SPLINTERED by A G HOWARD

Splintered
by A G Howard
Published: January 1st 2013
Publisher: Abrams
Genre: YA, Fantasy

"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." -From Goodreads

I feel as though if I had had enough time to really sit down and read this book within 1-3 sittings, I would have loved it. However, as it happens that wasn't possible and it took me a little over a week to read. That doesn't mean to say that I didn't enjoy this book, because I certainly did and am looking forward to reading the sequel, when I have enough time to read it in a 1-3 sittings. 

This is basically a dark retelling of Alice in Wonderland, it is far more mysterious, dark and twisted take on the tale and I really, really enjoyed it. Although at times I did find Alyssa slightly annoying I think that was part of her charm, but Jeb, well Jeb just downright irritated me. I have no real reason to dislike him other than the fact that he constantly tried to baby Alyssa and he always thought of her as a maiden in distress, when in reality he was more often than not the character in need of rescue. 

There were times in the book when I thought things were just too easy, they seemed to escape with little trouble and all of the main 'tasks' were over within a short chapter (sometimes two) and I just felt as if there needed to be more explanation and more world building. The book certainly relies on the reader's knowledge of the original Alice in Wonderland novel as a foundation of what is happening.

All things considered, I thought this was a very good book and I enjoyed it a lot, had I had more time I probably would have loved it.

4/5 STARS