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3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
The lost wonderland diaries
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.5
Fun, whimsical and quick.
Full of friendships, overcoming hardships and strangeness.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.5
Fun, whimsical and quick.
Full of friendships, overcoming hardships and strangeness.
medium-paced
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was such a fun middle-grade story! A great tribute to Alice in Wonderland while at the same time telling its own unique story. The characters are not always what you expect, and the puzzles to solve were a great element. Plus a wonderful message about using your strengths and working together. The audiobook narrators did a fabulous job!
Celia is frustrated to be the new kid stuck with a bookish mom, the legacy of Lewis Carroll, and struggles with dyslexia. But throughout this story’s word play, logic and logistics, nods to Alice’s original adventures and new challenges to face, this story is a beautiful continuation of a beloved classic. As an Alice fan, I tend to have a tough eye for what I look for in Wonderland spinoffs— and this text would be ideal and enjoyable for my middle grade readers. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!
Thank you to Shadow Mountain Publishing for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
3.5/5
I liked the premise of this novel and the way that the author took Wonderland and the characters and then twisted them around. It was a fun adventure, but there were definitely some confusing parts. I did read an advanced copy so there could still be changes made, but I did find that there were a few times where something felt like it was missing.
I liked the characters. Celia is dyslexic and she’s just moved to a new place where she doesn’t know anyone. She doesn’t think very highly of herself because of her dyslexia. However, Celia is brilliant at math, and she has a very logical worldview.
Tyrus was the character I related to a little bit more because he’s a self-proclaimed bookaholic. The books he reads and the worlds he escapes into are his way of combatting loneliness.
Together these two characters journey into Wonderland and discover that logic and imagination work better when they’re working together. I liked that the messages in the book were showing people that it’s okay to be different. I liked the different kinds of puzzles they were faced with solving (although there was too much math for my taste). Some of the puzzles felt like they were too simple and obvious, and these were the ones that were more important to the overall plot line.
I noticed as well that the POV changed a few times. At the beginning in Wonderland we were in third person POV, but out of Wonderland we were in Celia’s head in first person POV. However, once Celia and Tyrus were in Wonderland, we were in third person again. And once they made it home from Wonderland, we were back into Celia’s head in first person. This was a bit strange to me.
Overall, I’d recommend this book for older middle-grade readers who enjoy fantasy worlds and classic tales that have been turned upside-down.
3.5/5
I liked the premise of this novel and the way that the author took Wonderland and the characters and then twisted them around. It was a fun adventure, but there were definitely some confusing parts. I did read an advanced copy so there could still be changes made, but I did find that there were a few times where something felt like it was missing.
I liked the characters. Celia is dyslexic and she’s just moved to a new place where she doesn’t know anyone. She doesn’t think very highly of herself because of her dyslexia. However, Celia is brilliant at math, and she has a very logical worldview.
Tyrus was the character I related to a little bit more because he’s a self-proclaimed bookaholic. The books he reads and the worlds he escapes into are his way of combatting loneliness.
Together these two characters journey into Wonderland and discover that logic and imagination work better when they’re working together. I liked that the messages in the book were showing people that it’s okay to be different. I liked the different kinds of puzzles they were faced with solving (although there was too much math for my taste). Some of the puzzles felt like they were too simple and obvious, and these were the ones that were more important to the overall plot line.
I noticed as well that the POV changed a few times. At the beginning in Wonderland we were in third person POV, but out of Wonderland we were in Celia’s head in first person POV. However, once Celia and Tyrus were in Wonderland, we were in third person again. And once they made it home from Wonderland, we were back into Celia’s head in first person. This was a bit strange to me.
Overall, I’d recommend this book for older middle-grade readers who enjoy fantasy worlds and classic tales that have been turned upside-down.
adventurous
mysterious
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The author/publisher provided a free copy of the book for review purposes - thank you! Receiving a review copy does not guarantee a positive review and therefore do not affect the opinion or content of the review.For someone who admittedly hasn't read Alice in Wonderland, The Lost Wonderland Diaries really felt like I was reading the Lewis Carroll classic. J. Scott Savage captures the essence and writing style of what many of us associate with Alice in Wonderland. Sometimes it felt like there were many similar scenes, but for someone who hasn't read the original, I honestly can't say whether that would be bothersome or not.
It was predictable in the overall grand scheme of things, but I think if I handed this to middle school or late elementary school me, she would've taken the book and only come out at the end of the book.
The Lost Wonderland Diaries was a lot of fun to read as Savage has us following along Celia and Tyrus in their journey when they stumble upon one of Lewis Carroll's lost journals and get pulled into the world that inspired the classics. But unlike the classics, there is something more hostile that wants to break into the real world, and both Celia and Tyrus come across various puzzles they work together to solve so they can leave Wonderland.
The two of them undergo growth throughout the course of the story that was a joy to read, starting out as two kids unlikely to cross paths much less becoming friends. As they solve more puzzles and uncover a plot from the Queen of Hearts, they slowly become friends, recognizing each others' strengths. They go from just wanting to leave Wonderland to developing a relationship with the residents of the world and wanting to save them as well.
The Lost Wonderland Diaries is quick to read and entertaining, with plenty of wordplay and logic, perfect for younger readers.
This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts.
It was predictable in the overall grand scheme of things, but I think if I handed this to middle school or late elementary school me, she would've taken the book and only come out at the end of the book.
The Lost Wonderland Diaries was a lot of fun to read as Savage has us following along Celia and Tyrus in their journey when they stumble upon one of Lewis Carroll's lost journals and get pulled into the world that inspired the classics. But unlike the classics, there is something more hostile that wants to break into the real world, and both Celia and Tyrus come across various puzzles they work together to solve so they can leave Wonderland.
The two of them undergo growth throughout the course of the story that was a joy to read, starting out as two kids unlikely to cross paths much less becoming friends. As they solve more puzzles and uncover a plot from the Queen of Hearts, they slowly become friends, recognizing each others' strengths. They go from just wanting to leave Wonderland to developing a relationship with the residents of the world and wanting to save them as well.
The Lost Wonderland Diaries is quick to read and entertaining, with plenty of wordplay and logic, perfect for younger readers.
This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts.