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manic_bibliophile's review
1.0
Were it not for the fact that I don't like to DNF books, I would have stopped at the 200 page mark and gladly thrown this book in the recycle bin. I almost did exactly this more than once while reading.
As a rule, I tend to be incredibly lenient when it comes to children's and middle grade books, and I keep in the back of my mind to read them as a parent or teacher would; does this book benefit a child's reading experience, will it enable them to think critically or creatively about what they're reading? Even if this is not the case, I rarely find a kid's book that wouldn't have at the bare minimum an entertaining premise. This isn't on the behalf of the kids, because kids aren't dumb when it comes to stories they like, but I do this for the author's benefit. They wrote these books with kids as their audience, so as long as the story is good, it's my opinion to never rip into their book unless I personally feel it absolutely deserves it.
This is my take. This is not against anyone who loves this book - please continue to love it as fiercely as possible.
That being said, this book gave me an extreme sense of whiplash with the inconsistencies and lack of information that is absolutely required for worldbuilding at every reading level. From the first descriptions, I couldn't tell if Wonderland was supposed to be a steampunk world, a high fantasy world, or an amalgamation of different time periods with a little steampunk scattered throughout, and spent a good amount of time scratching my head trying to figure it out. But whatever, it'll get more apparent, right? (It didn't.)
On a similar note, the worldbuilding itself was so so so awful. Like, there was a moment when I was twenty pages from the end where I knocked my book down and saw the map at the beginning of the book that I'd completely forgotten about, and I thought to myself, Huh. Wonderland is supposed to be a lot bigger than it's been described.
To give a broad sense of my reading experience for this and cut my review down, I felt frustrated and like I was being given the roughest of drafts for an idea that could have absolutely worked and been a great read. The story was bland and uninteresting and cushioned in almost 200 pages of filler that was a struggle to get through. The plot, when we got to the actual plot, was rushed and terribly executed. The characters were the weakest point for me, like either stick with the Wonderland inspiration or don't, but the attempt at having a middle ground between the two with characters like The Mad Hatter being the polar opposite of his namesake juxtaposed with the Queen of Hearts being a twisted yet apparent version of hers was a huge let down. All in all this book just came across as a lazy alternative fanfiction rather than a fully formed and fleshed out inspired retelling.
The one positive that I can say about this book from an adult perspective is the thing that I've seen mentioned a few times as a negative, and that is the scene with the Cheshire Cat character - aptly named The Cat. Amazing. - wherein he delivers lines straight out of Taxi Driver to a cluster of trees and shrubs that are mocking him. "Are you talking to me? I don't see anyone else around so you must be talking to me."
Shut the front door.
As a rule, I tend to be incredibly lenient when it comes to children's and middle grade books, and I keep in the back of my mind to read them as a parent or teacher would; does this book benefit a child's reading experience, will it enable them to think critically or creatively about what they're reading? Even if this is not the case, I rarely find a kid's book that wouldn't have at the bare minimum an entertaining premise. This isn't on the behalf of the kids, because kids aren't dumb when it comes to stories they like, but I do this for the author's benefit. They wrote these books with kids as their audience, so as long as the story is good, it's my opinion to never rip into their book unless I personally feel it absolutely deserves it.
This is my take. This is not against anyone who loves this book - please continue to love it as fiercely as possible.
That being said, this book gave me an extreme sense of whiplash with the inconsistencies and lack of information that is absolutely required for worldbuilding at every reading level. From the first descriptions, I couldn't tell if Wonderland was supposed to be a steampunk world, a high fantasy world, or an amalgamation of different time periods with a little steampunk scattered throughout, and spent a good amount of time scratching my head trying to figure it out. But whatever, it'll get more apparent, right? (It didn't.)
On a similar note, the worldbuilding itself was so so so awful. Like, there was a moment when I was twenty pages from the end where I knocked my book down and saw the map at the beginning of the book that I'd completely forgotten about, and I thought to myself, Huh. Wonderland is supposed to be a lot bigger than it's been described.
To give a broad sense of my reading experience for this and cut my review down, I felt frustrated and like I was being given the roughest of drafts for an idea that could have absolutely worked and been a great read. The story was bland and uninteresting and cushioned in almost 200 pages of filler that was a struggle to get through. The plot, when we got to the actual plot, was rushed and terribly executed. The characters were the weakest point for me, like either stick with the Wonderland inspiration or don't, but the attempt at having a middle ground between the two with characters like The Mad Hatter being the polar opposite of his namesake juxtaposed with the Queen of Hearts being a twisted yet apparent version of hers was a huge let down. All in all this book just came across as a lazy alternative fanfiction rather than a fully formed and fleshed out inspired retelling.
The one positive that I can say about this book from an adult perspective is the thing that I've seen mentioned a few times as a negative, and that is the scene with the Cheshire Cat character - aptly named The Cat. Amazing. - wherein he delivers lines straight out of Taxi Driver to a cluster of trees and shrubs that are mocking him. "Are you talking to me? I don't see anyone else around so you must be talking to me."
Shut the front door.
rebesaurusrex's review
3.0
I enjoyed the first book in this series; though based on the ending, not quite sure why it's a series rather than a standalone book. The pacing was a little uneven but I remained generally engaged. Jury is still out on if I will complete the series.
teaturtlesandbooks's review
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
noni2002's review
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Read early in the year, is a kids book so did not enjoy that much hated the pace and thought most of it was rushed
elle4352's review
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The Looking Glass Wars is a YA fantasy retelling of Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland"
Things You'll Find:
*Steampunk Alice in Wonderland*
*Tons of fight scenes*
*A bit of a strange timeline*
I'm always here for a retelling, and Alice in Wonderland has so many characters and such a vast world that every retelling is always like reading a brand new story. This book was no different, Beddor takes Wonderland and transforms it into a war torn world full of interesting machinery and complex aristocratic and royal families. I have to agree with other reviewers, the book is pretty fast paced, but that's something I enjoy especially when a book is nearly 400 pages. I think, overall, we get a great sense of the world and conflict in this book and though I haven't read the sequels, it seems Beddor has set up a strong storyline that'll carry well into the next two novels. I was genuinely interested in seeing where the plot was going and found I couldn't put it down. This book was written before flowery prose became really popular, so while you won't find pages and pages of describing a forlorn Wonderland, the description Beddor provided gave me just enough to envision my own idea of his Wonderland without bogging me down with too much.
My drawbacks are ultimately the characters. For strictly plot-people, I think this book is going to exactly what they want, but if you really need that connection with characters to fall in love with a story, that's where this books fall short. Outside of Alyss, I really couldn't distinguish a specific voice or personality for any of the other characters. They start to blend together anytime everyone has gathered on the same page and is trying to speak. As for Alyss, I thought she was rather docile, and while I get the circumstances are what they are, it just seemed like she was really easy to sway to either side so I had trouble clicking with her because she didn't exude a lot of individuality or personality. Dodge as a character is consumed by vengeance and it doesn't bode well to make the audience connect or like him. And the Mad Hatter is so stoic that I couldn't vibe with him either. The story is primarily told through the eyes of those three, so by the end of the book while I was eager to know what happened for story's sake, I really didn't care about what happened to any of them. And, side note, the Jack of Diamonds has a huge butt and it's mentioned all the time. It was...a choice?
I also didn't like the way the timeline unfolded in the first half of the book. We jump from preteen Alyss, to kid Alyss, to Hatter, back to kid Alyss, back to preteen Alyss, and then the timeline is linear from there. For me, I found I wasn't interested in kid Alice because I'd already been introduced to preteen Alice and I kept just waiting for the plot to catch up to where we began. I think a linear timeline from the beginning would've been a better choice in this case.
Overall, this book definitely has an audience and the Tim Burton Alice fans will probably eat it up. But, for me it was just okay and I won't be continuing the series because I'm not invested enough in the characters to want to find out what happens next.
Things You'll Find:
*Steampunk Alice in Wonderland*
*Tons of fight scenes*
*A bit of a strange timeline*
I'm always here for a retelling, and Alice in Wonderland has so many characters and such a vast world that every retelling is always like reading a brand new story. This book was no different, Beddor takes Wonderland and transforms it into a war torn world full of interesting machinery and complex aristocratic and royal families. I have to agree with other reviewers, the book is pretty fast paced, but that's something I enjoy especially when a book is nearly 400 pages. I think, overall, we get a great sense of the world and conflict in this book and though I haven't read the sequels, it seems Beddor has set up a strong storyline that'll carry well into the next two novels. I was genuinely interested in seeing where the plot was going and found I couldn't put it down. This book was written before flowery prose became really popular, so while you won't find pages and pages of describing a forlorn Wonderland, the description Beddor provided gave me just enough to envision my own idea of his Wonderland without bogging me down with too much.
My drawbacks are ultimately the characters. For strictly plot-people, I think this book is going to exactly what they want, but if you really need that connection with characters to fall in love with a story, that's where this books fall short. Outside of Alyss, I really couldn't distinguish a specific voice or personality for any of the other characters. They start to blend together anytime everyone has gathered on the same page and is trying to speak. As for Alyss, I thought she was rather docile, and while I get the circumstances are what they are, it just seemed like she was really easy to sway to either side so I had trouble clicking with her because she didn't exude a lot of individuality or personality. Dodge as a character is consumed by vengeance and it doesn't bode well to make the audience connect or like him. And the Mad Hatter is so stoic that I couldn't vibe with him either. The story is primarily told through the eyes of those three, so by the end of the book while I was eager to know what happened for story's sake, I really didn't care about what happened to any of them. And, side note, the Jack of Diamonds has a huge butt and it's mentioned all the time. It was...a choice?
I also didn't like the way the timeline unfolded in the first half of the book. We jump from preteen Alyss, to kid Alyss, to Hatter, back to kid Alyss, back to preteen Alyss, and then the timeline is linear from there. For me, I found I wasn't interested in kid Alice because I'd already been introduced to preteen Alice and I kept just waiting for the plot to catch up to where we began. I think a linear timeline from the beginning would've been a better choice in this case.
Overall, this book definitely has an audience and the Tim Burton Alice fans will probably eat it up. But, for me it was just okay and I won't be continuing the series because I'm not invested enough in the characters to want to find out what happens next.
hirayaryuu's review
5.0
If you're a fan of classic spin-offs then this is the book for you! it's basically a really enjoyable novel that is sure to keep you enticed!
kberry513's review against another edition
5.0
This was very very very clever. I really liked it. I've never read any retelling of Alice in Wonderland, but it seems like they are getting more and more popular. I liked that Alyss was the inspiration for the Alice we all know and that the differences in the book and "real" versions were due to Dogson taking liberties with a story he clearly thought was a fantasy. I'm looking forward to seeing where this goes!
katyanaish's review against another edition
4.0
I had a tough time at the start, because Alyss was pretty unlikable - the worst kind of spoiled princess - but compared to Redd she's a saint, so the story worked anyway.
It's a fun tweak of Alice in Wonderland, somewhat in the vein of Wicked/Wizard of Oz. I'd like to dig further into the secondary characters (particularly Hatter), though, because I found the main characters (Alyss and Dodge) to be really hard to like.
It's a fun tweak of Alice in Wonderland, somewhat in the vein of Wicked/Wizard of Oz. I'd like to dig further into the secondary characters (particularly Hatter), though, because I found the main characters (Alyss and Dodge) to be really hard to like.
stephxsu's review
4.0
You thought you knew the story of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland… well, think again. Frank Beddor brings an exciting new glimpse into the much darker world of Wonderlandia, full of intrigue, mystery, dark magic, treason, and rebellion.
Princess Alyss Heart is 7 years old when her aunt Redd leads a rebellion to overthrow her parents’ queendom over Wonderlandia. Black Imagination reigns, and followers of White Imagination must struggle to hide and survive or else be destroyed. The royal bodyguard Hatter Madigan, he with the famous top hat weapon, is charged with protecting Alyss in the world that lies beyond the Pool of Tears, but the two lose each other in the chaos.
Alyss, parents murdered, all friends lost, ends up in mid-19th-century London, where she is placed in an orphanage and then adopted by the well-meaning Lidells, who change her name and hush her ravings about the fantastic, magical world of Wonderlandia, until even Alice herself does not believe in her imagination.
On her wedding day, however, the now 20-year-old Alice Lidell’s world is suddenly turned upside down yet again, when phantoms from her past bring her back into Wonderlandia, into the midst of a war to kill her and end the Hearts’ right to the throne forever. Alyss meets up with all her old friends, including Dodge Anders, the guard who had been more than just a best friend, who was so scarred by the events of that fateful uprising day that he has allowed hate and revenge to feed him for years and years. In between relearning how to use her potent imagination, fighting off Redd’s armies, and then ultimately defeating Redd and reclaiming the throne for herself, Alyss must also try to reconnect with herself, her past, and the changed Dodge, in the hopes that their sacrifices of the past and present will make for a brighter, safer tomorrow in Wonderlandia.
Anyone who enjoys high fantasy and excellent retellings of classics will enjoy THE LOOKING GLASS WARS trilogy, of which this is the first. The action is fast-paced, the characters intriguing, the story and plot unique and mesmerizing. I am looking forward to reading this book’s sequel, SEEING REDD!
Princess Alyss Heart is 7 years old when her aunt Redd leads a rebellion to overthrow her parents’ queendom over Wonderlandia. Black Imagination reigns, and followers of White Imagination must struggle to hide and survive or else be destroyed. The royal bodyguard Hatter Madigan, he with the famous top hat weapon, is charged with protecting Alyss in the world that lies beyond the Pool of Tears, but the two lose each other in the chaos.
Alyss, parents murdered, all friends lost, ends up in mid-19th-century London, where she is placed in an orphanage and then adopted by the well-meaning Lidells, who change her name and hush her ravings about the fantastic, magical world of Wonderlandia, until even Alice herself does not believe in her imagination.
On her wedding day, however, the now 20-year-old Alice Lidell’s world is suddenly turned upside down yet again, when phantoms from her past bring her back into Wonderlandia, into the midst of a war to kill her and end the Hearts’ right to the throne forever. Alyss meets up with all her old friends, including Dodge Anders, the guard who had been more than just a best friend, who was so scarred by the events of that fateful uprising day that he has allowed hate and revenge to feed him for years and years. In between relearning how to use her potent imagination, fighting off Redd’s armies, and then ultimately defeating Redd and reclaiming the throne for herself, Alyss must also try to reconnect with herself, her past, and the changed Dodge, in the hopes that their sacrifices of the past and present will make for a brighter, safer tomorrow in Wonderlandia.
Anyone who enjoys high fantasy and excellent retellings of classics will enjoy THE LOOKING GLASS WARS trilogy, of which this is the first. The action is fast-paced, the characters intriguing, the story and plot unique and mesmerizing. I am looking forward to reading this book’s sequel, SEEING REDD!