To fully understand all of the allusions, you do need to have read the original Alice books or at least have seen one of the older movie versions, not the almost-successful Tim Burton picture. Apart from the antic, too-bright expression on the girl’s face, it doesn’t accurately represent the madcap corkscrew of a world Howard builds here. Anyway, on to the book!įirst of all, don’t let the pretty cover fool you. I love how the artist blends in a little influence from The Crow while still making Morpheus his own person. 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.īefore I forget, let me point out the awesome fan art for this book on Goodreads.

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. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. 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. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. HowardĪmulet Books, $17.95 hardcover, ISBN-10 1419704281, January 1, 2013Īlyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers-precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. I’d like to kick off 2013 by telling you about this New Year’s baby, a fantastic new YA fantasy that reimagines Lewis Carroll’s iconic Wonderland. I’ve had some terrific galleys of books that drop in January or February, books that made me laugh, books that address real issues, and of course, books with some Sexy McSexin’ going on. Happy New Year! Even before 2012 ended, I knew 2013 was shaping up to be a great year for readers.

Ag howard series