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A review by bookishbyjo
Alice by Christina Henry
4.0
TW: rape and violence
Do not go into this book expecting a fairytale, or some type of YA fantasy (this is not YA, this is classified as adult and horror). This is a dark and twisted retelling of the classic story. The world Alice escaped from is not Wonderland, but rather a nightmarish land of terrorizing overlords like the Walrus, the Carpenter and the Caterpillar, and, of course, The Rabbit, who commit some horrifying acts.
Alice at 16 escaped what is known as the Old City, from the clutches of a man called The Rabbit, with pieces of her memories missing and blood on her thighs. She has been institutionalized for the past ten years, with her only friend being a man that is called Hatcher, to whom she talks to through a mouse hole in between their cell walls. There is also the intriguing character of Cheshire, and the threat of the fearsome Jabberwocky.
That being said, if you are not faint of heart, this book is a dark and fascinating story. I was intrigued and loved reading the depths of the two main characters, Alice and Hatcher. The story is dark and brutal, but imaginative and immersive.
I will say that I was expecting the final act to be a bit more climactic, and I was a bit underwhelmed with how it ended up playing out. But things are never exactly what you would expect with Alice.
This was the first book by Christina Henry I have read, but I look forward to reading more.
Do not go into this book expecting a fairytale, or some type of YA fantasy (this is not YA, this is classified as adult and horror). This is a dark and twisted retelling of the classic story. The world Alice escaped from is not Wonderland, but rather a nightmarish land of terrorizing overlords like the Walrus, the Carpenter and the Caterpillar, and, of course, The Rabbit, who commit some horrifying acts.
Alice at 16 escaped what is known as the Old City, from the clutches of a man called The Rabbit, with pieces of her memories missing and blood on her thighs. She has been institutionalized for the past ten years, with her only friend being a man that is called Hatcher, to whom she talks to through a mouse hole in between their cell walls. There is also the intriguing character of Cheshire, and the threat of the fearsome Jabberwocky.
That being said, if you are not faint of heart, this book is a dark and fascinating story. I was intrigued and loved reading the depths of the two main characters, Alice and Hatcher. The story is dark and brutal, but imaginative and immersive.
I will say that I was expecting the final act to be a bit more climactic, and I was a bit underwhelmed with how it ended up playing out. But things are never exactly what you would expect with Alice.
This was the first book by Christina Henry I have read, but I look forward to reading more.