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hollygo12345's review
3.0
Think about it! Alice returns from her adventure in Wonderland and she can’t stop talking about the experience. It’s not at all far-fetched to imagine that her parents think she has lost her mind and has gone mad. So Mom and Dad do what parents did at the time — they send her off to an insane asylum.
She returns to Wonderland and is tasked with killing the Queen of Hearts but she doesn’t want to do it. Nearly all of the book takes place in Wonderland and it is fun to visit the place again. However, it did not captivate me and I had a hard time getting through it. The storyline meandered all over the place and the character development was lacking. Also, it didn’t seem nearly as whimsical as the original. However, it was a great premise but it was only touched on in the beginning and end.
She returns to Wonderland and is tasked with killing the Queen of Hearts but she doesn’t want to do it. Nearly all of the book takes place in Wonderland and it is fun to visit the place again. However, it did not captivate me and I had a hard time getting through it. The storyline meandered all over the place and the character development was lacking. Also, it didn’t seem nearly as whimsical as the original. However, it was a great premise but it was only touched on in the beginning and end.
story_sanctuary's review
3.0
I think the idea of EVER ALICE is really clever. It seems completely plausible to me that if the Alice from the original story came back from Wonderland and tried to explain her adventures to her family and friends, they would send her to an asylum.
That premise also gives EVER ALICE a darker, creepier feel. This Wonderland feels much more like something created by Tim Burton rather than Lewis Carroll. Several scenes show victims of the Red Queen’s conspiracy theories getting beheaded. She chooses food and drinks that become increasingly gross.
Something felt missing for me in reading the book, though. I wanted more from Alice. She’s a passive character, constantly getting caught up in other people’s plans. Even when she finally (about 60% of the way through the story) commits to a course of action, she still relies on others to lead her to the solution to her problem.
I liked that the story isn’t as simple as a girl falling through a rabbit hole into another world. (Though I guess that doesn’t sound all that simple.) I liked that it left me with questions about what Alice really experienced. All in all, I’d say EVER ALICE wasn’t the best fit for me as a reader, but it was an interesting leap from the original story.
If you’re looking for a reimagining of ALICE IN WONDERLAND, I recommend Umberland, the second book in the series by Wendy Spinale.
That premise also gives EVER ALICE a darker, creepier feel. This Wonderland feels much more like something created by Tim Burton rather than Lewis Carroll. Several scenes show victims of the Red Queen’s conspiracy theories getting beheaded. She chooses food and drinks that become increasingly gross.
Something felt missing for me in reading the book, though. I wanted more from Alice. She’s a passive character, constantly getting caught up in other people’s plans. Even when she finally (about 60% of the way through the story) commits to a course of action, she still relies on others to lead her to the solution to her problem.
I liked that the story isn’t as simple as a girl falling through a rabbit hole into another world. (Though I guess that doesn’t sound all that simple.) I liked that it left me with questions about what Alice really experienced. All in all, I’d say EVER ALICE wasn’t the best fit for me as a reader, but it was an interesting leap from the original story.
If you’re looking for a reimagining of ALICE IN WONDERLAND, I recommend Umberland, the second book in the series by Wendy Spinale.
gotathingforthings's review
3.0
Check out my full video review: https://youtu.be/6wJbfAaJegY
Ever Alice is an Alice in Wonderland retelling, set when Alice is 15 years old and sent to a asylum by her parents. They thinking she is mad after all her tales about Wonderland. Alice escapes the asylum with the help of the White Rabbit, going to Wonderland to assist in taking down the Red Queen from her throne.
In this retelling we also follow the perspective of the Red Queen, as well as Alice’s. The book has all the whimsicalness of Wonderland, with different kinds of creatures and rules in the world that does not make sense anywhere else. We even get a backstory of the Red Queen that I quite enjoyed. However, I found some plot points and character choices questionable. They didn’t really have grounds for their choices. The writing was also too direct and “childish” for me. But overall, it was entertaining and had some good parts even though the plot didn’t flow as I wanted it to. (Even though, Wonderland never flows smoothly anyway haha…). 3/5 stars.
Ever Alice is an Alice in Wonderland retelling, set when Alice is 15 years old and sent to a asylum by her parents. They thinking she is mad after all her tales about Wonderland. Alice escapes the asylum with the help of the White Rabbit, going to Wonderland to assist in taking down the Red Queen from her throne.
In this retelling we also follow the perspective of the Red Queen, as well as Alice’s. The book has all the whimsicalness of Wonderland, with different kinds of creatures and rules in the world that does not make sense anywhere else. We even get a backstory of the Red Queen that I quite enjoyed. However, I found some plot points and character choices questionable. They didn’t really have grounds for their choices. The writing was also too direct and “childish” for me. But overall, it was entertaining and had some good parts even though the plot didn’t flow as I wanted it to. (Even though, Wonderland never flows smoothly anyway haha…). 3/5 stars.
sirenhexe's review
3.0
It's like a combination of the Tim Burton films and Alice Madness Returns video game. I enjoyed it but also....nothing new. Yes, its a retelling but I didn't get any kind of 'new twist' or originality from it.
wilduniversechild's review against another edition
4.0
Quality of Writing: 8/10
Pace: 7/10
Plot Development: 9/10
Characters: 7/10
Enjoyability: 9/10
Insightfulness: 10/10
Ease of Reading: 6/10
Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I received an advanced reader copy of Ever Alice through NetGalley.
I have so many thoughts about this book that I don't know where to start. Let's start with what I loved, I guess.
- The twists. I didn't see most of them coming, but they were all so well thought out and surprising. I love being surprised like that. The ending was the best part, because it made everything click into place. It was so good, I started babbling about it to my mother.
- The Wonderland logic. Everything was "unimportant" if it was important and "disastrous" if it was wonderful. Their tea smells like dirty socks and the mattresses are best when lumpy. Of course, some of these things went a bit overboard, but I thought a great deal of them made sense.
- Everyone is mad. This book keeps you on your toes, and you surely feel like you've plunged into a rabbit hole if you don't remember that everyone is mad.
Now, for the one big thing I didn't like:
- The Prince of Hearts. He didn't exist for any other reason than to be Alice's love interest, and that wasn't even believable. The romance was utterly stupid, and I don't know why Marilyn Montague was written in either. The romance was way too "love-at-first-sight" for me, and not in a good way. If that had been cut out altogether, or just written better, I would have liked it more.
Overall, a wonderful take on Wonderland, and that ending really blew me out of my mind. If anyone wants to talk about it with me feel free! I just didn't want to let slip any spoilers here.
Pace: 7/10
Plot Development: 9/10
Characters: 7/10
Enjoyability: 9/10
Insightfulness: 10/10
Ease of Reading: 6/10
Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I received an advanced reader copy of Ever Alice through NetGalley.
I have so many thoughts about this book that I don't know where to start. Let's start with what I loved, I guess.
- The twists. I didn't see most of them coming, but they were all so well thought out and surprising. I love being surprised like that. The ending was the best part, because it made everything click into place. It was so good, I started babbling about it to my mother.
- The Wonderland logic. Everything was "unimportant" if it was important and "disastrous" if it was wonderful. Their tea smells like dirty socks and the mattresses are best when lumpy. Of course, some of these things went a bit overboard, but I thought a great deal of them made sense.
- Everyone is mad. This book keeps you on your toes, and you surely feel like you've plunged into a rabbit hole if you don't remember that everyone is mad.
Now, for the one big thing I didn't like:
- The Prince of Hearts. He didn't exist for any other reason than to be Alice's love interest, and that wasn't even believable. The romance was utterly stupid, and I don't know why Marilyn Montague was written in either. The romance was way too "love-at-first-sight" for me, and not in a good way. If that had been cut out altogether, or just written better, I would have liked it more.
Overall, a wonderful take on Wonderland, and that ending really blew me out of my mind. If anyone wants to talk about it with me feel free! I just didn't want to let slip any spoilers here.
nfuscaldo7's review
4.0
This book was really fun and it was entertaining to go back to Wonderland and see it a little bit differently this time. I love that everything really does come full circle and although I still have a few questions I can say I was completely satisfied by the end of the book
kdtoverbooked's review
3.0
I received this book a long time ago as an ARC. I never made the time to read it and I decided to rectify that this year. It’s a good thing I don’t live in Wonderland or surely the Queen would have had me beheaded for tardiness. If you enjoy fairy tale reimaginings, check out this fun take on Alice and her return to Wonderland. There are lines that will make you laugh aloud and other lines that will make you question your motivations in your own life.
pryngols's review
3.0
I very rarely read retellings so I was excited to read this one. The opening chapters were really promising. I enjoyed the alternating POVs between Alice and the Queen of Hearts. It is also funny in the tradition of Alice in Wonderland, with madness waiting at every corner of the beautiful paradise/ fantasy land.
However, about halfway through I started to think it could have been pushed even further. It could use a bit more madness, or be more philosophical, or more visceral. Perhaps I expected too much from this book but that is always a risk when reading a reinvention of a classic that is well-loved.
I needed to know the motivations behind the character’s actions. I am not a fan of insta-love and can only tolerate it depending on the situation but this novel has one of the worst— I just couldn’t imagine why Alice would even like Prince Thomas, and vice versa. There was also the part where Alice all of a sudden knew for certain who the traitor of the rebellion is, with no explanation whatsoever. No matter how mad Wonderland is, I was still looking for the logic which I believe is an essential element in the world building.
The nonsense is just that—nonsense. Most of the absurdity did not have the underlying creativity or philosophy of the original Alice.
I am still giving this a 3⭐️ rating because the novel is really good if viewed as fanfiction, but maybe not as the literary retelling/reimagining that I was hoping for ✌🏻
Big thanks to NetGalley and Red Rogue Press for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
However, about halfway through I started to think it could have been pushed even further. It could use a bit more madness, or be more philosophical, or more visceral. Perhaps I expected too much from this book but that is always a risk when reading a reinvention of a classic that is well-loved.
I needed to know the motivations behind the character’s actions. I am not a fan of insta-love and can only tolerate it depending on the situation but this novel has one of the worst— I just couldn’t imagine why Alice would even like Prince Thomas, and vice versa. There was also the part where Alice all of a sudden knew for certain who the traitor of the rebellion is, with no explanation whatsoever. No matter how mad Wonderland is, I was still looking for the logic which I believe is an essential element in the world building.
The nonsense is just that—nonsense. Most of the absurdity did not have the underlying creativity or philosophy of the original Alice.
I am still giving this a 3⭐️ rating because the novel is really good if viewed as fanfiction, but maybe not as the literary retelling/reimagining that I was hoping for ✌🏻
Big thanks to NetGalley and Red Rogue Press for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
leahsbooks's review
1.0
TRIGGER WARNING: fatphobia
I’ve always loved Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. When I came across this book, I jumped at the chance to read it. The premise sounded good, especially if you’ve ever wondered (like I have) about what happened to Alice after the end of the Wonderland story.
However, the story just never managed to follow up on the lofty aspirations. The chapters vary between the point of view of Alice and Rosamund, the Queen of Hearts, creating a jerky and disjointed style. The story is extremely slow-moving and more than a little boring. The characters were one-dimensional and bland. Alice just seems to be there, and functions as more of an observer in her own life than an active participant. She doesn’t really even do anything at all for the majority of the story, and only participates in any action towards the very end of the book. For some reason, random characters from history, children’s games, and other stories are thrown in, including Marco Polo, Colonel Mustard, Lady Godiva, Wendy Darling, and a very thinly disguised version of Marilyn Monroe.
The fun and whimsical atmosphere of the original Alice in Wonderland seems to have been lost in favor of inserting ever-increasing absurdity that really didn’t add anything to the story. The final nail in the coffin was the ever-escalating fatphobic comments that were made towards a character who was in the early stages of a pregnancy. It began with snide comments about her weight, and then rapidly escalated into a running commentary on her disgusting eating habits. There wasn’t a single scene in which this character was in that her weight or eating wasn’t mentioned.
After reading this, I realized that some books don’t need to be an ongoing series, and should just be left as they are.
I’ve always loved Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. When I came across this book, I jumped at the chance to read it. The premise sounded good, especially if you’ve ever wondered (like I have) about what happened to Alice after the end of the Wonderland story.
However, the story just never managed to follow up on the lofty aspirations. The chapters vary between the point of view of Alice and Rosamund, the Queen of Hearts, creating a jerky and disjointed style. The story is extremely slow-moving and more than a little boring. The characters were one-dimensional and bland. Alice just seems to be there, and functions as more of an observer in her own life than an active participant. She doesn’t really even do anything at all for the majority of the story, and only participates in any action towards the very end of the book. For some reason, random characters from history, children’s games, and other stories are thrown in, including Marco Polo, Colonel Mustard, Lady Godiva, Wendy Darling, and a very thinly disguised version of Marilyn Monroe.
The fun and whimsical atmosphere of the original Alice in Wonderland seems to have been lost in favor of inserting ever-increasing absurdity that really didn’t add anything to the story. The final nail in the coffin was the ever-escalating fatphobic comments that were made towards a character who was in the early stages of a pregnancy. It began with snide comments about her weight, and then rapidly escalated into a running commentary on her disgusting eating habits. There wasn’t a single scene in which this character was in that her weight or eating wasn’t mentioned.
After reading this, I realized that some books don’t need to be an ongoing series, and should just be left as they are.
jenniefromthebook's review
4.0
This was such a fun read ! It starts with Alice post wonderland adventures . She’s in a mental facility because no one has ever believed her . Thanks to the good ol trust white rabbit showing up .. She breaks out right before being transferred into a very aggressive facility and ends up back in the wonderful wacky world we all know and love . With a few character changes and world edits here and there . A fun retelling of a story we have all loved growing up. I loved the twists and turns we took with this adventure.
It was great to be in the head of the Queen of hearts as well as Alice . Very witty writing . I strongly recommend this book to all Alice in wonderland fans . Thank you Netgalley for an opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review .
It was great to be in the head of the Queen of hearts as well as Alice . Very witty writing . I strongly recommend this book to all Alice in wonderland fans . Thank you Netgalley for an opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review .