Title: Splintered (Splintered #1)
Author: A.G. Howard
Genre/s: Young Adult, Fantasy, Retelling, Romance
Synopsis: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 Thoughts:
Dark and mystical, A.G.Howard's Splintered will re-introduce you to the story of Alice in the Wonderland, like you've never heard or seen it before. But beware, because once you go down the rabbit hole, you will have to fight back if you want to regain control. (Okay, this is not the best rhyme that I can come up with but I swear, it's connected to the story)
Being the great-great-great-granddaughter of Alice Liddell, the girl who inspired Lewis Carroll to write Alice in the Wonderland, isn't easy and Alyssa Gardner knew that for a fact. Because aside from being teased about dormice, tea parties and other Wonderland jokes, she also inherited a family curse. The same curse that puts her mother in a mental institution.
But after an unexplanable incident happened to Aly and her mother, Aly decided to take everything seriously, no matter how bizarre it is. And if everything her mother told her was true, she has to go down the rabbit hole and end this curse for once and for all.
Okay, this book is hands-down AMAZING! The description and imagery of this book was so vivid and detailed, I was immersed immediately into this grotesque and overly bizarre world of Wonderland.
Aly was a cool character, a true skater girl with an eye for morbid art. She doesn't want people to know her family problems because she wanted to be treated as normal and to belong in the society even if it means she has to tell a lie. It is sad but true. And I think, a lot of girls will identify with her(I know, I do). She also was secretly in love with Jeb, her best friend and neighbor. But she can't admit it to him because he has a girlfriend, Taelor Tremont, who happens to be Aly's mortal enemy.
“And Al,” he says, his jaw tight. “No matter what happens, we’ll find each other again. You’re my lifeline. You always will be.”
I LOVE JEB! He's sweet, funny, caring, artistic and dependable. I understand why Aly loves him. He also have a problematic life like Aly but not as crazy. He secretly likes Aly too but he's afraid to involved her in his problems because he doesn't want Aly to have any additional burden. I don't agree with his reasoning about this at all but that's the decision he made and that doesn't change what I feel for him.
“You cry for him yet bled for me. One must wonder which is more powerful. More binding. I suppose we shall one day know.”
Morpheus, on the other hand, was very suspicious and I can't make myself trust him. I don't care if his as sexy as a rockstar or as hot as Johnny Depp or that he has a really awesome costume. He's so manipulative and secretive and that's not a good thing. He also frustrates me because I can't figure him out. He's the perfect example of an enigma.
Overall, this was a really exceptional read. The setting was jaw-droppingly awesome, the characters jump off the page, the adventure was badass in every level and the twist in the end was unexpectedly heartbreaking. Need I say more? If you haven't read this book yet, you're missing out on a lot of awesomeness. Read it now!
My Rating
