Author: A.G. Howard
# of Pages: 297 (ebook)
Challenge: 2014 Ebook Challenge
Rating: 3 stars
Goodreads Summary:
This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of a mystical under-land, as well as a girl’s pangs of first love and independence. Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.
When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.
My Thoughts:
I was very excited about this book, but in the end I ended up having mixed feelings about it..
A.G. Howard's writing was amazing. I was hooked within a couple pages. Her depiction of Wonderland was vivid and intriguing. Though I do have to say that the pacing was a bit slow at times.
At first I thought Alyssa was a different but cool protagonist. But, when she came face to face with Morpheus, she sort of becomes a different person. She develops a semi insta-love for him and that's after reading ninety or so pages about how much she wants to be with Jeb. And although she does prove herself to be clever, she does make some reckless decisions.
Of the two love interests, I prefer Jeb. He is sweet, smart, and an awesome friend to Alyssa. It was easy to see why she liked him so much. I'm probably in the minority when I say this, but I hated Morpheus from his very first appearance in the story. He was a greedy, manipulative jerk. There were several instances when I really would have loved to punch him in the face.
The big twist in this story was an interesting surprise. I thought it added a witty uniqueness to this retelling. And even though there are a few unanswered questions, I really liked the ending.
At first I thought Alyssa was a different but cool protagonist. But, when she came face to face with Morpheus, she sort of becomes a different person. She develops a semi insta-love for him and that's after reading ninety or so pages about how much she wants to be with Jeb. And although she does prove herself to be clever, she does make some reckless decisions.
Of the two love interests, I prefer Jeb. He is sweet, smart, and an awesome friend to Alyssa. It was easy to see why she liked him so much. I'm probably in the minority when I say this, but I hated Morpheus from his very first appearance in the story. He was a greedy, manipulative jerk. There were several instances when I really would have loved to punch him in the face.
The big twist in this story was an interesting surprise. I thought it added a witty uniqueness to this retelling. And even though there are a few unanswered questions, I really liked the ending.
Overall, Splintered was an okay read for me. I liked getting to see Wonderland from a different perspective, but Morpheus and the love triangle were a letdown.
Thanks for the review! I've been trying to decide whether or not to pick this one up -- the cover is so intriguing! But I really can't stand love triangles. Still, it might be worth it to see Wonderland from a different angle as you mentioned.
ReplyDeleteValette M. @ Book Snatch
pretty nice blog, following :)
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