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sarahthescrivnr's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
The pacing was a bit off. Felt a bit too long in the middle as well. The fact that she’s in high school (and has to constantly lie and avoid her mom) kept me tense even during scenes that I should’ve been enjoying. But great action scenes, love the dialogue and relationships. Very fun take on Alice In Wonderland!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Death of parent
graceev's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Blood, Child death, Gore, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Death of parent
pinkalpaca's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Death of parent, Death, Grief, and Police brutality
hendrixpants's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore, Death, and Violence
Minor: Death of parent
tangleroot_eli's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
A grimdark Alice in Wonderland adaptation with a Blerd Alice.
It's well-written if oddly paced, with fairly well-developed characters and enough real-world ties and consequences to keep the plot engaging even when it meanders. But let's be honest: how a person reacts to that first sentence I put up there probably determines whether or not they'll like it.
It's well-written if oddly paced, with fairly well-developed characters and enough real-world ties and consequences to keep the plot engaging even when it meanders. But let's be honest: how a person reacts to that first sentence I put up there probably determines whether or not they'll like it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, and Violence
Moderate: Murder, Police brutality, War, and Death of parent
kshertz's review
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Pretty great for a first novel! A debut that kept me wondering. I’m not huge on fantasy because of all the necessary world building but this book does a great job of getting straight into it. I would have loved a little more character building, I had some trouble getting Invested in the protagonists. But maybe because I’m the old mom who’s like, “ok how hard is it to just be home when you say you’re going to be home? Just cuz nightmares are chasing you…” anywho, If you like fantasy, you’ll love it. If not, it’s not going to draw you in enough.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Blood, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
midnightgremlin's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Police brutality, Death, Racism, Violence, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: War
orladonnelly's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Grief
Moderate: Police brutality and Death of parent
Minor: Child death
caseythereader's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child death, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Gore, Grief, Kidnapping, Murder, Police brutality, and Violence
catapocalypse's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Full disclosure: I won a free print copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway!
I seldom read YA, but the premise of this book sounded super fun and the cover is beautiful! In the wake of her father's untimely death, Alice is attacked by a monster from another world. Wonderland is a world formed from the collective imagination and fears of humanity, and the latter risk becoming Nightmares that threaten both worlds. She's recruited to help battle these creatures, which she must balance with school, her social life, and being a good daughter. Then the return of an old villain believed to have been destroyed long ago threatens that balance, as well as that between the two worlds.
This is a high energy book, and Alice is a fun, endearing heroine! My fear with YA is often that the level of angst or energy of the characters may annoy me, but this book kept the characters realistic without becoming obnoxious. It mixes in heavier topics like grief and police brutality, but also revels in the whimsy of the Alice in Wonderland-inspired setting and the kickass action. Some of the names, like "Addison Hatta," are a little cheesy, but it felt like part of the fun.
As an adult reader, I am more aware of the flaws here and there. My main disappointment was the time jump at the start. I would have preferred a little more world building beforehand. Still, it wasn't hard to navigate the setting or story. If this had come out when I was a teenager, I can tell it would have been a major favorite for me, especially since I loved the classic Alice books! I had a great time with this!
I seldom read YA, but the premise of this book sounded super fun and the cover is beautiful! In the wake of her father's untimely death, Alice is attacked by a monster from another world. Wonderland is a world formed from the collective imagination and fears of humanity, and the latter risk becoming Nightmares that threaten both worlds. She's recruited to help battle these creatures, which she must balance with school, her social life, and being a good daughter. Then the return of an old villain believed to have been destroyed long ago threatens that balance, as well as that between the two worlds.
This is a high energy book, and Alice is a fun, endearing heroine! My fear with YA is often that the level of angst or energy of the characters may annoy me, but this book kept the characters realistic without becoming obnoxious. It mixes in heavier topics like grief and police brutality, but also revels in the whimsy of the Alice in Wonderland-inspired setting and the kickass action. Some of the names, like "Addison Hatta," are a little cheesy, but it felt like part of the fun.
As an adult reader, I am more aware of the flaws here and there. My main disappointment was the time jump at the start. I would have preferred a little more world building beforehand. Still, it wasn't hard to navigate the setting or story. If this had come out when I was a teenager, I can tell it would have been a major favorite for me, especially since I loved the classic Alice books! I had a great time with this!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Grief
Moderate: Death of parent, Police brutality, and Blood
Minor: Child death and Vomit