(Click image to take you to Goodreads)
Format: Paperback
Publishers: Amulet Books
Published: 1st January 2013
Pages: 371
Genre: YA, Paranormal Romance, Retelling
Main Characters: Alyssa, Jeb, Morpheus
Date Read: 2nd January - 15th January 2014
Rating Given:
Blurb:
This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of a mystical under-land, as well as a girl’s pangs of first love and independence. Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.
When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.
I have had this book sat on my shelf for quite some time now but I never got around to reading but now that I have a feel a little let down by it as I was expecting so much more.
The cover is one of the main reasons why I wanted this book as I absolutely love it. It's so colourful which makes it stand out from any other book covers. I also love the use of bugs as it is in keeping with the story which I always love. This is definitely one of my all time favourite covers.
The fact that this book was a retelling of Alice in Wonderland was the other main reason why I wanted to read this book as I love retellings but I think this one might be my least favourite retelling which I am very surprised about as I have heard only great things about this book. I did love the different take on the story and some of the changes made was very different but in a good way. I just didn't have any real feeling for the book which was such a shame. The beginning of Splintered I enjoyed so much so I thought it was going to be a favourite of mine but then halfway through I just felt it lost it's interest for me as I was getting confused and I never knew what to think from one minute to the next. Towards the end it did pick up again with things getting explained making me want to read the next book.
I'm not really sure what I think about the characters sometimes I liked them then sometimes I didn't and I never really knew who to trust in. Alyssa started off ok as she was going through some stuff with herself and her mother but she did some things that just wasn't acceptable in a character, there was definitely a dark side to her character. Jeb was sweet and at times I was rooting for him but there was times when he was controlling and I didn't really trust his feelings towards Alyssa. Morpheus was another character that I just didn't trust but in the end he really did warm to me and I'd like to see his character even more in the next book.
Overall I just didn't get the hype of the book but there where some really great moment I just wish it continued through out the book.
