming books and if it's reigned in a bit. It was thoroughly enjoyable.
And finally, the writing. The prose was a treat. I'm a fan of a little purple and it was just enough to feel other worldly and fantastical. The wonder of it all jumped off the page. I both read and listened to this book at different times and the voice actress is FANTASTIC, she has the best accent (just don't ask her to do an American one, lol) which elevated the whole feeling of the story.
Overall I'm really excited to see the characters in the next book and watch the story progress! So many questions!!!