pinky_08's review against another edition
1.0
This was a nope for me. Couldn’t finish it. I think I perfected my eye roll though, so there’s that. Also made a mental note to not read any books that involve high school and high school age. I’m an adult, I don’t need to go down the “rabbit hole” of what being a teenager is like.
a_novel_ty's review against another edition
3.0
Actual Rating: 2.75
I did it!!!! I FINALLY FINISHED THIS BOOK! After a full month of literally dragging myself through this book. It's such a relief to FINALLY be finished with it. OMG! Wooo!
I started this book on February 3rd and finished March 6th. There was really only one thing that contributed to this book being SO hard for me to get into and stay into it. I didn't hate the book at all, it was just sooo boring! And I know a lot of people loved this book and for some this series is one of their favorites. But seriously...the only reason I pushed myself through this was because of the money I spent on two copies of the first book as well as a hardcover of the sequel. I'm not in the habit of DNF'ing books that I've bought that aren't absolutely terrible.
Splintered is about Alyssa who is a descendant of Lewis Carrolls Alice from Alice in Wonderland. Like her mom and all of the other females in her family, Alyssa is cursed. Cursed with the ability to hear bugs and plants speak and other weird things that can't be explained by anything other than a curse. Her grandmother jumped off of a roof because she thought she could fly and her mom is in an asylum for speaking to bugs and many other eccentricities. And Alyssa believes its only a matter of time before she has to face the same fate as her mom. The only things keeping her sane is being strong for her father, the support and care of her best friend Jeb and her art. Problem is, her mom is getting worse and worse so Alyssa decides the only way to save her, is to find the rabbit hole, go to wonderland, and break the curse that has destroyed her family.
First of all....the cover of these books are absolutely stunning, so the cover alone would have been enough for me to buy this book. But the synopsis of this book is what really drew me in. A fairytale retelling that isn't really a retelling but a continuation in modern time, with a cool skateboard riding girl who makes abstract art with bugs and just wants to be a normal teenager. That sounds amazing...the execution of it though is why I think I had such a hard time getting through it. This is the first book in a fantasy series so of course there was a lot of set up. But there's no reason for the set up of a world to be boring or wordy or dragged out. It just didn't do it for me. For the most part I really didn't care and 98% of the time, I really couldn't picture what was being described anyway which is never good. Because at that point you're just reading for readings sake. You aren't absorbing anything or taking in the story. I just feel like if there was a little less focus on describing things I couldn't really imagine, that time could have been better spent focusing on the characters. One could say, not really understanding what was happening could be a part of the package. Alice in Wonderland is supposed to be disorienting and confusing. But its supposed to be that in a fun and whimsical way. Not in a way that annoys me and makes me want to give up on figuring out whats going on altogether.
There were some other things in the plot that bothered me. When Alice gets to wonderland, its all about discovery and wonder, figuring out the truth about her families history and what she needs to do in order to fix it. However some of those things she needed to fix seemed to come too easily to her. For most of the book, she's going through these "challenges" that she doesn't even know are challenges and she's overcoming them with little to no effort at all. By the time she realizes...and by the time the reader realizes that what she's been going through has been tests, she's already completed all but one of them. A challenge for me is supposed to BE that. Something you have to work at and fight.
The characters are really what made this book for me. Like I said, I liked Alyssa. She's this cool 17 year old girl who, despite her family history, has a pretty good head on her shoulders. When faced with some of the horrors of wonderland and even in her human life, she stayed strong. She never cowered in a corner expecting someone else to save her. Of course, some things she did annoyed me. Its very rare for me to love a character outright. Everyone has flaws and some of hers rubbed me the wrong way. But for the most part I liked her character. Then there is Jeb and Morpheus. Jeb is Alyssa's best friend and unrequited love interest. While Morpheus is a childhood friend she never knew she had.
Now...I feel like A.G. Howard was going for a love triangle between these three but again, the execution bombed. At least it did for me. First of all its clear that Jeb is the right choice. He knows Alyssa, he cares about her and even though he hasn't been honest about his feelings for her, anyone with a brain and two eyes would be able to tell that there is something between the two. Secondly...Morpheus isn't a good person and I spent most of the book trying to figure out if I should like him and if I could trust him or not. He's manipulative, conniving, selfish and a liar and I don't see how or WHEN I was supposed to EVER want to see Alyssa with him, I don't care how great of a childhood they had together. Morpheus is a GREAT pseudo-villain and I would have probably liked him much more if he wasn't being presented to me as a potential love interest.
In the last 60 pages of the book I finally started to enjoy the story and really wanted to know what was going to happen next and how everything was going to turn out. But of course by that point it was too little too late. This book had a lot of great elements and great potential. There was the amazing cast of wonderland characters with a dark twist and some elements from the actual Lewis Carroll story were reenacted. I just feel like it could have been done in a more enjoyable and entertaining way. As I said before, if it weren't for the fact that I've already invested so much money into this series, I probably wouldn't have finished it. The good thing is, it finished off on a good note for me so I don't think I'll have any troubles picking up Unhinged. Hopefully that book will turn out to be more entertaining for me but I won't know for a while yet because I have no intentions on starting it any time soon.
This book really wasn't for me. Others may LOVE it though so definitely give it a try if you're interested in a little bit of a modern day Wonderland without all of the Disney frills.
I did it!!!! I FINALLY FINISHED THIS BOOK! After a full month of literally dragging myself through this book. It's such a relief to FINALLY be finished with it. OMG! Wooo!
I started this book on February 3rd and finished March 6th. There was really only one thing that contributed to this book being SO hard for me to get into and stay into it. I didn't hate the book at all, it was just sooo boring! And I know a lot of people loved this book and for some this series is one of their favorites. But seriously...the only reason I pushed myself through this was because of the money I spent on two copies of the first book as well as a hardcover of the sequel. I'm not in the habit of DNF'ing books that I've bought that aren't absolutely terrible.
Splintered is about Alyssa who is a descendant of Lewis Carrolls Alice from Alice in Wonderland. Like her mom and all of the other females in her family, Alyssa is cursed. Cursed with the ability to hear bugs and plants speak and other weird things that can't be explained by anything other than a curse. Her grandmother jumped off of a roof because she thought she could fly and her mom is in an asylum for speaking to bugs and many other eccentricities. And Alyssa believes its only a matter of time before she has to face the same fate as her mom. The only things keeping her sane is being strong for her father, the support and care of her best friend Jeb and her art. Problem is, her mom is getting worse and worse so Alyssa decides the only way to save her, is to find the rabbit hole, go to wonderland, and break the curse that has destroyed her family.
First of all....the cover of these books are absolutely stunning, so the cover alone would have been enough for me to buy this book. But the synopsis of this book is what really drew me in. A fairytale retelling that isn't really a retelling but a continuation in modern time, with a cool skateboard riding girl who makes abstract art with bugs and just wants to be a normal teenager. That sounds amazing...the execution of it though is why I think I had such a hard time getting through it. This is the first book in a fantasy series so of course there was a lot of set up. But there's no reason for the set up of a world to be boring or wordy or dragged out. It just didn't do it for me. For the most part I really didn't care and 98% of the time, I really couldn't picture what was being described anyway which is never good. Because at that point you're just reading for readings sake. You aren't absorbing anything or taking in the story. I just feel like if there was a little less focus on describing things I couldn't really imagine, that time could have been better spent focusing on the characters. One could say, not really understanding what was happening could be a part of the package. Alice in Wonderland is supposed to be disorienting and confusing. But its supposed to be that in a fun and whimsical way. Not in a way that annoys me and makes me want to give up on figuring out whats going on altogether.
There were some other things in the plot that bothered me. When Alice gets to wonderland, its all about discovery and wonder, figuring out the truth about her families history and what she needs to do in order to fix it. However some of those things she needed to fix seemed to come too easily to her. For most of the book, she's going through these "challenges" that she doesn't even know are challenges and she's overcoming them with little to no effort at all. By the time she realizes...and by the time the reader realizes that what she's been going through has been tests, she's already completed all but one of them. A challenge for me is supposed to BE that. Something you have to work at and fight.
The characters are really what made this book for me. Like I said, I liked Alyssa. She's this cool 17 year old girl who, despite her family history, has a pretty good head on her shoulders. When faced with some of the horrors of wonderland and even in her human life, she stayed strong. She never cowered in a corner expecting someone else to save her. Of course, some things she did annoyed me. Its very rare for me to love a character outright. Everyone has flaws and some of hers rubbed me the wrong way. But for the most part I liked her character. Then there is Jeb and Morpheus. Jeb is Alyssa's best friend and unrequited love interest. While Morpheus is a childhood friend she never knew she had.
Now...I feel like A.G. Howard was going for a love triangle between these three but again, the execution bombed. At least it did for me. First of all its clear that Jeb is the right choice. He knows Alyssa, he cares about her and even though he hasn't been honest about his feelings for her, anyone with a brain and two eyes would be able to tell that there is something between the two. Secondly...Morpheus isn't a good person and I spent most of the book trying to figure out if I should like him and if I could trust him or not. He's manipulative, conniving, selfish and a liar and I don't see how or WHEN I was supposed to EVER want to see Alyssa with him, I don't care how great of a childhood they had together. Morpheus is a GREAT pseudo-villain and I would have probably liked him much more if he wasn't being presented to me as a potential love interest.
In the last 60 pages of the book I finally started to enjoy the story and really wanted to know what was going to happen next and how everything was going to turn out. But of course by that point it was too little too late. This book had a lot of great elements and great potential. There was the amazing cast of wonderland characters with a dark twist and some elements from the actual Lewis Carroll story were reenacted. I just feel like it could have been done in a more enjoyable and entertaining way. As I said before, if it weren't for the fact that I've already invested so much money into this series, I probably wouldn't have finished it. The good thing is, it finished off on a good note for me so I don't think I'll have any troubles picking up Unhinged. Hopefully that book will turn out to be more entertaining for me but I won't know for a while yet because I have no intentions on starting it any time soon.
This book really wasn't for me. Others may LOVE it though so definitely give it a try if you're interested in a little bit of a modern day Wonderland without all of the Disney frills.
alexs_book_hoard's review against another edition
5.0
This may have started a new rabbit hole for me as a reader, pun definitely intended. I’ll admit, I read Lewis Carrol’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” and wasn’t impressed. But I do usually love me a retelling, so I went in hopeful.
And this book blew me AWAY! It had everything I wanted from a darker retelling of a kid’s story. The world is recontextualized into something new while remaining broadly familiar. It uses what’s familiar to the reader without feeling at all like it’s just rehashing the source. Most importantly for me, it tells its own story without feeling like it’s just “the story but modern.”
The characterization was also amazing. Alyssa, Jeb, Morpheus, Gossemer, and all of our cast of characters felt like actual people…well, as much as Wonderland people (or netherlings, as they’re called here) can be real people. Morpheus is also such a complex character that I don’t know if I want to throttle or give a hug. Both? Both. Both is good. Alyssa grows as a character, and Jeb is a national treasure that must be protected at all costs. I loved almost everyone…with a few exceptions.
When I finished this book, I almost immediately went to check out the sequel book, Unhinged, and the in-between novella, The Moth in the Mirror. This series is bringing me so much joy and I can’t wait to see where it goes!
And this book blew me AWAY! It had everything I wanted from a darker retelling of a kid’s story. The world is recontextualized into something new while remaining broadly familiar. It uses what’s familiar to the reader without feeling at all like it’s just rehashing the source. Most importantly for me, it tells its own story without feeling like it’s just “the story but modern.”
The characterization was also amazing. Alyssa, Jeb, Morpheus, Gossemer, and all of our cast of characters felt like actual people…well, as much as Wonderland people (or netherlings, as they’re called here) can be real people. Morpheus is also such a complex character that I don’t know if I want to throttle or give a hug. Both? Both. Both is good. Alyssa grows as a character, and Jeb is a national treasure that must be protected at all costs. I loved almost everyone…with a few exceptions.
When I finished this book, I almost immediately went to check out the sequel book, Unhinged, and the in-between novella, The Moth in the Mirror. This series is bringing me so much joy and I can’t wait to see where it goes!
amrutha_1397's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Okay so I just finished reading this book and I have mixed feelings about it. I like it but also I don't like it at the same time?
Coming to the main focus, it is a retelling of Alice in Wonderland and a completely different version of it. In my opinion, it is 1000 times better and well written than the original Lewis Carroll's book coz to me the original was just a bunch of nonsensical parody. I wholeheartedly loathe the original book and have completely opposite feelings towards this one plot-wise.
Plot-wise, this book is a masterpiece. It's filled with unexpected twists and turns. The plot is highly highly unpredictable which makes it a fun roller coaster read.
The writing of the book is also whimsically ticklish. I dont know if that makes sense but it grabs you and there's this sudden urge to just be able to jump into the book and be a part of it kinda ticklish. I freaking love it.
**Spoilers Ahead**
Jeb was nearly non-existent. Kinda unnecessary except for when the ivory queen had to be fred. As the gossamer says " The roses must be painted with the blood of someone willing to trade places with her for the noblest of reasons. Love initiates transfer".
I think he was only a pawn and nothing more, who was present for the sole purpose of painting the roses on the jabberlock box red with his blood. I personally didn't feel the chemistry between Jeb and Alyssa.
Now coming to Morpheus. Ugh! Disgusting son of a bug indeed. I hated why Alyssa was so mesmerized by this guy. He's a trickster, a traitor and womanizer. I hated the character interactions with him. Bleh!
I know that this is just book one. And also let me tell you guys that this book doesn't end with much of a cliffhanger. So you can choose to read just this one or continue with the series. I personally don't wanna revisit this realm thanks to the netherling or can we say neverling **Morbideus**.
Coming to the main focus, it is a retelling of Alice in Wonderland and a completely different version of it. In my opinion, it is 1000 times better and well written than the original Lewis Carroll's book coz to me the original was just a bunch of nonsensical parody. I wholeheartedly loathe the original book and have completely opposite feelings towards this one plot-wise.
Plot-wise, this book is a masterpiece. It's filled with unexpected twists and turns. The plot is highly highly unpredictable which makes it a fun roller coaster read.
The writing of the book is also whimsically ticklish. I dont know if that makes sense but it grabs you and there's this sudden urge to just be able to jump into the book and be a part of it kinda ticklish. I freaking love it.
**Spoilers Ahead**
Spoiler
Now coming to the characters. Thank god that the writer didnt make alyssa seem like a snow-flake character. She acted like her age and is capable of taking care of herself except for her taste in boys.Jeb was nearly non-existent. Kinda unnecessary except for when the ivory queen had to be fred. As the gossamer says " The roses must be painted with the blood of someone willing to trade places with her for the noblest of reasons. Love initiates transfer".
I think he was only a pawn and nothing more, who was present for the sole purpose of painting the roses on the jabberlock box red with his blood. I personally didn't feel the chemistry between Jeb and Alyssa.
Now coming to Morpheus. Ugh! Disgusting son of a bug indeed. I hated why Alyssa was so mesmerized by this guy. He's a trickster, a traitor and womanizer. I hated the character interactions with him. Bleh!
I know that this is just book one. And also let me tell you guys that this book doesn't end with much of a cliffhanger. So you can choose to read just this one or continue with the series. I personally don't wanna revisit this realm thanks to the netherling or can we say neverling **Morbideus**.
trin_ney18's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 Stars
AESTHETIC BOARD
Despite how well I rated this book, I don't think I'll be labeling it as a favorite because it just didn't invoke that feeling in me. It was really good, don't get me wrong.\
At first, the characters really threw me off. I was cringing and laughing at how they chose to dress. It just felt so emo and early 2000s myspace. I really couldn't get past those choices because they were prevalent throughout the whole book and it really made me pause and question why this was the style the author decided to go with.
Once I did get into the book a little more it really started to fly by for me. I didn't want to put it down. I just really needed to know how everything was going to go down. It was a NEEED.
I probably won't be continuing with the series because I'm not too invested in the characters. Which is a little sad but I did enjoy the overall book.
Oh man, the chemistry in some sections was so hot. I really enjoyed those parts.
AESTHETIC BOARD
Despite how well I rated this book, I don't think I'll be labeling it as a favorite because it just didn't invoke that feeling in me. It was really good, don't get me wrong.\
At first, the characters really threw me off. I was cringing and laughing at how they chose to dress. It just felt so emo and early 2000s myspace. I really couldn't get past those choices because they were prevalent throughout the whole book and it really made me pause and question why this was the style the author decided to go with.
Once I did get into the book a little more it really started to fly by for me. I didn't want to put it down. I just really needed to know how everything was going to go down. It was a NEEED.
I probably won't be continuing with the series because I'm not too invested in the characters. Which is a little sad but I did enjoy the overall book.
Oh man, the chemistry in some sections was so hot. I really enjoyed those parts.
moonchild_88's review against another edition
Mí yo adolescente lo hubiera amado, pero lo yo adulta lo odió. Este es uno de esos libros que tenía ganas de leer cuando estaba en el liceo, pero nunca llegué a hacerlo. Pero escuché hace poco que estaba bueno así que decidí darle una oportunidad. Es malísimo, pésimo. Está plagado de " I'm not like other girls". La representación de enfermedades mentales es malísima. El chico es un machorulo tóxico. Al parecer más adelante aparece otro que está inspirado en el sombrerero loco que incluso a los que odiaron el libro les gustó, pero no le voy a quedar para averiguarlo.
"A bleeding heart wrapped in barbed wire, might aswell be an x-ray of my chest" LMAO
"He's always teased that I'm a mix between skate glam and American sweetheart" PLEASEEEEE
"A bleeding heart wrapped in barbed wire, might aswell be an x-ray of my chest" LMAO
"He's always teased that I'm a mix between skate glam and American sweetheart" PLEASEEEEE
buffywnabe's review against another edition
5.0
I love, love, love this book! If you like fairy tale retellings, or other story retellings, then you have to read this. What are you waiting for? Oh yeah, it won't be published till January. But put it on your TBR list, you'll want to read it!
If you want to read the rest of my thoughts, go HERE.
If you want to read the rest of my thoughts, go HERE.
burniereads's review against another edition
3.0
*3.5/5
This book was a ride. Not the best thing I've ever read, but definitely not the worst. Jeb is definitely better than Morpheus, just putting it out there. He's like the right amount of possessive without it being creepy whilst Morpheus just kind of pisses me off. Alyssa was an interesting character at points, and just plain unbearable at others. The ending kind of ruined it for me but I'll definitely be continuing just to see where it goes.
This book was a ride. Not the best thing I've ever read, but definitely not the worst. Jeb is definitely better than Morpheus, just putting it out there. He's like the right amount of possessive without it being creepy whilst Morpheus just kind of pisses me off. Alyssa was an interesting character at points, and just plain unbearable at others. The ending kind of ruined it for me but I'll definitely be continuing just to see where it goes.