Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
Eighth graders Celia and Tyrus happen to meet in the library one summer day. Tyrus is a book nerd, and Celia is new in town. Her mom is the librarian. Celia is a distant relative of Charles Dodgeson, perhaps better known as Lewis Carroll. Tyrus is beyond thrilled to meet her and make this connection. Celia also reveals her dislike of books and reading due to having dyslexia. She's really more into numbers and math. If you are not a Lewis Carroll expert, you might not know that besides writing Alice's Adventures in Wonderland that he also wrote several diaries, and some of them went missing after his death. After collaborating to solve a puzzle, Celia and Tyrus find the diaries in the library office. They also find a little vial of liquid to "drink in an emergency."
Pretty soon Celia and Tyrus find themselves in Wonderland. They meet many of the same wise and wacky characters that Alice did, but there are some new ones too. Each new adventure brings new puzzles for Celia and Tyrus to solve. Turns out they can't solve the puzzles without putting Celia's logic with Tyrus's imagination. Readers will find in this story a tribute to Carroll as well as one about acceptance and championing neurodiversity.
The book stands alone nicely even if readers have not experienced the Alice books. Most faithful readers will want to read the Alice books or even reread them upon discovering Savage's tale. Treat yourself to a trip down both rabbit holes. The books are wonderful companions.
Pretty soon Celia and Tyrus find themselves in Wonderland. They meet many of the same wise and wacky characters that Alice did, but there are some new ones too. Each new adventure brings new puzzles for Celia and Tyrus to solve. Turns out they can't solve the puzzles without putting Celia's logic with Tyrus's imagination. Readers will find in this story a tribute to Carroll as well as one about acceptance and championing neurodiversity.
The book stands alone nicely even if readers have not experienced the Alice books. Most faithful readers will want to read the Alice books or even reread them upon discovering Savage's tale. Treat yourself to a trip down both rabbit holes. The books are wonderful companions.
A few years ago, I swore off reading spin-off books from my favorites. Too many just weren't true to the spirit of the original book and some even ended up ruining the original for me next time I went back to it.
I have always loved Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. I know it well—too well. I wrote multiple papers on it in college and my copy is marred with highlights. So I wasn't going to read this book. There was no way the author would be able to nail a sequel to my satisfaction. But my sister gave this book a glowing review—and offered to lend me her copy. That's all it took to get me to break my resolution.
I don't regret it! The Lost Wonderland Diaries was written with a clear, deep understanding of the original. There are wordplays based on those from the original book as well as some new ones. The new characters, Celia and Tyrus, are easy to relate to. And the book even held a surprise or two for me at the end!
I have always loved Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. I know it well—too well. I wrote multiple papers on it in college and my copy is marred with highlights. So I wasn't going to read this book. There was no way the author would be able to nail a sequel to my satisfaction. But my sister gave this book a glowing review—and offered to lend me her copy. That's all it took to get me to break my resolution.
I don't regret it! The Lost Wonderland Diaries was written with a clear, deep understanding of the original. There are wordplays based on those from the original book as well as some new ones. The new characters, Celia and Tyrus, are easy to relate to. And the book even held a surprise or two for me at the end!
This is one of my favorite novels. The writing is easy to follow and incredibly creative, taking important elements from Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland" and incorporating them cleverly into his story, creating puzzles and riddles for the reader to solve along with the characters. The author goes into deep history about Lewis Carroll and his novels, cleverly incorporating it into his book in a way that is not at all boring, the detailed history instead enhancing the novel. The novel remains true to the original "Alice in Wonderland" while creating an entirely different storyline, setting, and characters, the way the author uses the novel that inspired his book and creating a whole new world, yet still holding true to Lewis Carroll's book. The adventure and action is highly interesting, and kept me turning pages all day long, and the story has nothing held back from it. I highly suggest this for anyone who enjoyed "Alice in Wonderland", "Through the Looking Glass", "Artemis Fowl", "Keeper of the Lost Cities", "Beyonders", "Fablehaven", "Five Kingdoms", or any other creative fantasy novel. I also suggest this for anyone who enjoys history. The characters in the novel were very relatable and enjoyable, and the illustrations are beautiful. HIGHLY SUGGEST THIS NOVEL.
I cannot say enough good things about this book! It was absolutely fabulous. I have nothing bad to say. I think adults and children alike can enjoy and appreciate this book! I LOVE that J. Scott Savage included information about Dodgson/Carroll and that this book was not just a retelling of Alice in Wonderland. It is SO MUCH more than a retelling. It’s a book that tells kids (and adults) who have never fit in that it’s ok to be different. It’s educational. It’s funny. It’s suspenseful and exciting. It’s just great all around. I am eagerly looking forward to the next book!
Thank you so much to NetGalley, Shadow Mountain Publishing and J. Scott Savage for the ARC of The Lost Wonderland Diaries in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you so much to NetGalley, Shadow Mountain Publishing and J. Scott Savage for the ARC of The Lost Wonderland Diaries in exchange for my honest review.
3.5 Stars. Cute premise, finding diaries belonging to Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) and then being sucked into Wonderland - all while learning a bit more about Dodgson, watching the two main characters accept their quirks and prepare to face a new school year as a new kid, as well as trying to save Wonderland from a dark fate. Probably works best for children who have at least seen the movie and are familiar with the quirky world of Wonderland.
"There are no mistakes," said the cat. "Only opportunities waiting to be discovered." p 151
"It was the two of you working together. Logic and imagination combined will always be greater than either one alone. And change is the strongest when created together." P 318
"There are no mistakes," said the cat. "Only opportunities waiting to be discovered." p 151
"It was the two of you working together. Logic and imagination combined will always be greater than either one alone. And change is the strongest when created together." P 318
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this lovely and fun book! The Lost Wonderland Diaries is an incredibly fun story about two misfit kids finding themselves, and it is also an ode to Lewis Carroll's iconic works. J. Scott Savage clearly captures the whimsy of Carroll's Wonderland, and the way that Savage builds on Carroll's work is simply masterful. The two main characters, Celia and Tyrus, are well-crafted, and I loved watching them develop and overcome their personal obstacles and truly find themselves by the end of the book. I also loved that one of the main messages of the book is that logic and imagination have to work together, and too much of one or the other can create serious problems. I love the balance that is portrayed in this book, and I also just love how much fun it is! Whether you've read Alice in Wonderland or not, you can definitely enjoy this book! Highly recommend!
Celia just wants to pass her time in the shadows and not bring attention to her learning disability. When she is stuck at the library, she stumbles into a new friend and a gateway to the infamous Wonderland. But something is wrong with Wonderland and all the residences, will Celia be able to help restore the wonderful chaos? The Lost Wonderland Diaries breathes new imagination and wonder into the classic tale of Alice and Wonderland. All of the classic characters are present, such as The Mad Hatter, the White Rabbit, and the Cheshire Cat but Savage goes one step further to reimagine how time would have affected them. Celia and Tyrus are amazing protagonist and counter balance each other, which will have a wide range of appeal. Celia's growth throughout the book is a pleasure to read and her character as a whole is dull of depth and dimension. This story brought more understanding of wonderland and other chaotic aspects that are not in the original but could have been. The further exploration of Lewis Carrol was also a pleasant surprise , giving both new and old readers a new look on a beloved author.
Just couldn't get into this one, possibly because I wasn't in the mood for this particular genre.