Reviews with content warning for Confinement - Il mio splendido migliore amico

I really enjoyed this, it was such a fun read. It felt like the author really loved the idea of Wonderland and wanted to add to it (sometimes books like these feel more like they want to force a pre-existing concept into their own version). There was something about this that just sucked me in from the first few chapters.

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siglerbooknook's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-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? Yes

4.5

I truly loved this book. It was super cute and very unique. I find it hard to define this book or describe it in a way that does it justice. It was odd but cute, unique but felt classic, twisted and sinister yet somehow still a comforting read. I love the premise and setting. I adored the twisted changes to wonderland and all the little punk details. I really liked Alyssa as a main character. Both Jeb and Morpheus felt a little forced to me, but I still enjoyed their characters. I can definitely see myself reading this book again.

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britgirlreading's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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booksarefriends_notfood's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious tense fast-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

5.0

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_roctopus_'s review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

My feelings about this are... conflicted to say the least.
I absolutely love the world and the story

and the twist that Alyssa is a descendant of the Red Queen (or Queen Red) and not Alice like she originally believed

. I love the creepier side of Wonderland and the adventure Alyssa went on. These parts of the book made me want to give this 4 or 5 stars.

That being said, I hate the love triangle with every fiber of my being. Especially Jeb. I hate him.
minor to medium spoilers detailing why:

He is very controlling of Alyssa always trying to protect her even when she doesn't need to be. This isn't cute in this case because he holds her back from what she is trying to accomplish, sometimes literally. And what's even worse is that she views this as good and romantic, she calls him her knight in shining armor which (ignoring how cringy that is) is disgusting. Alyssa knows more of what to do in this world, but Jeb acts like she is a weak girl in need of protection that only he can provide. The most infuriating part is that SHE LETS HIM and thinks of him as her savior. Her biggest character development is when he is not there and she finally thinks and acts all by herself realizing she can save herself. But even then she is still constantly wishing he was there and I just *screams*. Now I'm not saying Morpheus is a great option and honestly Alyssa should ditch them both, but he is by far the better option because he actually believes she can take care of herself.

I can live with a love triangle (heck my one of my favorite types of books are YA dystopian novels so I'm used to love triangles), but I cannot deal with this Jeb crap. It's honestly so toxic and Morpheus even sometimes points it out and Alyssa still doesn't care. Needless to say, I will not be continuing with the series because I cannot deal with this nonsense even if the adventure and world are amazing.

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