abookishgirl's review
2.0
1.5 stars.
This book is such a mess. Poor writing, bad grammar, and an absolute mess of a plot. The only reason I’m giving it two stars instead of one is that the premise was pretty good. Good idea, terrible execution.
This book is such a mess. Poor writing, bad grammar, and an absolute mess of a plot. The only reason I’m giving it two stars instead of one is that the premise was pretty good. Good idea, terrible execution.
lauren_helen's review
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
luna_rondo's review
1.0
I have no idea what I went into thinking, but I did not get it. It feels like the author thought he could get away not explaining anything by making up nonsense. Expect I found it annoying.
vchewy's review
5.0
A very interesting and captivating take on Alice in Wonderland. It kept me on the edge of my seat the whole book. I am excited to read book 2!!
nkinner's review
5.0
Awesome
This book was excellent. Instantly I cannot wait for the next one! Definitely worth taking the time to read it.
This book was excellent. Instantly I cannot wait for the next one! Definitely worth taking the time to read it.
diaryofthebookdragon's review
4.0
Insanity is not the first retelling of Alice in Wonderland I have read, but it is the first one that was able to capture the same surreal feeling as the original. Insanity is the book where all peaces do not match and everything does not makes sense. Probably because all main characters are insane.
Since I have already told you that everybody are off their rocker, it’s not a big surprise that Alice, our heroine, is a patient in the Radcliffe Lunatic Asylum. Alice does not remember why. But she was told she murdered all her classmates. Alice does not think she is a kind of person who could kill someone in cold blood. Then again, normal people do not have houseplants for the same reason as her.
"My orange flower is also my personal rain check for my sanity. If I talk to her and she doesn’t reply, I know I am not hallucinating. If she talks back to me, all kinds of nonsense starts to happen."
Alice’s world is not secure. She never know when things in the mirror will start talking back (or trying to kill her).
The asylum also holds one of the world’s most dangerous psychopaths, conveniently named Professor Carter Pillar. He claims that Alice is the only one who can stop mass murderer Cheshire Cat. Saving young girls lives is a task that will put additional strain on the already shattered Alice’s mind.
But even after Alice leaves the asylum, weird things keep on happening. What is true and what is a figment of her imagination? Cameron Jace makes Oxford seem like some magical, mysterious place from a fairy tale. He masterfully picks right adjectives and descriptions to make your skin tingle. I caught myself throwing furtive glances over my shoulder, although I was tucked into a secure hug of my favorite armchair.
"A thick mist hovered like veiled ghosts over the quadrangle garden known as Tom Quad. Water trickled steadily from a fountain in the middle like a ticking time bomb. The surrounding buildings loomed behind the cold air like a killer carefully watching the consequences of his brutal crime."
And this is where I must stop, because if I talk more about romance, murders or characters I would spoil something for you. And I think it would be a shame.
IN THE END…
Insanity was not perfect, but it’s like a breath of fresh air in the pile of same-old fairy tale retellings. If you are looking for something original and do not mind dark atmosphere, surreal events and mentally unstable characters, you should check it out.
Disclaimer: I received this ebook from Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for a fair and honest review. This text is also posted on my blog Bookworm Dreams in a little bit more styled edition.
Since I have already told you that everybody are off their rocker, it’s not a big surprise that Alice, our heroine, is a patient in the Radcliffe Lunatic Asylum. Alice does not remember why. But she was told she murdered all her classmates. Alice does not think she is a kind of person who could kill someone in cold blood. Then again, normal people do not have houseplants for the same reason as her.
"My orange flower is also my personal rain check for my sanity. If I talk to her and she doesn’t reply, I know I am not hallucinating. If she talks back to me, all kinds of nonsense starts to happen."
Alice’s world is not secure. She never know when things in the mirror will start talking back (or trying to kill her).
The asylum also holds one of the world’s most dangerous psychopaths, conveniently named Professor Carter Pillar. He claims that Alice is the only one who can stop mass murderer Cheshire Cat. Saving young girls lives is a task that will put additional strain on the already shattered Alice’s mind.
But even after Alice leaves the asylum, weird things keep on happening. What is true and what is a figment of her imagination? Cameron Jace makes Oxford seem like some magical, mysterious place from a fairy tale. He masterfully picks right adjectives and descriptions to make your skin tingle. I caught myself throwing furtive glances over my shoulder, although I was tucked into a secure hug of my favorite armchair.
"A thick mist hovered like veiled ghosts over the quadrangle garden known as Tom Quad. Water trickled steadily from a fountain in the middle like a ticking time bomb. The surrounding buildings loomed behind the cold air like a killer carefully watching the consequences of his brutal crime."
And this is where I must stop, because if I talk more about romance, murders or characters I would spoil something for you. And I think it would be a shame.
IN THE END…
Insanity was not perfect, but it’s like a breath of fresh air in the pile of same-old fairy tale retellings. If you are looking for something original and do not mind dark atmosphere, surreal events and mentally unstable characters, you should check it out.
Disclaimer: I received this ebook from Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for a fair and honest review. This text is also posted on my blog Bookworm Dreams in a little bit more styled edition.
bookish_coven's review
1.0
This book was so and so. The story is about a sort of modern day Alice and some sort of adventures she goes through. The tale lost my interest after some point and I don't think I will read more of the series. More detailed review to follow
kba76's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Insanity is a modern take on the Alice in Wonderland story and though it is unbelievably odd it’s also a fascinating read.
Alice here is a patient in an asylum. She has no recollection of Wonderland, and it takes some intervention from Cater Pillar to have her wandering the streets looking for clues about missing girls and the serial killer Cheshire Cat. Make no comment…it’s odd.
We journey through a series of riddles as Alice tries to help the Cheshire’s victims, and we’re never wholly sure what’s happening and what’s in Alice’s head. Even at the end there are so many unanswered questions. It should have been infuriating but it’s quirkiness lent it an air of unexpected attractiveness.
Alice here is a patient in an asylum. She has no recollection of Wonderland, and it takes some intervention from Cater Pillar to have her wandering the streets looking for clues about missing girls and the serial killer Cheshire Cat. Make no comment…it’s odd.
We journey through a series of riddles as Alice tries to help the Cheshire’s victims, and we’re never wholly sure what’s happening and what’s in Alice’s head. Even at the end there are so many unanswered questions. It should have been infuriating but it’s quirkiness lent it an air of unexpected attractiveness.
maggiefan's review
3.0
Don't get me wrong, I liked the book. I would even say that I really enjoyed the concept, but the execution... Not so much.
I felt like the plot had a potential, but it was kind of wasted. The villain could have been more interesting, but, unfortunately, I wasn't scared of him in the slightest.
Also the ending was anticlimactic. I would have enjoyed the book more if it was intense and shocking.
But I enjoyed the main character of the story - Alice. She was fierce and kind. I liked that you could not really tell if she's actually insane.
Overall I think that this whole series has a lot of potential and I am interested to know what is next.
I felt like the plot had a potential, but it was kind of wasted. The villain could have been more interesting, but, unfortunately, I wasn't scared of him in the slightest.
Also the ending was anticlimactic. I would have enjoyed the book more if it was intense and shocking.
But I enjoyed the main character of the story - Alice. She was fierce and kind. I liked that you could not really tell if she's actually insane.
Overall I think that this whole series has a lot of potential and I am interested to know what is next.