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vicky30312's review against another edition
4.0
Man...Where do I even begin. I love this series so much that, even though I bought Ensared 1 week after it was released, I put off reading it for so long because I just had so many high expectations and I was afraid I would be let down. I finally pushed myself to just do it; I could live with whatever was written in the pages. So, going into the book I still could not decide who I wanted her to really end up with. I love Morpheus for his silly, manipulative self but Jeb is basically the guy I've always wanted. As the story progressed I was pleased with how the plot was coming out but Jeb was being a butt. After things were sorted I was happy. Everything was back the way it should be BUT... I feel like A.G. Howard used a but of a cop out. If I was Jeb, I would have never been able to live with the fact that once I was dead, Alyssa would just go off to Morpheus. I know that the author wanted everyone to have a happy ending, hey even I couldn't decide who I wanted her to be with till the very end, but I just wasn't too pleased with the end. That is the only reason I gave it 4 stars. As a whole this series is amazing and gave me one of the biggest book hangovers I've ever had. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more from A.G. Howard.
maddie_orart's review against another edition
3.0
Review also posted on Of Reading and Random Things
I have mixed feelings about this book. I’m pretty sure I like it a lot, but then I’ll remember some things that made me so annoyed and I don’t know if I like it that much.
In Ensnared, Alyssa, together with her dad and Chessie, traveled to AnyElsewhere, where all the Wonderland rejects live, to save Jeb and Morpheus before going to Wonderland to get her mom. There’s another evil queen in town and surprise surprise, Queen Red is there too. So now Alyssa must fight her way through the evil bird minions, an acid pool that somehow melts the entire body except the heart, and also settle the whole issue with Jeb. Sigh.
AnyElsewhere is totally different from Wonderland. The residents are unable to use their magic because of the iron dome surrounding AnyElsewhere. I thought the setting was very well done, as usual. I’ve said this before in my review of the previous books, A.G. Howard’s writing style is very descriptive and the words flow beautifully without excessive fluff. I really like the vivid imagery of AnyElsewhere and also Wonderland. It’s so much more fun than the ‘real world’ in Unhinged. Like I said, staying in Wonderland vs high school? Wonderland wins.
I love Alice in Wonderland. So every time I see an Alice retelling, I would probably read it. With this series, I really like the idea of Alice’s descendants going back to Wonderland and facing off with the evil Queen Red. But I find that it focuses waaay too much on the romance. Don’t get me wrong, I like reading about romance in YA, but in this book, I feel like the romance is taking over the plot. While I was reading, I was just thinking “okay, okay, get on with the action already”. Alyssa is more focused on why Jeb is being a jerk (as usual) than the whole ‘defeating Queen Red and saving everyone’ thing. The way I see it, just like in the previous books, Alyssa doesn’t really do anything except being present. It was always Morpheus doing all the plotting and the planning and the carrying out of the plan and Alyssa won’t know what’s going on until it’s over and she’ll blame Morpheus for something awful she thought he did. *run on sentence*. I mean, come on. You were too busy trying to talk to Jeb! I cannot.
I do like how Alyssa’s dad is included on her adventure instead of being absent like in most YA books. His background is actually very interesting. His brother, Bernard, is introduced in this book and readers get to learn more about Alyssa’s family history. It turns out, her mom’s side of the family is not the only magical one. Morpheus is awesome, as usual. I don’t think I would’ve continued reading this series if he wasn’t in it. I think I pretty much like all the characters in this series except Jeb and Alyssa, which is sad because Alyssa is the main character and the entire series is from her POV. In the beginning of Ensnared, I actually liked her more than in the previous books. She seemed so different to me, much better, but then they arrived in AnyElsewhere, she saw Jeb and she went back to being the girl she was before. The one I don’t like.
The ending is very confusing for me. I don’t understand why it had to end the way it did. It could’ve ended a different way (preferably my way :D ) and it would’ve been so much better. I’m trying so hard not to include a spoiler here but it’s difficult to explain what I mean without spoiling the book. I’ve read a few reviews mentioning similarities to The Infernal Devices and I get it, but I don’t think that it works for this book. I wish I could say more about why I don’t like the ending, but I know that I will spoil the book if I say anything more, so I’m going to stop.
If I wrote this review immediately after reading the book, I probably would’ve given it 4 stars. But alas, I wrote this review more than a week after reading and so I’ve had more time to think about it, and I decided to give it 3 stars instead. I know it seems like I have a lot of issues with this book, but aside from the ending, I actually do like it (3 stars on Goodreads = ‘I like it’). I thought the story is great whenever the actual plot managed to emerge from the sea of romance, I liked the world building a lot and if Alyssa could actually focus more on the important issues, I would definitely like her a lot more. I would recommend this series to people who love Alice in Wonderland stories like I do. If you don’t mind all the romance I think you would really enjoy this book. I hear that A.G. Howard will be releasing another book in 2017 which is a Phantom of the Opera spin-off, so I will definitely be reading that because it's Phantom :D.
I have mixed feelings about this book. I’m pretty sure I like it a lot, but then I’ll remember some things that made me so annoyed and I don’t know if I like it that much.
In Ensnared, Alyssa, together with her dad and Chessie, traveled to AnyElsewhere, where all the Wonderland rejects live, to save Jeb and Morpheus before going to Wonderland to get her mom. There’s another evil queen in town and surprise surprise, Queen Red is there too. So now Alyssa must fight her way through the evil bird minions, an acid pool that somehow melts the entire body except the heart, and also settle the whole issue with Jeb. Sigh.
AnyElsewhere is totally different from Wonderland. The residents are unable to use their magic because of the iron dome surrounding AnyElsewhere. I thought the setting was very well done, as usual. I’ve said this before in my review of the previous books, A.G. Howard’s writing style is very descriptive and the words flow beautifully without excessive fluff. I really like the vivid imagery of AnyElsewhere and also Wonderland. It’s so much more fun than the ‘real world’ in Unhinged. Like I said, staying in Wonderland vs high school? Wonderland wins.
I love Alice in Wonderland. So every time I see an Alice retelling, I would probably read it. With this series, I really like the idea of Alice’s descendants going back to Wonderland and facing off with the evil Queen Red. But I find that it focuses waaay too much on the romance. Don’t get me wrong, I like reading about romance in YA, but in this book, I feel like the romance is taking over the plot. While I was reading, I was just thinking “okay, okay, get on with the action already”. Alyssa is more focused on why Jeb is being a jerk (as usual) than the whole ‘defeating Queen Red and saving everyone’ thing. The way I see it, just like in the previous books, Alyssa doesn’t really do anything except being present. It was always Morpheus doing all the plotting and the planning and the carrying out of the plan and Alyssa won’t know what’s going on until it’s over and she’ll blame Morpheus for something awful she thought he did. *run on sentence*. I mean, come on. You were too busy trying to talk to Jeb! I cannot.
I do like how Alyssa’s dad is included on her adventure instead of being absent like in most YA books. His background is actually very interesting. His brother, Bernard, is introduced in this book and readers get to learn more about Alyssa’s family history. It turns out, her mom’s side of the family is not the only magical one. Morpheus is awesome, as usual. I don’t think I would’ve continued reading this series if he wasn’t in it. I think I pretty much like all the characters in this series except Jeb and Alyssa, which is sad because Alyssa is the main character and the entire series is from her POV. In the beginning of Ensnared, I actually liked her more than in the previous books. She seemed so different to me, much better, but then they arrived in AnyElsewhere, she saw Jeb and she went back to being the girl she was before. The one I don’t like.
The ending is very confusing for me. I don’t understand why it had to end the way it did. It could’ve ended a different way (preferably my way :D ) and it would’ve been so much better. I’m trying so hard not to include a spoiler here but it’s difficult to explain what I mean without spoiling the book. I’ve read a few reviews mentioning similarities to The Infernal Devices and I get it, but I don’t think that it works for this book. I wish I could say more about why I don’t like the ending, but I know that I will spoil the book if I say anything more, so I’m going to stop.
If I wrote this review immediately after reading the book, I probably would’ve given it 4 stars. But alas, I wrote this review more than a week after reading and so I’ve had more time to think about it, and I decided to give it 3 stars instead. I know it seems like I have a lot of issues with this book, but aside from the ending, I actually do like it (3 stars on Goodreads = ‘I like it’). I thought the story is great whenever the actual plot managed to emerge from the sea of romance, I liked the world building a lot and if Alyssa could actually focus more on the important issues, I would definitely like her a lot more. I would recommend this series to people who love Alice in Wonderland stories like I do. If you don’t mind all the romance I think you would really enjoy this book. I hear that A.G. Howard will be releasing another book in 2017 which is a Phantom of the Opera spin-off, so I will definitely be reading that because it's Phantom :D.
“The lack of magic is what leads humans to fantasize in the first place. And Alyssa, what a wonderfully powerful force an imagination can be.”
― A.G. Howard, Ensnared
stuckinafictionaluniverse's review against another edition
3.0
Spoiler-free for the whole series!
The good:
* The Splintered trilogy is a tangled, pretty mess; just like Wonderland.
Howard excels at imagery and vivid descriptions (not to mention the fabulous outfits). She paints a crystal clear picture of the chaotic and fascinating Wonderland, and later on AnyElseWhere.
You thought Wonderland was crazy? Wait until you see The looking-glass world.
The world-building feels well-rounded and complete, but loses none of its charm and mystery.
* We have a villain with a solid backstory which is developed and fleshed out in a very surprising way. Their motive is convincing and fits in well with the story, even though we didn't find out much about them until now.
* We see many new creatures and even more twists on the characters from the original fairytale. My favorite was The queen of hearts, whose name you should take literally. *shivers*
* Despite the slower pacing, the story remains addictive and fresh. I always wanted to know what would happen.
* A great deal of swooning and fun, seductive dialogue. There's a lot of tension and teasing, and I love it.
I'd let Morpheus take me to Wonderland any day, if you know what I mean.
The bad:
ALL ABOARD THE ANGST TRAIN. There’s a large focus on the romance, and the plot is pushed aside.
This love triangle may not be the worst one I’ve read, but it’s annoying enough.
However, the drama wasn’t necessary to the story and I wish it didn’t exist. It would make the books three times better.
I really liked the family dynamics that we see in book 2, and was disappointed when those promising backstories and relationships took a backseat in this installment.
I hate when the story only stretches to a little bubble around the main character and her love interests. What happened to our secondary characters? Alyssa's dad, and.. what's-her-face... Jenara, right? Sorry guys, you better take a time-out so the angst can get the spotlight. *eyeroll*
* Alyssa; the girl who is incapable of making decisions.Try flipping a fucking coin? She keeps going back and forth between the love interests while paying no attention to the consequences.
It was dumb, it took up way too much of the plot and annoyed me.
Alyssa is passive, which is something I loathe in my main characters. She could’ve been writer stronger and more relatable overall, someone you could root for and love.
* Three whole books, and only one real friendship (not counting Jeb because he's primarily a love interest). I didn't realize until now that we have a strong lack of non-romantic relationships in the series. Ensnared is above all a love story and struggle between two sides, so there's no need for friends, or what?
Plus, every woman except the MC in this book are either evil or disposable - only there for a short time and then completely ignored.
* The very end is pitch-perfect and predictable, and it bugged me.
The more I think about it, the more pissed I get with how the love triangle wrapped up. It's something I've seen many times before, and it didn't feel well-deserved in this book. That's all I can say without spoiling it, but it was a disappointment.
Final verdict:
Ensnared succeeds as a conclusion, and is slightly disappointing as a novel. The pacing is slower than in previous books; the plot messier and the romance/angst turned up a notch. Howard makes up for it by introducing us to a new exciting world and adding more twists and turns.
This series was a hurricane of madness and beauty. There were parts I loved and parts I hated, but it is overall a fun, memorable and unique story.
The good:
* The Splintered trilogy is a tangled, pretty mess; just like Wonderland.
Howard excels at imagery and vivid descriptions (not to mention the fabulous outfits). She paints a crystal clear picture of the chaotic and fascinating Wonderland, and later on AnyElseWhere.
You thought Wonderland was crazy? Wait until you see The looking-glass world.
The world-building feels well-rounded and complete, but loses none of its charm and mystery.
* We have a villain with a solid backstory which is developed and fleshed out in a very surprising way. Their motive is convincing and fits in well with the story, even though we didn't find out much about them until now.
* We see many new creatures and even more twists on the characters from the original fairytale. My favorite was The queen of hearts, whose name you should take literally. *shivers*
* Despite the slower pacing, the story remains addictive and fresh. I always wanted to know what would happen.
* A great deal of swooning and fun, seductive dialogue. There's a lot of tension and teasing, and I love it.
Spoiler
THE LINGERIE SCENE. *fans self*I'd let Morpheus take me to Wonderland any day, if you know what I mean.
The bad:
ALL ABOARD THE ANGST TRAIN. There’s a large focus on the romance, and the plot is pushed aside.
This love triangle may not be the worst one I’ve read, but it’s annoying enough.
However, the drama wasn’t necessary to the story and I wish it didn’t exist. It would make the books three times better.
I really liked the family dynamics that we see in book 2, and was disappointed when those promising backstories and relationships took a backseat in this installment.
I hate when the story only stretches to a little bubble around the main character and her love interests. What happened to our secondary characters? Alyssa's dad, and.. what's-her-face... Jenara, right? Sorry guys, you better take a time-out so the angst can get the spotlight. *eyeroll*
* Alyssa; the girl who is incapable of making decisions.
It was dumb, it took up way too much of the plot and annoyed me.
Alyssa is passive, which is something I loathe in my main characters. She could’ve been writer stronger and more relatable overall, someone you could root for and love.
* Three whole books, and only one real friendship (not counting Jeb because he's primarily a love interest). I didn't realize until now that we have a strong lack of non-romantic relationships in the series. Ensnared is above all a love story and struggle between two sides, so there's no need for friends, or what?
Plus, every woman except the MC in this book are either evil or disposable - only there for a short time and then completely ignored.
* The very end is pitch-perfect and predictable, and it bugged me.
The more I think about it, the more pissed I get with how the love triangle wrapped up. It's something I've seen many times before, and it didn't feel well-deserved in this book. That's all I can say without spoiling it, but it was a disappointment.
Spoiler
You can’t have the cake and eat it too! It’s so typical and cowardly to get both guys. I was hoping Alyssa would leave Jeb to rot in a hole...Final verdict:
Ensnared succeeds as a conclusion, and is slightly disappointing as a novel. The pacing is slower than in previous books; the plot messier and the romance/angst turned up a notch. Howard makes up for it by introducing us to a new exciting world and adding more twists and turns.
This series was a hurricane of madness and beauty. There were parts I loved and parts I hated, but it is overall a fun, memorable and unique story.
rosatulipan's review against another edition
4.0
Personal Raiting: 8.2/10
General Raiting: 7.8/10
review may or may not come
General Raiting: 7.8/10
review may or may not come
sarahp85's review against another edition
2.0
well... that was a weak ending wasn't it?
Pfff. I don't even know how to review this because I really liked the other books. And yes, I still have Untamed to go, but I believe that was an extra book right??
Maybe that will leave me a bit more satisfied. I was mostly annoyed throughout all of this.
I felt like they were trying to make me like Jeb (but I don't so it is a pointless effort) and all I wanted was for Alyssa to just MAKE UP YOUR MIND AND MAKE A CHOICE
that said, I do love this wonderland. The characters and the world itself I really like. Fingers crossed Untamed will make this all right again
Pfff. I don't even know how to review this because I really liked the other books. And yes, I still have Untamed to go, but I believe that was an extra book right??
Maybe that will leave me a bit more satisfied. I was mostly annoyed throughout all of this.
I felt like they were trying to make me like Jeb (but I don't so it is a pointless effort) and all I wanted was for Alyssa to just MAKE UP YOUR MIND AND MAKE A CHOICE
that said, I do love this wonderland. The characters and the world itself I really like. Fingers crossed Untamed will make this all right again
magikspells's review against another edition
3.0
I am severely conflicted about this book in so many ways. I went into it head first. I wanted to love the hell out of everything about it. And yet, when it got to the end, I really didn't feel anything.
I know I'm not the only one thats saying it, but there's a reason people hated Clockwork Princess and it's going to be the same reason people don't like the ending of this book. We want some resolution, a firm decision one way or another, whether it leaves us happy or sad. It's the decision that matters. And it's the fact that Alyssa can't seem to make that decision that really bothers me. I have a hard time believing in her ability to be a ruler and therefore decision maker. And yeah, I get it, she's got two parts....
Like I said, I'm conflicted. I love this world, I love the characters. But I don't 100% love how it was left.
I know I'm not the only one thats saying it, but there's a reason people hated Clockwork Princess and it's going to be the same reason people don't like the ending of this book. We want some resolution, a firm decision one way or another, whether it leaves us happy or sad. It's the decision that matters. And it's the fact that Alyssa can't seem to make that decision that really bothers me. I have a hard time believing in her ability to be a ruler and therefore decision maker. And yeah, I get it, she's got two parts....
Like I said, I'm conflicted. I love this world, I love the characters. But I don't 100% love how it was left.
annettebooksofhopeanddreams's review against another edition
5.0
Did you ever have that feeling? That feeling that you want to read a book right now, but you've just ordered the book and then it takes 6 weeks to actually reach you, due to various stupid reasons? That feeling that no other book is good enough, because you actually want that one book? Well, that's what happened to me with this book. And today, I finally had a calm day to devour it from start to finish.
And I was absolutely not disappointed. After the events in the previous book, I already knew we would go back to Wonderland (or well, some strange and dark part of it anyway) and I love how Howard managed to create an entire new world that's in a way really like the Wonderland she created in the first book and yet also still very different. The world building was phenomenal and it felt like I was truly there, with the characters.
Because it were those characters, Alyssa, Morpheus and Jeb who truly carried this story. This was about them, about their choices, about what they wanted, about what they felt, about what they were willing to sacrifice and how much they actually loved the other. This book was not just about saving Wonderland from Red, it was about the price they were willing to pay to save it and how far they were willing to go to save each other. And I loved it. Every second. Ever scene. Every tear. Every laugh. I love how Alyssa and Morpheus are so different from Alyssa and Jeb and I love how I wanted her to have them both so much that it almost hurt.
For me this was a really fitting end to the series. Lovely written, a lot of things we've learned in the previous books came back now and all pieces of the puzzle eventually fell into place. I will miss those characters and I already feel the itch to just re-read this series and start at the beginning again. This version of Wonderland, Morpheus, Jeb and Alyssa, they've all become a part of me and I don't think I'll ever be able to let them go again.
And I was absolutely not disappointed. After the events in the previous book, I already knew we would go back to Wonderland (or well, some strange and dark part of it anyway) and I love how Howard managed to create an entire new world that's in a way really like the Wonderland she created in the first book and yet also still very different. The world building was phenomenal and it felt like I was truly there, with the characters.
Because it were those characters, Alyssa, Morpheus and Jeb who truly carried this story. This was about them, about their choices, about what they wanted, about what they felt, about what they were willing to sacrifice and how much they actually loved the other. This book was not just about saving Wonderland from Red, it was about the price they were willing to pay to save it and how far they were willing to go to save each other. And I loved it. Every second. Ever scene. Every tear. Every laugh. I love how Alyssa and Morpheus are so different from Alyssa and Jeb and I love how I wanted her to have them both so much that it almost hurt.
For me this was a really fitting end to the series. Lovely written, a lot of things we've learned in the previous books came back now and all pieces of the puzzle eventually fell into place. I will miss those characters and I already feel the itch to just re-read this series and start at the beginning again. This version of Wonderland, Morpheus, Jeb and Alyssa, they've all become a part of me and I don't think I'll ever be able to let them go again.
kaeliwolf's review against another edition
5.0
This book was wonderfully enticing. I couldn't put it down for the life of me and I cried when it ended, whether from happy tears or something else I can't explain. On to the companion "Untamed" now.