Scan barcode
A review by tysbooks
Wonderland by Jennifer Hillier
dark
mysterious
sad
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? Yes
3.0
This was not what I was expecting at all. We follow the new chief deputy of Seaside PD, Vanessa, who is investigating the appearance of a dead body at Wonderland. This amusement park is the money maker for this small town and any bad publicity could detrimental. As Vanessa digs deeper into this case, she uncovers that boys have been going missing and slowly discovers some disturbing details about Wonderland.
I can see why some people might not like this book and I think having the right expectations going into this will help with the experience of the story. The cover would suggest there might be some horror elements and this being set at an amusement park, one would think the story would take place primarily at the park. That is not the case. This is a police investigation around missing boys and the park comes into play becomes most of the characters work at the park. I really enjoyed learning about the conspiracy of the park and the secrets of some of the characters and all of the cover ups that had been done to protect the reputation of the park and therefore the town. However, I wished we could have spent more time at Wonderland and more time with the characters there. I also felt sort of dissatisfied with the ending. After some of the reveals, it left me with more questions than answers and it would have been nice to get a resolution. I wasn’t disappointed by this, but I did expect a little bit more going into it.
I can see why some people might not like this book and I think having the right expectations going into this will help with the experience of the story. The cover would suggest there might be some horror elements and this being set at an amusement park, one would think the story would take place primarily at the park. That is not the case. This is a police investigation around missing boys and the park comes into play becomes most of the characters work at the park. I really enjoyed learning about the conspiracy of the park and the secrets of some of the characters and all of the cover ups that had been done to protect the reputation of the park and therefore the town. However, I wished we could have spent more time at Wonderland and more time with the characters there. I also felt sort of dissatisfied with the ending. After some of the reveals, it left me with more questions than answers and it would have been nice to get a resolution. I wasn’t disappointed by this, but I did expect a little bit more going into it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse and Sexual harassment