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micherable's review
3.0
some inconsistencies, some loose ends, a pretty abrupt ending, but i enjoyed the story.
julia11's review against another edition
5.0
First of all, I loved the setting of this book. It was so creepy and fun. I loved the way we got into all the characters heads and they became less 1 dimensional. Jennifer Hillier is the queen of twists. I've been binging her books lately and I'm honestly surprised at how often she surprises me. I think I thought every character was the killer at some point.
Another fantastic read with my KTC bookclub. Loved reading this on fable with them and getting everyones hot takes on the characters.
Give me ALLLL the Jennifer Hillier books!
Another fantastic read with my KTC bookclub. Loved reading this on fable with them and getting everyones hot takes on the characters.
Give me ALLLL the Jennifer Hillier books!
cutenanya's review against another edition
3.0
Wonderland is a thriller about the dark secrets hidden beneath a small-town amusement park. Vanessa Castro, the new deputy police chief of Seaside, Washington, has to deal with a dead body and a missing teenager on her first day on the job. As she investigates, she uncovers a trail of disappearances and murders that goes back decades, and a sinister connection to the park's history and owners. She also has to face her own past and protect her family from a ruthless killer who is playing a twisted game.
As a fan of Stephen King, I was drawn to this book by its premise and setting. I enjoyed the character-driven story that was told from multiple perspectives, giving me insight into the lives and motives of the different players. The author created a vivid and atmospheric picture of the amusement park, with its creepy attractions and hidden tunnels. The story had all the necessary elements to make it a hit for me: suspense, mystery, horror, and twists.
However, I was disappointed by the ending, which I felt was rushed and unsatisfying. I think the author did not provide enough clues or development for me to accept the identity and motive of the killer, who was one of the only characters I liked in the book. It is almost as if the author just picks a character and slaps him or her with a killer label. I also found some parts of the story implausible or unnecessary,. I felt that some loose ends were left unresolved or unexplained.
Overall, I think Wonderland is a solid thriller that could have been better with more attention to detail and logic. I liked the idea of using an amusement park as a setting, but I have yet to find a novel that truly shines in such a scenario. If you have any recommendations for a good thriller set in an amusement park or carnival, please let me know!
As a fan of Stephen King, I was drawn to this book by its premise and setting. I enjoyed the character-driven story that was told from multiple perspectives, giving me insight into the lives and motives of the different players. The author created a vivid and atmospheric picture of the amusement park, with its creepy attractions and hidden tunnels. The story had all the necessary elements to make it a hit for me: suspense, mystery, horror, and twists.
However, I was disappointed by the ending, which I felt was rushed and unsatisfying. I think the author did not provide enough clues or development for me to accept the identity and motive of the killer, who was one of the only characters I liked in the book. It is almost as if the author just picks a character and slaps him or her with a killer label. I also found some parts of the story implausible or unnecessary,
Spoiler
such as the plotline involving Uncle Nick. I don't understand how two people can fail to notice he is still alive and I still do not comprehend why he was kept alive for years for no apparent reasonOverall, I think Wonderland is a solid thriller that could have been better with more attention to detail and logic. I liked the idea of using an amusement park as a setting, but I have yet to find a novel that truly shines in such a scenario. If you have any recommendations for a good thriller set in an amusement park or carnival, please let me know!
allisonrae13's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
delslibrary1313's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
madsheep25's review
mysterious
medium-paced
2.0
Not nearly as good as her other books. Too many characters, too many killers. Predictable ending.
lurker_stalker's review against another edition
4.0
I've become a pretty big fan of Jennifer Hillier's work so when I got an invitation to listen to an upcoming audiobook release of an older book that I hadn't read, I was a happy woman. Hillier has a great writing voice and creates seriously dark tales with flawed characters that are believable. Wonderland is another in that category.
There are quite a few characters in this book but our main POVs are Vanessa, the new deputy chief of police in Sea Side OR, Oz, her love interest with ties to all sorts of things happening, Ava, Vanessa's 14 year-old daughter who works at Wonderland, and Bianca aka The Dragon Lady, the CEO of Wonderland and seductress of 18 year-old "wonder workers" who all have a specific type.
Wonderland is twisted and creepy and filled with red herrings and potential bad guys. And I enjoyed it all. Mostly. There are issues with repetitive information sharing and some unbelievability but nothing that made me regret my time spent with the cast of characters.
Narrator Eunice Wong did a great job. Sometimes narrators get in the way of enjoying a book but Ms. Wong only enhanced my enjoyment.
Big thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the audiobook!
There are quite a few characters in this book but our main POVs are Vanessa, the new deputy chief of police in Sea Side OR, Oz, her love interest with ties to all sorts of things happening, Ava, Vanessa's 14 year-old daughter who works at Wonderland, and Bianca aka The Dragon Lady, the CEO of Wonderland and seductress of 18 year-old "wonder workers" who all have a specific type.
Wonderland is twisted and creepy and filled with red herrings and potential bad guys. And I enjoyed it all. Mostly. There are issues with repetitive information sharing and some unbelievability but nothing that made me regret my time spent with the cast of characters.
Narrator Eunice Wong did a great job. Sometimes narrators get in the way of enjoying a book but Ms. Wong only enhanced my enjoyment.
Big thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the audiobook!
idle_reader's review against another edition
3.0
This was the perfect book to get me out of a reading funk. I hadn’t picked up a book in a while that made it hard to stop reading. For that reason, this book was a 4. EDIT: came back and gave it a 3, closer to 3.5 after thinking on it a little more.
I hadn’t read anything by Jennifer Hillier so I was pleasantly surprised by her ability to build suspense. I also appreciated the insight into the characters’ lives. It wasn’t just a thriller with little to no character development.
My only complaint is that she made it seem like the killer could be too many people. First, we suspect Hovey, then we suspect Bianca and Oz, then Carlos. Then it ends up being someone we don’t find out had anything to do with Wonderland and it’s sordid past until the very end. The reveal of who the killer was at the end was also a little anticlimactic because Vanessa had already been told who Bianca’s jilted lover was. BUT, I still very very much enjoyed this book and would recommend to anyone who was in the thriller mood.
I hadn’t read anything by Jennifer Hillier so I was pleasantly surprised by her ability to build suspense. I also appreciated the insight into the characters’ lives. It wasn’t just a thriller with little to no character development.
My only complaint is that she made it seem like the killer could be too many people. First, we suspect Hovey, then we suspect Bianca and Oz, then Carlos. Then it ends up being someone we don’t find out had anything to do with Wonderland and it’s sordid past until the very end. The reveal of who the killer was at the end was also a little anticlimactic because Vanessa had already been told who Bianca’s jilted lover was. BUT, I still very very much enjoyed this book and would recommend to anyone who was in the thriller mood.