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theowlerybooks's review against another edition
1.0
DNF at 50%
The Alice in Wonderland references were way too close to the source material and the whole zombie thing. . . just not my thing!
The Alice in Wonderland references were way too close to the source material and the whole zombie thing. . . just not my thing!
beastreader's review against another edition
4.0
There are so many revisions on this tale. I liked this twist that author, J.M. Sullivan took for this book. Of course, there was the undead but it also had a bit of a dystopian feel to it that I enjoyed.
The world of "Wanderland" is not all mystical. In fact, you could call it "upside down". Things you thought you knew about your favorite characters are not the same in this book. For example: Rabbit is a doctor, Mad Hatter is know as Matt Hatta, a mad scientist. the Queen, she is more evil, and my favorite Cheshire Cat aka Chess, a boy. The way that Chess kept pushing Alice's buttons made me smile and laugh. Yet, as much as the momerath were supposed to be feared, I did not fear them as much as I did the evil Queen. You do not want to get on her bad side. Although, I don't think she has a good side. The ending was a bit of a surprise. It left me looking forward to the next book.
The world of "Wanderland" is not all mystical. In fact, you could call it "upside down". Things you thought you knew about your favorite characters are not the same in this book. For example: Rabbit is a doctor, Mad Hatter is know as Matt Hatta, a mad scientist. the Queen, she is more evil, and my favorite Cheshire Cat aka Chess, a boy. The way that Chess kept pushing Alice's buttons made me smile and laugh. Yet, as much as the momerath were supposed to be feared, I did not fear them as much as I did the evil Queen. You do not want to get on her bad side. Although, I don't think she has a good side. The ending was a bit of a surprise. It left me looking forward to the next book.
nickymaund's review against another edition
4.0
I really liked this. It’s such a unique (and rather genius) spin on the classic fairytale. Sullivan has managed to weave the key characters from the fairytale, whilst making the modern day setting more relatable. And that ending leaves you wanting more!
allygrove's review against another edition
4.0
Alice and Zombies
This was an interesting take on the Alice story. Hatter was definitely mad, Chess seems fun and i havent decided about Nate yet. The next book should be interesting.
This was an interesting take on the Alice story. Hatter was definitely mad, Chess seems fun and i havent decided about Nate yet. The next book should be interesting.
jenacidebybibliophile's review against another edition
2.0
Disclaimer: This book was sent to me by the publisher, Pen Name Publishing, via NetGalley for an honest review.
Opinion:
How doth the little crocodile improve his shining tail…?
Apparently with a bleakness as black as night, and a book review that just says:
Fail.
Look. The first book in Alice: The Wanderland Chronicles isn’t necessarily bad…it’s just …not great. I found it boring, dull, overly dramatic and cheesy, and felt that I had already seen/read this same plot about thirty other times. With that ridiculous zombie movement that hit Hollywood and every book shelf a few years ago, it’s hard not to feel like you have read EVERY single zombie story out there. But when I saw this, I had to request it from Netgalley because I LOVE an Alice retelling.
I’ve read the twisted versions, and I’ve read the sweeter versions. I had even read another Alice/zombie version years ago, Alice in Zombieland, and absolutely loved it. So naturally, I assumed this was going to be another series to add to my love of Alice in Wonderland retellings.
I found Alice to be…okay. Her character felt simple and not fully developed, almost like the author was just riding the coattails of the Alice that we already know and love and assuming they wouldn’t have to put much effort into giving her a full-blown personality makeover. I found that I enjoyed how much she talked to herself, which reminds me greatly of the original character, because it gave another instance for the reader to find out what was happening instead of us just “sitting in her head” and “watching” through her eyes. But the constant moments of her jaw dropping when the moment BARELY called for a jaw drop, or her saying things like “awesome” and “how interesting” without being given a chance to see WHY those things were “awesome” or “interesting” was just…EXHAUSTING.
As I continued to read, it seemed that none of the characters really had much substance or excitement spewing from their made-up pores. Chess was a slightly interesting character, with a creative name, and I liked that his character was left shrouded in mystery for a good length of the story. In my opinion, he was probably the most interesting of all the characters just because it seems like he had the most thought put into him by way of snarky comments and pet-names for Alice. There IS a love triangle in this story that involves Alice, so if you’re ALSO starting to tire from these shapes, then beware. It’s a romance crammed into just a few days, so enjoy if that’s your sort of thing.
My grumblings and negativity aside, there were some positives in this story. You’ll notice while reading there are random bold letters in different words and paragraphs. If you want to take the time, like you KNOW I did, then it will spell out a little message. I found it a cute little touch for this story, and a little treat for the reader if they caught on…even if it didn’t spell out a clue to the story, I still found it intriguing. Another positive was the action and fight scenes that were spilling from the pages. There was a LOT of exciting moments for Alice to show off her skills, even though I’m still wondering how she learned all those deadly and murderous moves.
OH, SHE JUST KNEW HOW?!
For sure. I get it.
Anyways…I was hoping this story was going to blow me out of the water. Instead, it just blew up an inflatable water toy for me and I floated around a pond for a while. It wasn’t horrible, but it didn’t keep my attention or really grab me in at any time. I had little invested in the well-being of these characters by the end of the story and even went as far as skimming most of the last half of the book just to end it. Hopefully the next Alice story I read, which is waiting patiently on my Netgalley shelf, will be a little better.
Opinion:
How doth the little crocodile improve his shining tail…?
Apparently with a bleakness as black as night, and a book review that just says:
Fail.
Look. The first book in Alice: The Wanderland Chronicles isn’t necessarily bad…it’s just …not great. I found it boring, dull, overly dramatic and cheesy, and felt that I had already seen/read this same plot about thirty other times. With that ridiculous zombie movement that hit Hollywood and every book shelf a few years ago, it’s hard not to feel like you have read EVERY single zombie story out there. But when I saw this, I had to request it from Netgalley because I LOVE an Alice retelling.
I’ve read the twisted versions, and I’ve read the sweeter versions. I had even read another Alice/zombie version years ago, Alice in Zombieland, and absolutely loved it. So naturally, I assumed this was going to be another series to add to my love of Alice in Wonderland retellings.
I found Alice to be…okay. Her character felt simple and not fully developed, almost like the author was just riding the coattails of the Alice that we already know and love and assuming they wouldn’t have to put much effort into giving her a full-blown personality makeover. I found that I enjoyed how much she talked to herself, which reminds me greatly of the original character, because it gave another instance for the reader to find out what was happening instead of us just “sitting in her head” and “watching” through her eyes. But the constant moments of her jaw dropping when the moment BARELY called for a jaw drop, or her saying things like “awesome” and “how interesting” without being given a chance to see WHY those things were “awesome” or “interesting” was just…EXHAUSTING.
As I continued to read, it seemed that none of the characters really had much substance or excitement spewing from their made-up pores. Chess was a slightly interesting character, with a creative name, and I liked that his character was left shrouded in mystery for a good length of the story. In my opinion, he was probably the most interesting of all the characters just because it seems like he had the most thought put into him by way of snarky comments and pet-names for Alice. There IS a love triangle in this story that involves Alice, so if you’re ALSO starting to tire from these shapes, then beware. It’s a romance crammed into just a few days, so enjoy if that’s your sort of thing.
My grumblings and negativity aside, there were some positives in this story. You’ll notice while reading there are random bold letters in different words and paragraphs. If you want to take the time, like you KNOW I did, then it will spell out a little message. I found it a cute little touch for this story, and a little treat for the reader if they caught on…even if it didn’t spell out a clue to the story, I still found it intriguing. Another positive was the action and fight scenes that were spilling from the pages. There was a LOT of exciting moments for Alice to show off her skills, even though I’m still wondering how she learned all those deadly and murderous moves.
OH, SHE JUST KNEW HOW?!
For sure. I get it.
Anyways…I was hoping this story was going to blow me out of the water. Instead, it just blew up an inflatable water toy for me and I floated around a pond for a while. It wasn’t horrible, but it didn’t keep my attention or really grab me in at any time. I had little invested in the well-being of these characters by the end of the story and even went as far as skimming most of the last half of the book just to end it. Hopefully the next Alice story I read, which is waiting patiently on my Netgalley shelf, will be a little better.
jerseygirlreads's review against another edition
5.0
I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley - as soon as I saw it, I knew I had to read it, because I love everything Alice. This book was fantastic. Alice and her sister Dinah are living in a post-apocalyptic zombie-infested world, and Dinah seems to have just contracted the Momerath virus. Alice sets off to find an antidote, and finds herself in the middle of "Wanderland" while trying to complete her quest.
The author found a way to work in many of the characters from Alice in Wonderland, in fantastic and amusing ways. I recommend it 100%, and I'm really hoping for a sequel :)
The author found a way to work in many of the characters from Alice in Wonderland, in fantastic and amusing ways. I recommend it 100%, and I'm really hoping for a sequel :)
sstensland's review against another edition
3.0
**I received this ebook for free in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley. Thank you to the author, J.M. Sullivan and her publishers for this opportunity.**
((This review may have a few spoilers.))
Alice: The Wanderland Chronicles by J.M. Sullivan is another retelling of Lewis Carrol's Alice in Wonderland. Alice Carrol is a seventeen year old girl living with her adopted sister after a recent plague takes over the world. Being the only two in their family left, the two sisters make due and scavenge for resources in near by towns. When a fellow surviving family asks for Dinah's help with their just sick newborn, the turmoil in Alice's already destroyed life falls again. After a trip for the city to find food and medicine, the two girls are attacked by a memerath--a zombie-like human affected by the Plague. Dinah gets sick the following day. Panicked, Alice goes on her own adventure to help save her sister from becoming one of the memeraths. She makes her way to Phoenix, Arizona where she's read that there's a doctor who has found a cure or antidote that could help save her sister. Along the way, she makes new "friends" and uncovers the truth of the memeorath plague.
This story is far from being the most unique and inventive story I've read. To be honest, I'm usually the type to avoid most things zombies--their real life potential is terrifying, thank you very much-- and Alice in Wonderland. I grew up on the 1950's Disney classic. Even as a kid, I always found it strange and often boring. Though, to be fair, I'm also the person who thinks that no one really likes Alice in Wonderland, and they all just really like it for the Cheshire Cat. But what do I know? I might just be biased against it. I still have yet to finish reading the original story that I had started several years ago. I'm not even sure I have the book anymore, but I digress.
With my dislike for these two things, it's a wonder why I picked up this book in the first place. Maybe I wanted to get out of my comfort zone to try and see if I could read something that didn't involve a head strong female winning back her kingdom and uncovering secret powers that she didn't know she had, or the other million of plethoras of sassy, strong, independent women that have been filling the young adult scene. Or maybe I had one too many to drink one night and thought "hey, why not?" I think I'm going to go with the latter on this one.
Alice: The Wanderland Chronicles is not by any means a bad book. It took me a while to read it, but it did keep me intrigued enough to keep going through it. Alice's character was not all Ithat bad. It was almost refreshing to have a female lead that was not so completely head strong or over the top sassy. She's probably one of the more "realistic" characters I've read in a while. She's caring enough to try and to do anything she can do to try save her sister; she's not overly boy crazy with the world having had fallen apart around her. There is a bit of an annoyance in her curiosity, but I guess that's in part of having to do with the ties to the original Alice in Wonderland story.
I do wish that there was more to the characters in the story. some of them do seem really flat. I think the main issue I have with it at this moment, is the villain. Or one of the villains. This story plays with two different villains-- Dr. Matthew Hatta and the Red Queen, or Queen of Hearts, I forgot what she was called in this. Matt Hatta (Mad Hatter) is a doctor that is responsible for the momerath plague. He was an overly ambitious doctor who was determined to find a way to better human live. When was his trials goes wrong, he finds it to be a blessing and human's next step in evolution. He was a good balance between possibly genius and absolutely crazy. I enjoyed him as a bad guy. The queen, however, is a different story. she is one of those who tries to come across as good and wanting to help cure the plague. But she's a little off. I'm still not a hundred percent sure which side she's supposed to be on, and I think that's a lot of the problem. Even the epilogue didn't really with much.
Other characters weren't too bad. Some were bland, others were entertaining. I do wish that Sullivan had tried to be more creative with the names and try to switch up the roles of the original Alice characters. As it is now, we have Chess, who's meant to be the Cheshire Cat, Bug who's the catipillar, Waite Abbot who's the white rabbit, Matthew Hatta as the Mad Hatter. The Queen's knights are called the Jokers. This part of the story all seems a little lazy for me.
To be honest, I probably would have enjoyed this story more if it lost the Alice in Wonderland attempts. A lot of it seems forced and relies too much on the story to keep it going. The quotes and mentions might be more appealing to someone who might have actually enjoyed the original story, but for me it was a miss.
This story also does lead up into what will probably become a series. I think I might skip out on continuing this when it happens.
((This review may have a few spoilers.))
Alice: The Wanderland Chronicles by J.M. Sullivan is another retelling of Lewis Carrol's Alice in Wonderland. Alice Carrol is a seventeen year old girl living with her adopted sister after a recent plague takes over the world. Being the only two in their family left, the two sisters make due and scavenge for resources in near by towns. When a fellow surviving family asks for Dinah's help with their just sick newborn, the turmoil in Alice's already destroyed life falls again. After a trip for the city to find food and medicine, the two girls are attacked by a memerath--a zombie-like human affected by the Plague. Dinah gets sick the following day. Panicked, Alice goes on her own adventure to help save her sister from becoming one of the memeraths. She makes her way to Phoenix, Arizona where she's read that there's a doctor who has found a cure or antidote that could help save her sister. Along the way, she makes new "friends" and uncovers the truth of the memeorath plague.
This story is far from being the most unique and inventive story I've read. To be honest, I'm usually the type to avoid most things zombies--their real life potential is terrifying, thank you very much-- and Alice in Wonderland. I grew up on the 1950's Disney classic. Even as a kid, I always found it strange and often boring. Though, to be fair, I'm also the person who thinks that no one really likes Alice in Wonderland, and they all just really like it for the Cheshire Cat. But what do I know? I might just be biased against it. I still have yet to finish reading the original story that I had started several years ago. I'm not even sure I have the book anymore, but I digress.
With my dislike for these two things, it's a wonder why I picked up this book in the first place. Maybe I wanted to get out of my comfort zone to try and see if I could read something that didn't involve a head strong female winning back her kingdom and uncovering secret powers that she didn't know she had, or the other million of plethoras of sassy, strong, independent women that have been filling the young adult scene. Or maybe I had one too many to drink one night and thought "hey, why not?" I think I'm going to go with the latter on this one.
Alice: The Wanderland Chronicles is not by any means a bad book. It took me a while to read it, but it did keep me intrigued enough to keep going through it. Alice's character was not all Ithat bad. It was almost refreshing to have a female lead that was not so completely head strong or over the top sassy. She's probably one of the more "realistic" characters I've read in a while. She's caring enough to try and to do anything she can do to try save her sister; she's not overly boy crazy with the world having had fallen apart around her. There is a bit of an annoyance in her curiosity, but I guess that's in part of having to do with the ties to the original Alice in Wonderland story.
I do wish that there was more to the characters in the story. some of them do seem really flat. I think the main issue I have with it at this moment, is the villain. Or one of the villains. This story plays with two different villains-- Dr. Matthew Hatta and the Red Queen, or Queen of Hearts, I forgot what she was called in this. Matt Hatta (Mad Hatter) is a doctor that is responsible for the momerath plague. He was an overly ambitious doctor who was determined to find a way to better human live. When was his trials goes wrong, he finds it to be a blessing and human's next step in evolution. He was a good balance between possibly genius and absolutely crazy. I enjoyed him as a bad guy. The queen, however, is a different story. she is one of those who tries to come across as good and wanting to help cure the plague. But she's a little off. I'm still not a hundred percent sure which side she's supposed to be on, and I think that's a lot of the problem. Even the epilogue didn't really with much.
Other characters weren't too bad. Some were bland, others were entertaining. I do wish that Sullivan had tried to be more creative with the names and try to switch up the roles of the original Alice characters. As it is now, we have Chess, who's meant to be the Cheshire Cat, Bug who's the catipillar, Waite Abbot who's the white rabbit, Matthew Hatta as the Mad Hatter. The Queen's knights are called the Jokers. This part of the story all seems a little lazy for me.
To be honest, I probably would have enjoyed this story more if it lost the Alice in Wonderland attempts. A lot of it seems forced and relies too much on the story to keep it going. The quotes and mentions might be more appealing to someone who might have actually enjoyed the original story, but for me it was a miss.
This story also does lead up into what will probably become a series. I think I might skip out on continuing this when it happens.
nancidrum's review against another edition
2.0
This is not my typical read, but I was stepping outside my box and reading it for an online challenge. I don't like zombies or gore and there was plenty of both in this book. I got to the point where I skimmed over the gory parts, since they were all pretty much the same anyway. The writing was actually not awful, but try as I might, I just kept thinking I'd rather be reading something more substantial. The one positive is that the author did a clever job of making it a retelling of Alice in Wonderland, using names and circumstances to fit a very different kind of story.