"Alice knew she wasn't mad."
But there's a scar on her face she can't remember getting. And she has nightmares of having tea in Old City with "The Rabbit", a stranger with blue-green eyes and long ears who really scares her. Not only that, but she's been locked up in an asylum for the last ten years. It's enough to make her think she might be mad after all. But then there's a fire and Alice escapes the asylum with the help of Hatcher, a fellow inmate. Hiding out in Old City, Alice's mind starts to clear and she realizes her strange thoughts aren't madness, but memories. Only she and Hatcher aren't safe yet. Because something else escaped the asylum the night of the fire, something monstrous and dark. Something called the Jabberwock. And she and Hatcher are the only ones that can put it back in its box.
Christina Henry's adventure "down the rabbit hole" is a much darker, more macabre tale than the one Lewis Carroll ever imagined. And I think that's why I liked it. Hatcher is a slightly terrifying character capable of murder, but he'd never do anything to hurt Alice. And she supposedly has what they need to defeat the Jabberwock if she can ever figure out the truth, or learn to believe in herself. Their journey is filled with danger, strangeness, mystery and magic, and a lot of crazy characters including Cheshire and Caterpillar, the very scary Walrus, and, of course, the even scarier Jabberwocky. This is one of those unique and delightfully compelling reads that I didn't want to put down. And I think there's a sequel which makes me happy, because....
"There's nothing ordinary about Alice."
Happy Reading!
I am glad to read you enjoyed this one, Lark. It's been on my radar for awhile now. I haven't always liked Alice in Wonderland related stories, but they seem to have grown on me in recent years.
ReplyDeleteThere's something about them that makes me keep reading them, although they're not always as good as I want them to be. Like Splintered; it was good, but not GOOD. But I liked this one. It's a darker version Alice in Wonderland, but maybe that's why it worked.
DeleteWell now, I'm intrigued. I hated the original Alice but there something about retellings that make me curious. I might have to check this one out.
ReplyDeleteThis is a lot different than the original Alice in Wonderland. But if you like a little darkness in your fantasy, this is a good read. I'm even going to try the second one in the series. :-)
DeleteI love retellings; I like the different aspects from the originals and it's always refreshing to see where the "new" stories go. I'll keep this book in mind.
ReplyDeleteSome authors are really clever and creative with their retellings. Henry's version of Alice was completely unexpected; and she really made it her own. Which was nice.
DeleteSounds good and creepy! I'll have to put it on my Halloween reading list.
ReplyDeleteIt would be a good October/Halloween read!
DeleteI've never heard of this book before, but it sounds really good. I don't know why, but I like a good insane asylum story!
ReplyDeleteRight? I'm also drawn to boarding schools...think there's a connection? :)
DeleteOooh, think I will have to add this one to my list!
ReplyDeleteIt's a good one! I'm hoping to check out the sequel to it when I go to the library on Friday. :)
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