Feb
2013
Reflection – Splintered by A.G. Howard
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: Abrams, Harry N., Inc.
Hit the shelves on: January 15, 2013
Pages: 303
Find on Barnes & Noble
ISBN: 9781613123799
Summary (from Goodreads)
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.
My Rating: 
How’d it get on my shelf?
I added this book to my list for the 2013 S.A.R.C.
I kept seeing it’s gorgeous cover on my TBR list and couldn’t resist downloading on my Nook.
My thoughts…
When I was little I always found Alice in Wonderland a little disturbing… it just kind of scared me a little with the whole crazy vanishing cat, maniac throwing tea parties, creepy twins, and beheading stuff. I didn’t really appreciate it until I was a little older and I read the story. My dad bought me a gorgeous version full of 8×10 illustrations, and as a teenager I decided it wasn’t so scary, but Lewis Carrol must have been on some type of drug when he wrote it… I mean seriously a hooka smoking caterpillar and talking plants? So I still thought the story was crazy and out there, but I started to like it. I’m a big fan of retellings at the moment, especially when they have that slightly gothic or creepy edge, so when I read the blurb for this book I was completely hooked by the idea… I always thought Wonderland was a bit twisted anyway.
I loved this book. I’m not even sure how to explain how hooked I was… I read it in the car on the way to various places (it irritates the crap out of my husband when I like a book that much because he gets to drive while I ignore him), I stayed up when I should have been sleeping, I just couldn’t put it down. Bravo A.G. Howard for putting such a wonderfully macabre twist to Wonderland and it’s inhabitants.
I loved the mystery of this book, even having read the original story and watching various movie remakes I never really knew what to expect. The ending completely threw me for a loop, which made it even better! The characters in this story were amazing and dark and captivating. As Alyssa embarks on a quest to save her mother from the mental hospital, and make sure she doesn’t end up there herself, she also has a hell of a lot of inner demons to battle. First love, friendship, action, trust-issues, romance… this book had it all. I don’t want to say too much because I don’t want to spoil anything. I loved Morpheus and his dark sneaky ways, Jeb with his “knight in shining armor” tendencies, and all the creepy creatures residing in Wonderland. All I can say is go get this book and read it now!
Conclusion…
If I could rate this more than 5 stars I would. I would recommend this book to anyone, and I would definitely reread it myself (which is very rare for me). The story was such an original twist on a classic, the cover is gorgeous, and I can’t find anything that I didn’t like about it.
Kim @ Bookmark To Blog
02/25/2013 at 8:52 pm (86 days ago)I’m just finishing up this book right now! I have loved it so far- and my husband is the same way. Ha ha!
Alaina ("The Barista")
02/27/2013 at 6:38 pm (84 days ago)It was amazing wasn’t it?
Alaina (“The Barista”) recently posted…Reflection – The Madman’s Daughter by Megan Shepherd