December 31, 2012

Splintered - Review

Splintered by A.G. Howard
Book Blurb
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 Review
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley for an honest review. Alyssa Gardner has not lived a normal life. All the women in her family seem to be crazy. Her mother is in an institution after an incident involving Alyssa when she was a child. Alyssa and her father visit her often and Alyssa hides the fact that bugs and flowers seem to be talking to her. She knows if it gets out she will be joining her mother locked up. Her family seems to have curse on it. The curse comes from her ancestor Alice who was the Alice from Lewis Carroll's book. To stay free she hides all the things happening to her. She lets it slip one day to her mother and learns that the curse is real and Wonderland is as well. Against her mother's wishes she finds a way to go there and so she can break the curse. She doesn't go alone. Jeb her best friend and the guy she has always had a crush on comes along for the adventure. She also has help from Morpheus a guy who she remembers from her dreams growing up. Morpheus may not be truthful about all that is going on and what he wants. They must find their way to fix everything Alice messed up years ago in Wonderland. Danger is around every corner.

Alyssa is such a amazing character that keeps your attention on her to see what happens next. You find yourself cheering for her whether it is her trying to save her mother, Jeb or herself. She has faults but tries her best to overcome them. You see her transfer not just as a person but as so much more. Jeb were to start with him. As if I didn't have enough of them I now have another guy to add to my book crushes. Even with the odds stacked against him he doesn't give up. After he gets passed the fact that he is in Wonderland and that it really is a place he does everything he can to help Alyssa. He faces people and creatures that he never even dreamed of and doesn't back down. Morpheus is a character that you never are sure about. One minute I was feeling sorry for him, the next I was wishing the worst for him. He always seems to have several things going on and you can't tell if he is helping Alyssa or himself. Even after I finished reading this book I still had mixed feelings about him. on one hand I liked him and on the other not so much.

I usually try to never compare books to other books or things in my reviews but I have to say this. This book to me is what happens when you read Alice in Wonderland, watch Tim Burton's movie of the book and have such a vivid imagination that you bring all kinds of paranormal, supernatural beings together in one book to make a such a fantastic book that I read it slowly so I could savor it. This is the author's first book and I have to say I will be looking for more of her work. She does such a wonderful job describing the settings and everything around you. You feel like you are down the rabbit hole yourself. It never gets boring that is for sure. Something is always going on and you never know who to trust or who to believe. Alyssa has to face some of the things she has always tried to hide from and battle them. She knows if she fails it could be the end of people she loves life. I am rambling I know but this book is just so wonderfully written that I want everyone to read it. Pick this up and go on a magical adventure. Just remember this isn't the Wonderland you think you know and be prepared for some shocking twist you will not see coming! This book will be one I will reread over and over again.
5 out of 5 Bats~Pam

No comments:

Post a Comment

Translate