REVIEW:

This exciting wonderland retelling had me engaged from page one. A unique twist on the classic children's story now set in a dystopian world, yet still had the lighthearted and fantasy feel to it. All Alice Liddell has longed for is to escape her Normal life and discover the secrets to her past. But when the sister who raised her is arrested everything turns topsy turvy, upside down, and backwards and Alice is thrust into a world of Wonders, cards, teas, games, and secrets. 

The characters in this epic tale felt so real to me as I read. They were each unique in their own way, and each had their own personal traits and differences. From Alice's complex thought process, to Chess Shire's charming and confusing way of speaking, to Blanche De Lapin's fun accent, Madi Hatter's intriguing backstory and Knave Heart's interesting motives. My favorite part about the story was the pacing and the way it was written. Every sentence spoke Wonderland and kept me enthralled and had me turning pages late into the night. Set in England, I found it the perfect book to read out loud in my British accent. The emotions in this story were so articulate and had me laughing and crying right alongside the characters. Sara Ella did a wonderful job in capturing this beautiful story.

WARNINGS:

Mentions of death // Romance // parents abandoning children // Little bit of violence

TAKEAWAYS:

All in all I think this was one of my favorite reads of the year. Dystopian, but not too heavy or dark. It was a real and powerful story yet fun and lighthearted. It gave me all the feels, all the emotions, all the tears and all the laughs. It hit the spot, just what I was looking for in a story like this. Prepare yourself though, you'll defintely need book two!

Reviewed by: Adalyn E. Skains