Splintered

I'm on a roll! Third review of the day. I didn't lie when I said that I wasn't slack on the reading front during my holiday. Anyhow, this book was particularly interesting. If you don't know, I have a thing for both re-tellings and Wonderland, so I present to you:

Splintered by A. G. Howard

Genre: Young Adult, Re-telling, Paranormal Romance
Pages: 371
Favourite Quotes: "Jen said some guy asked you but you didn't want to go. Why not?" I shrug. "I have this character flaw? Called dignity?"
"No one knows what he or she is capable of until things are at their darkest."
"Sometimes a flame must level a forest to ash before new growth can begin. I believe Wonderland needed scouring."

Alyssa Gardner hears the thoughts of plants and animals. She hides her delusions for now, but she knows her fate: she will end up like her mother, in an institution. Madness has run in her family ever since her great-great-great-grandmother Alice Liddell told Lewis Carroll her strange dreams, inspiring his classic Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
But perhaps she's not mad. And perhaps Carroll's stories aren't as whimsical as they first seem.
To break the curse of insanity, Alyssa must go down the rabbit hole and right the wrongs of Wonderland, a place full of strange beings with dark agendas. Alyssa brings her real-world crush - the protective Jeb - with her, but once her journey begins, she's torn between his solidity and the enchanting, dangerous magic of Morpheus, her guide to Wonderland.
But no one in Wonderland is who they seem to be - not even Alyssa herself.

I am weak when it comes to re-tellings, particularly those that have writing as eloquent and enchanting as this one. And the plot? Consider me sold. However, before I go on, if you happen to own a hardcover copy, remove the dust jacket. You are welcome. Personally, I prefer to read hardcover books without the dust jacket and, every now and then, you get these wonderful books that have these fantastic yet simple designs hidden beneath their covers. I was pleasantly surprised with what I've found underneath this one. Also, let me take a moment to give a shout out to the author, Anita Grace Howard, for her vivid imagination and her ability to accurately grasp a fascinatingly morbid and gruesome Wonderland. It has been a very thrilling ride and I thank you for it.

Now, to the story itself. The concept of a curse following the descendants of Alice Liddell intrigued me, and I regret not reading this book sooner, since I've had it for almost a year now. I can't even decide what my favourite aspect of the book is - the warped versions of the Wonderland characters, the matching explanations linking it to the original book, or the characters and events themselves. I mean, Alyssa is an artist that uses dead bugs for her creations. Or, in her words: "I've been collecting bugs since I was ten; it's the only way I can stop their whispers. Sticking a pin through the gut of an insect shuts it up pretty quick." Ladies and Gentlemen, that was the opening line. I hope that gives you an understanding over just how difficult it was for me to rip myself away from this book, though I had to on several occasions. It's one of those books that force you to step away for a minute to absorb the sheer detail so that you can accurately grasp the mass of awesomeness that it's made of. To be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if the book was made of Netherling dust, it's that unique.

I mean, the history the book deals with alone is massive. There's the history of the Red and White court, the thing I cannot name because it's a spoiler and the other thing I cannot name because... Oh, well, let's just say that the history is massive, okay?

There's also a love triangle. I personally have grown to dislike those a lot, but I think this book pulls it off, mainly because I feel that Jeb represents Alyssa's humanity, whereas Morpheus represents the part she plays in Wonderland. I don't actually like Jeb as much as I think I should. It's become a theme to have a very protective character boyfriend thing, and I just really disliked Jeb for some of his actions. And his relationship with Taelor... But he does come through at some points (*cough* recognition *cough*), so I'm going to peg my feelings as skeptical.

Morpheus is another story entirely though. He's shady, to say the least, but I adore him. He is easily my favorite character, to be honest, though I should probably condemn him for some of his actions. But no, I think he's a genius and a very well written one at that. You can never quite tell where his motives are, and that keeps you on your toes. I love it.

Alyssa? I love her reasonableness. There are things I don't like about her, such as the swooning over Jeb in inappropriate situations, but other than that I think she is a great character and very intelligent at that. I like what she did to her Wish (it's not a spoiler since I don't tell you what she does, ha!) and her defiance to what is happening, while not morphing into a rebel without a cause. The way she narrates things is excellent to and you can really see the emotions she feels lift off the page.

The tension in the book is surreal. There's the time limit to remove the curse, due to Alison, and the pressure to get Jeb back into the real world. Also, the tension between Morpheus and the Alyssa is rather intriguing as well, especially their history (I did say there was a lot of history). And the Red Queen! Don't get me started on her. The revelation on who everyone was and what that meant... It was unfathomable and absolutely perfect. I absolutely loved the complexity of the plot and I'm thrilled that there it's actually a trilogy. So, my advice to you? Get on that band wagon. Get on it now - you won't regret it (except for the wait for the next two books, that is. I know, I'm close to crying myself.)