Reviews

Red Queen by Christina Henry

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averyawkwardbeing's review

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dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

book_dragon_xx's review

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funny lighthearted mysterious relaxing fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

lotteee11's review

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adventurous hopeful mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

The writing style is amazing, and it’s so cool how the author uses references to the original Alice in Wonderland story whilst also creating a much more heroic tale. The complex characters and underlying themes of trauma and abuse make this such a brilliant book. I do wonder what the final book in this triology will be about, as the ending of Red Queen felt very final.

evemp3's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

the_reading_vampire's review

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dark fast-paced

3.0

annettebooksofhopeanddreams's review against another edition

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5.0

It's hard to describe my feelings while reading this book. It was as if I got lost, lost in a book to never return anymore, lost in that other wonderland, with red and white queens and chessboards, with goblins and giants and monsters, with magic and wolves and wishes that are more powerful than anything else in the world.

Christina Henry has a mesmerizing writing style, that makes me read slower because I want to make sure to let it sink in. I want to feel the rhythm of the words, the power of their meaning, the way they are used and phrased and put together. I want to enjoy the beautiful mixture between a fairytale and a gruesome story about all the horrors in the world.

She combines this writing style with intriguing characters that are complicated, layered, conflicted and more grey than anything. Because the world is not black and white and neither are the characters in this story. Alice, especially Alice, therefore becomes a strangely realistic person, vivid inside my mind while I read about her adventures in this monstrous and scary wonderland, where nothing is what it seems and death can lurk around every corner.

As the very last ingredient of this brilliant retelling, we can add the clever plot. Where it's mostly about the journey, but also a little about the destination. Where it's mostly about finding the power within yourself, but also a little about the help from others you should always accept. Where it's mostly about Wonderland, but also a little about the real worlds where monsters are often pretending to be at our aide.

And now I really need the other Henry books!