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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
This is an extremely dark and disturbing retelling of Alice in wonderland with rape, body horror and a lot of dark elements to the city. There are familiar names and situations but everything feels fresh and different. I can’t wait to get the sequel.
Loved it!
Such a scarily good yes I on the traditional Alice. Based in a city, normal people but with a touch of dark magic and some unexpected turns. Very enjoyable. Kind of a modern day version however it keeps the acidic effect of Alice in its core with some less modern details.
Such a scarily good yes I on the traditional Alice. Based in a city, normal people but with a touch of dark magic and some unexpected turns. Very enjoyable. Kind of a modern day version however it keeps the acidic effect of Alice in its core with some less modern details.
really interesting premise and exactly what i wanted! overall scared the fuck out of me (FUCK YOU WALRUS) my only note is the rabbit part felt anticlimactic a bit
I loved it. Dark, enthralling, and perfect for fans of Brom or Gaiman. Though not without faults, Alice was a novel that I couldn't put down. Full review to come.
CW: discussion of SA/r*pe, graphic violence
I'm honestly kind of surprised at how high the average rating is for this book. I picked it up somewhat randomly at a thrift store that was having a book sale, but I didn't expect too terribly much out of it because it just looked like one of those edgy retellings. Which is what it is. It sat on my shelf for a long time and I was reminded of it because I've been playing the video game Alice: Madness Returns (which I recommend!) and it put me in the mood for edgy Alice vibes.
This adaptation opens with titular Alice in an asylum, haunted by fragmented memories of a rabbit-man and a tea party gone wrong. Her only companion is next-door cellmate and certified "mad" axe-murderer Hatcher, whom she communicates with through a mouse hole between their cells. A fire in the building suddenly offers the two a chance at escape, but something sinister escapes with them.
Within the first few chapters - maybe even the first chapter, I don't exactly remember - we get a taste of the use of sexual violence as a tool to showcase the darkness/evilness of the characters and world. I'm glad some other reviewers took issue with this because it was something that really put me off. I'm not at all against these topics being broached in fiction, whether it be horror or other genres, but they need to be handled with care. This book falls squarely into the trope of sexual violence as a cheap and easy way to shock, disgust, and give the book "adult" vibes, which I find pretty distasteful. Althought the trafficking and sexual abuse of women and girls is a central part of this book, it's not delved into in any meaningful way. It's purely used to make the book's world and characters scary and evil. As others have mentioned, the book tries too hard in general to be edgy and grimdark (that's the term that kept popping into my head when reading this. Like a grimdark fanfiction...)
Aside from the sexual violence there's also plenty of regular violence! Again, I'm a horror fan and have no issue with that, but again-again, it's not executed terribly well and comes off as trying too hard.
Did I mention Alice is randomly in love with her companion, Hatcher? Described as being 10 years her senior, with graying hair, "crazy eyes", and a penchant for "seeing red" and entering a murderous rampage, Hatcher is any girl's dream! After 10 years of listening to him rant and beat his head against the walls of his cell (so sexy) then following him into the bowels of the seedy Old City and watching him repeatedly murder anyone in their way, Alice falls madly in love. Seriously, this is another trope I hate. Just because we have a male and a female character does not mean they have to fall in love. There's truly no basis for them being in love besides proximity and protecting each other on their adventures. Honestly, they have no chemistry and it just feels forced. I remember as soon as Hatcher was introduced I started to get concerned, and was just hoping their relationship wouldn't turn out romantic. Well...!!
On to some positives. Absolutely LOVE Pipkin the giant rabbit. The animal characters near the end of the book are my favorites. Finally characters who aren't just out to kill and rape everyone (though they will kill if they have to). 5 stars to Pipkin brutally murdering his tormentor and taking the formerly enslaved girls under his wing. Best character in the book.
Overall the book had a decent start and tension buildup, but the climax was disappointing. The Jabberwocky was literally defeated almost instantly, just because Alice convinced him to hold her hand and then wished he'd become a butterfly in a jar???? Sorry what? He was hyped up the entire book to be an overpowered monster and that was all it took to defeat him? I get that Alice had absorbed the power of the vorpal blade, but like. Huh? Well yeah. Anyway.
Finally, the writing was decent, but not great. I didn't feel like I got a great picture of the world or characters. There wasn't a lot of description (except of killing, maiming, and sexual violence) so it felt a little drab.
I was kind of writing this stream-of-consciousness style, so I think I've run out of things to say. Overall, althought my review was mostly negative, I didn't actually HATE this book. It had an interesting premise and I was motivated to see where it went. But the gratuitous violence and relative lack of substance disappointed me by the end. I'm not yet sure if I will give the sequels a chance, but we shall see.
I'm honestly kind of surprised at how high the average rating is for this book. I picked it up somewhat randomly at a thrift store that was having a book sale, but I didn't expect too terribly much out of it because it just looked like one of those edgy retellings. Which is what it is. It sat on my shelf for a long time and I was reminded of it because I've been playing the video game Alice: Madness Returns (which I recommend!) and it put me in the mood for edgy Alice vibes.
This adaptation opens with titular Alice in an asylum, haunted by fragmented memories of a rabbit-man and a tea party gone wrong. Her only companion is next-door cellmate and certified "mad" axe-murderer Hatcher, whom she communicates with through a mouse hole between their cells. A fire in the building suddenly offers the two a chance at escape, but something sinister escapes with them.
Within the first few chapters - maybe even the first chapter, I don't exactly remember - we get a taste of the use of sexual violence as a tool to showcase the darkness/evilness of the characters and world. I'm glad some other reviewers took issue with this because it was something that really put me off. I'm not at all against these topics being broached in fiction, whether it be horror or other genres, but they need to be handled with care. This book falls squarely into the trope of sexual violence as a cheap and easy way to shock, disgust, and give the book "adult" vibes, which I find pretty distasteful. Althought the trafficking and sexual abuse of women and girls is a central part of this book, it's not delved into in any meaningful way. It's purely used to make the book's world and characters scary and evil. As others have mentioned, the book tries too hard in general to be edgy and grimdark (that's the term that kept popping into my head when reading this. Like a grimdark fanfiction...)
Aside from the sexual violence there's also plenty of regular violence! Again, I'm a horror fan and have no issue with that, but again-again, it's not executed terribly well and comes off as trying too hard.
Did I mention Alice is randomly in love with her companion, Hatcher? Described as being 10 years her senior, with graying hair, "crazy eyes", and a penchant for "seeing red" and entering a murderous rampage, Hatcher is any girl's dream! After 10 years of listening to him rant and beat his head against the walls of his cell (so sexy) then following him into the bowels of the seedy Old City and watching him repeatedly murder anyone in their way, Alice falls madly in love. Seriously, this is another trope I hate. Just because we have a male and a female character does not mean they have to fall in love. There's truly no basis for them being in love besides proximity and protecting each other on their adventures. Honestly, they have no chemistry and it just feels forced. I remember as soon as Hatcher was introduced I started to get concerned, and was just hoping their relationship wouldn't turn out romantic. Well...!!
On to some positives. Absolutely LOVE Pipkin the giant rabbit. The animal characters near the end of the book are my favorites. Finally characters who aren't just out to kill and rape everyone (though they will kill if they have to). 5 stars to Pipkin brutally murdering his tormentor and taking the formerly enslaved girls under his wing. Best character in the book.
Overall the book had a decent start and tension buildup, but the climax was disappointing. The Jabberwocky was literally defeated almost instantly, just because Alice convinced him to hold her hand and then wished he'd become a butterfly in a jar???? Sorry what? He was hyped up the entire book to be an overpowered monster and that was all it took to defeat him? I get that Alice had absorbed the power of the vorpal blade, but like. Huh? Well yeah. Anyway.
Finally, the writing was decent, but not great. I didn't feel like I got a great picture of the world or characters. There wasn't a lot of description (except of killing, maiming, and sexual violence) so it felt a little drab.
I was kind of writing this stream-of-consciousness style, so I think I've run out of things to say. Overall, althought my review was mostly negative, I didn't actually HATE this book. It had an interesting premise and I was motivated to see where it went. But the gratuitous violence and relative lack of substance disappointed me by the end. I'm not yet sure if I will give the sequels a chance, but we shall see.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Not too bad! I really liked the dark twist with all the bosses and their trades/territories. The audiobook was pretty good too btw!
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I am so glad I discovered Christina Henry. This book surprised me, creeped me out, grossed me out and touched me. Alice is a bad ass heroine coming in to her own power. Talk about taking down the patriarchy! This should be essential feminist literature. Her relationship with Hatcher, while not strictly romantic is very moving in it's steadfastness. He provided the perfect foil for her emotional growth. I loved this book and can't wait to read the next one!