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mxharriet's review against another edition
5.0
Vibrant, exotic and imaginative, Splintered is a unique and innovative retelling of one of my favourites, Alice and Wonderland. Now this cover is out-of-this-world! It is absolutely beautiful and mystical and magical and fantastical... Just full of nature. I love all three of them!
Alyssa Gardner's life has been overtaken by a family curse, originating from Alice Liddell's adventure to wonderland. The curse makes them mentally ill, so when Alyssa's mother takes a turn for the worse Alyssa must venture back to the land where it all began. She must complete a series of tests to undo Alice Liddell's mistakes, and along the way she meets the childhood friend she had forgotten and drags along the Prince who has never been. In the dark underground of Wonderland, grudges are held and oaths and promises are bound; motives are never as they seem.
Alyssa is vulnerable and innocent with strength that shines within. She is good-natured and sweet, always thinking of the best for Jeb. However, she has a dark side, the side of her that craves Wonderland and will venture into anything. Morpheus was one of my favourite characters, he was darkly mysterious and precise, he always knew what to do but you never knew whether to trust him or not; he was confusing. The aspect that intrigued me most was his history, he has lived a long existence with dates that are yet to be filled in; he revealed nothing!
The plot of the novel was addictive and dark, being fast-pace and packed with mystery Splintered becomes the magical world of Wonderland within seconds. Howard beautifully captured the key elements of Wonderland, but certainly drew out the darkness hidden within it with stunning and mind-blowing imagery that made you crave more. The twists and dark alleyways that were taken truly captured the essence of Wonderland, alongside the originality of its existence and how it is twisted into the living world.
A darkly beautiful and engaging novel, Splintered will leave you wanting to revisit you favourite childhood story.
laurenbookishtwins's review against another edition
4.0
I gave this 4 stars purely for the beautifully written and wonderfully designed world that Howard created. It wasn't the Wonderland you read in Carrolls book, but a dangerous and twisted Wonderland, and it was truly captivating. The plot was well thought out and executed with twists and turns throughout, with action, mystery, magic and danger.
As for the characters, I really did like Alyssa. She was smart, fierce and sort of eccentric. As for Jeb, I didn't feel connected to him at all, but I didn't hate him either. At times, Alyssa and Jeb romantic moments were sort of sweet, but I didn't feel like they connected as much as Alyssa and Morpheus did as I was much more interested in their friendship and development. He was a much more involved character and you found out more about him than Jeb. He was troubled, if not a little devilish with his own intentions, but his true genuine feelings were soon revealed and I felt he had a much better connection with Alyssa.
Overall, a good and enjoyable read and I recommend.
As for the characters, I really did like Alyssa. She was smart, fierce and sort of eccentric. As for Jeb, I didn't feel connected to him at all, but I didn't hate him either. At times, Alyssa and Jeb romantic moments were sort of sweet, but I didn't feel like they connected as much as Alyssa and Morpheus did as I was much more interested in their friendship and development. He was a much more involved character and you found out more about him than Jeb. He was troubled, if not a little devilish with his own intentions, but his true genuine feelings were soon revealed and I felt he had a much better connection with Alyssa.
Overall, a good and enjoyable read and I recommend.
ciera_miller's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
esmee_bookshelf's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
3.5
secondhandpages's review against another edition
4.0
Alice in Wonderland is one of the best-known stories of our world. The vivid characters and magical world that Carroll brought to life for us has inspired people of all ages. Many of us could identify with Alice as she bumbled through the world of Wonderland meeting new people and looking for a way home after her tumble down the rabbit hole. In many ways, the worlds she experienced reflected the horrors of reality.
Howard took this idea and twisted it into a story that you cannot put down. The world that Alyssa experiences is anything but the sweet, fantastical world that she read about in the Lewis Carroll's stories. Her family is connected to Carroll, through her great-great-grandmother Alice Lidell. She must travel through this scary place if she is to undo the curse that Wonderland left on her family.
I was skeptical going in if I'm completely honest. Wonderland? Dark and Twisty? Why would someone twist a story that is so beloved?! I pushed aside my skepticism and dove in. After all, dark and twisty is my game! The book started out slow, but by chapter 2 I was hooked.
The characters of Splintered are multidimensional and full of life and heart. Jeb, Jenara, Taylor and Alyssa's Parents all had their own pain, heartbreak, and joy that Howard wove into the story with flawless ease, making them seem as though I could reach out and hug them. The Wonderland characters are just as dimensional and well constructed as the humans. Wonderland's residents all had stories that were tragic and heartfelt enough to understand that underneath all the facade of death and hatred there were people who truly wanted the best for their worlds. Whether it was the White Queen, Queen Red, or the Catapiller, himself, you understood their internal battles and hoped that their lives would be saved as well.
The tone of the book is set pretty quickly on, and the story seems to take on a life of its own as I progressed. Howard took care to shape the journey through Wonderland in a way that made you cheer for the villains and the protagonist of the book all at the same time. There were twists that were very obviously foreshadowed as well as twists that came out of nowhere, throwing the story in a direction that caused my brain to work in overdrive -- desperate to get through the final chapters.
I'm usually not one for romance sub plots in stories but the romance seemed so natural that it didn't hinder the story in any way. In fact, the love that the MC has for her two interests is so heartbreakingly real that it's hard to choose which one I liked more. (I did slightly lean in favor of one over the other, but no spoilers!) The triangle that forms is believable and very well thought out but did let me down a bit. Alyssa's decision really must come from her heart of hearts, and while that is a very noble decision, you know her choice pretty early on in the story. A bit more suspense on knowing what she was going to do would have been nice but did not detract from the over all quality of the book.
Over All, I give this book a solid 4 stars! (I'd give it 4.5 but Goodreads won't let me. :( ) If you are looking for a dark and twisted take on a tale you THINK you know, this one is definitely for you! The combination of old and new melded in a way that was perfectly fluid carrying you off to lose your head.
Howard took this idea and twisted it into a story that you cannot put down. The world that Alyssa experiences is anything but the sweet, fantastical world that she read about in the Lewis Carroll's stories. Her family is connected to Carroll, through her great-great-grandmother Alice Lidell. She must travel through this scary place if she is to undo the curse that Wonderland left on her family.
I was skeptical going in if I'm completely honest. Wonderland? Dark and Twisty? Why would someone twist a story that is so beloved?! I pushed aside my skepticism and dove in. After all, dark and twisty is my game! The book started out slow, but by chapter 2 I was hooked.
The characters of Splintered are multidimensional and full of life and heart. Jeb, Jenara, Taylor and Alyssa's Parents all had their own pain, heartbreak, and joy that Howard wove into the story with flawless ease, making them seem as though I could reach out and hug them. The Wonderland characters are just as dimensional and well constructed as the humans. Wonderland's residents all had stories that were tragic and heartfelt enough to understand that underneath all the facade of death and hatred there were people who truly wanted the best for their worlds. Whether it was the White Queen, Queen Red, or the Catapiller, himself, you understood their internal battles and hoped that their lives would be saved as well.
The tone of the book is set pretty quickly on, and the story seems to take on a life of its own as I progressed. Howard took care to shape the journey through Wonderland in a way that made you cheer for the villains and the protagonist of the book all at the same time. There were twists that were very obviously foreshadowed as well as twists that came out of nowhere, throwing the story in a direction that caused my brain to work in overdrive -- desperate to get through the final chapters.
I'm usually not one for romance sub plots in stories but the romance seemed so natural that it didn't hinder the story in any way. In fact, the love that the MC has for her two interests is so heartbreakingly real that it's hard to choose which one I liked more. (I did slightly lean in favor of one over the other, but no spoilers!) The triangle that forms is believable and very well thought out but did let me down a bit. Alyssa's decision really must come from her heart of hearts, and while that is a very noble decision, you know her choice pretty early on in the story. A bit more suspense on knowing what she was going to do would have been nice but did not detract from the over all quality of the book.
Over All, I give this book a solid 4 stars! (I'd give it 4.5 but Goodreads won't let me. :( ) If you are looking for a dark and twisted take on a tale you THINK you know, this one is definitely for you! The combination of old and new melded in a way that was perfectly fluid carrying you off to lose your head.
claire_dobson's review against another edition
3.0
A wonderfully dark retelling of Alice in Wonderland.
hopestar's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Suicide, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
wavymave's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
3.75. I really liked this take on Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. I liked how creepy this version was and that you could never really tell who was good or bad
marijn_vb's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
kaeti's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5