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A review by katiebookqueen
Wonderland by Juno Dawson
4.0
THE PLOT
Throughout this book we follow Alice, a student at a private London school. After spending a night with fellow student Bunny, Alice takes it upon herself to find out why she disappeared without a trace after their night together. Her journey leads her to Wonderland, an exclusive party for those high in society.
There’s nothing I love more than an exciting retelling of a classic story, and Alice in Wonderland always has so much potential with such a world to play with. What I especially liked about this version was that it was still set in our world, so the events, no matter how wild and dramatic, were still things that could possibly happen.
THE CHARACTERS
Alice, what can I say? I love her with my whole heart. She’s exactly the type of character we need more of in YA. Brutally honest, she says it like it is without apology. I appreciated slowly learning about her past as the story progressed. We come to know why she is on meds and the fears she has about returning to the dark place she was in. It was important that she referred to her therapist from time to time because I’ve read an alarming number of books that don’t shed a positive light on therapists from the beginning. It’s a part of life that we desperately need to normalise.I also loved how she openly discussed her body issues as a trans girl. This is exactly why we need more trans main characters in YA.
These versions of the Alice in Wonderland characters are genius. I’m a sucker for a set of characters that are…shall we say Morally Challenged? But they all have a complex and intriguing backstory that gives us a glimpse into their complicated lives.
REASONS TO LOVE
⭐ Setting and storytelling. The world of high society is always an interesting one. This book showcases how money can help people avoid consequences. As terrifying as it is, it still happens all the time.
⭐ Honest discussions about mental health. We see Alice slip into darker moments and what she experiences during them.
⭐ Character growth. It’s so rewarding to see Alice experiment and discover things about herself during her weekend at Wonderland.
⭐ Important topics. This book openly discusses drugs, self-harm, sexual assault, and much more. It doesn’t shy away from gritty details that need to be told.
⭐ PANSEXUAL REP!!!!!! I'm CONSTANTLY searching for pan characters in YA so I was thrilled when that was how Alice identified herself.
THE FINAL WORD
An engaging, dark, yet magical story, Wonderland never fails to give readers a surprise. It’s a re-imagining of a well-loved tale but manages to be unique and intriguing in its own right. Alice takes us on an unforgettable journey with her sarcastic and honest commentary entertaining us the whole way.
Reviewed @ The Queen of Teen Fiction
Throughout this book we follow Alice, a student at a private London school. After spending a night with fellow student Bunny, Alice takes it upon herself to find out why she disappeared without a trace after their night together. Her journey leads her to Wonderland, an exclusive party for those high in society.
There’s nothing I love more than an exciting retelling of a classic story, and Alice in Wonderland always has so much potential with such a world to play with. What I especially liked about this version was that it was still set in our world, so the events, no matter how wild and dramatic, were still things that could possibly happen.
THE CHARACTERS
Alice, what can I say? I love her with my whole heart. She’s exactly the type of character we need more of in YA. Brutally honest, she says it like it is without apology. I appreciated slowly learning about her past as the story progressed. We come to know why she is on meds and the fears she has about returning to the dark place she was in. It was important that she referred to her therapist from time to time because I’ve read an alarming number of books that don’t shed a positive light on therapists from the beginning. It’s a part of life that we desperately need to normalise.I also loved how she openly discussed her body issues as a trans girl. This is exactly why we need more trans main characters in YA.
These versions of the Alice in Wonderland characters are genius. I’m a sucker for a set of characters that are…shall we say Morally Challenged? But they all have a complex and intriguing backstory that gives us a glimpse into their complicated lives.
REASONS TO LOVE
⭐ Setting and storytelling. The world of high society is always an interesting one. This book showcases how money can help people avoid consequences. As terrifying as it is, it still happens all the time.
⭐ Honest discussions about mental health. We see Alice slip into darker moments and what she experiences during them.
⭐ Character growth. It’s so rewarding to see Alice experiment and discover things about herself during her weekend at Wonderland.
⭐ Important topics. This book openly discusses drugs, self-harm, sexual assault, and much more. It doesn’t shy away from gritty details that need to be told.
⭐ PANSEXUAL REP!!!!!! I'm CONSTANTLY searching for pan characters in YA so I was thrilled when that was how Alice identified herself.
THE FINAL WORD
An engaging, dark, yet magical story, Wonderland never fails to give readers a surprise. It’s a re-imagining of a well-loved tale but manages to be unique and intriguing in its own right. Alice takes us on an unforgettable journey with her sarcastic and honest commentary entertaining us the whole way.
Reviewed @ The Queen of Teen Fiction